Sunday brings us more NFL Playoffs action with the final game of the Divisional Round kicking off at 6:30 p.m. EST. The Chicago Bears haven’t made the NFC Championship Game in 15 years, but Caleb Williams has his squad one win away from bringing the franchise a step closer to the promised land. After a massive breakout last week, rookie tight end Colston Loveland could play a key role in getting them there.
Chicago is a 4.5-point home underdog with the game total set at 48.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Here are the best Colston Loveland prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Bears vs. Rams on Sunday’s edition of the NFL Divisional Round.
Best Colston Loveland prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
A first-round pick out of Michigan, Colston Loveland become one of the highest-drafted tight ends of the millennium after being taken 10th overall. While he started his rookie NFL campaign slowly, the young talent began to hit his stride in Week 9 with 118 yards and two touchdowns on six grabs. Another couple of quiet weeks followed, but he finished the regular season as the Bears’ leader in receptions (58), yardage (713) and tied for the team lead with six touchdowns via the air. His role in the offense has only grown, and Loveland now comes off a true breakout performance of eight catches for 137 yards as his team upset the division rival Packers last week.
The matchup for the Chicago passing attack does appear solid in the Divisional Round, though there are some concerns to note. Here’s a look at an excerpt from a companion piece outlining the top Caleb Williams props for today:
This defense, coached by coordinator Chris Shula (a popular name in head coach interviews), looks like one of the NFL’s best when fully clicking. Los Angeles allows 20.9 points per game (10th) and 218.6 passing yards per game (20th) while sitting 10th-best in defensive EPA/pass. While the yardage mark and the 26 passing touchdowns allowed suggest they’re a smidge vulnerable via the pass, the Rams do have a ferocious pass rush that’ll look to disrupt the Bears’ timing throughout the day.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Loveland’s prop bet lines are set at O/U 5.5 receptions, 58.5 receiving yards and a longest catch of 21.5 yards. His odds to score an anytime touchdown come in at +190, fifth-shortest of any player in the contest.
After last week, it’s tough to not believe in the rookie tight end’s ability to wreck a defense’s game plan. Loveland dominated both linebackers and defensive backs in coverage, using his size and athleticism at 6-foot-6 to win mismatches and haul in passes both across the middle and along the sideline. He looked every part of a blossoming star and went over 90 yards for the third consecutive game, also making it three straight weeks with double-digit targets.
The latter stat remains particularly valuable heading into this matchup. While the Rams allowed just 44.28 yards per game to tight ends this season, seventh-fewest, they did rank in the middle of the pack in both targets (7.33) and catches (5.28) conceded to the position. Loveland’s ability and physical stature make him an easy target for his quarterback to hone in on, and with his target share increasing by the week to elite levels, there’s little reason to believe that changes anytime soon. The tight end is showing impressive chemistry with Williams and looks like one of his favorite weapons as of late, and while Los Angeles will look to limit him, head coach Ben Johnson should find plenty of creative ways to put the ball in Loveland’s hands.
With his role in the offense becoming more and more important, he should see close to double-digit looks for the fourth straight week and haul in at least six catches to go over his receptions line.
Best Bet: Colston Loveland over 5.5 receptions (+109)
Click the odds of this bet to tail!
