The spotlight shines on Santa Clara this Sunday night, as the Seattle Seahawks meet the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium for Super Bowl LX.
This matchup presents the Seahawks with a chance at redemption after their infamous loss at the one-yard line against New England in the Big Game back in 2015.
Seattle is favored for the rematch, but it’ll need strong contributions across the board to overcome a formidable Patriots squad, including second-year tight end AJ Barner.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Seattle enters as a 4.5-point favorite, while New England sits as a +195 underdog. The game’s total is set at 45.5 points.
Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday, here’s my favorite AJ Barner prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best AJ Barner Prop Bet for Super Bowl LX
Best Bet: AJ Barner Over 2.5 Receptions (-158)
AJ Barner heads into his first career Super Bowl appearance, following a strong sophomore campaign with the Seahawks. As Sam Darnold’s third-most targeted pass-catcher, the former Michigan standout hauled in 52 receptions for 519 yards and six touchdowns, trailing only Jaxon Smith-Njigba (10) for the team lead.
Barner recorded three or more receptions in 10 of Seattle’s 17 regular-season matchups, highlighted by a career-high 10 catches against the Rams in Week 11.
But Barner’s role in the offense has diminished considerably in the playoffs. The 23-year-old tight end has logged just two catches on three targets for 13 yards across two postseason games, all from Seattle’s NFC Championship win over Los Angeles.
Still, Barner should see an uptick in looks on the game’s biggest stage. New England, which ranked in the top half of the NFL in sack percentage, allowed the league’s 11th-most receptions to opposing tight ends during the regular season.
Opposing teams have continually deferred to their tight ends as safety valves against the Patriots during the playoffs. Oronde Gadsden and Tucker Fisk each logged three receptions for the Chargers in the Wild Card before Houston’s Harrison Bryant hauled in half of his six targets in the AFC Divisional Round.
With New England likely putting an emphasis on containing JSN and standout running back Kenneth Walker III, expect Barner to find consistent separation and log at least three catches on Super Bowl Sunday.
