Below, I break down my favorite player prop bets for tonight’s primetime game between the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens and the Liberty Flames.
Here’s how I’ll play it. I’ll be pumping out these predictions for individual games all season, with plenty of coverage here on DraftKings Network. Follow my handle @dansby_edits for more betting plays.
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Delaware vs. Liberty player props
Makai Jackson 60+ total receiving yards (-115)
Delaware has already collected 14 sacks, so I’m particularly interested in the quick-game ways Liberty is scheming Makai Jackson open, a la his first touchdown at Coastal Carolina. Jackson caught a slant and accelerated for a 58-yard hit on paydirt. Coach Chadwell can attack through him simply in the play-calling so that Deshawn Purdie will look to Jackson as his first read.
Purdie found Jackson on five of his 11 total completions at CC, with Jackson accounting for a whopping 149 of Purdie’s 216 passing yards. Jackson’s also caught a pass of at least 34 yards in all four games, repeatedly stretching possessions that Liberty’s modest passing volume might otherwise constrain.
Delaware’s legit front seven makes this a bit difficult to slam overs for Liberty, but, to be fair, Virginia demonstrated how much damage a quarterback can inflict between sacks: the Cavaliers absorbed five and still threw for 437 yards at 9.9 YPA. I expect Chadwell to make Jackson a priority against that secondary. And I’m expecting around 70 receiving yards.
Deshawn Purdie 200+ total passing yards (-114)
Jamey Chadwell might prefer another evening of handing off after his ground game just pounded 263 yards at Coastal Carolina. Delaware’s tape will have already squashed that, however. Vanderbilt managed just 100 rushing yards against these Blue Hens; Virginia finished with only 119. They’re stuffing.
Both opponents found considerably more room through the air, averaging 7.7 and 9.9 YPA, respectively. Purdie enters at 9.7 on the season, and, as mentioned above, has the explosive, get-it-to-him-in-space Makai Jackson for big-time YAC plays against the secondary. I fully expect Delaware’s resistance up front to push Chadwell toward more throws than the 16 Purdie attempted at Coastal.
The Blue Hens’ 14 sacks make protection the greatest concern. I’m consequently keeping our target near 200 yards: 25 attempts at 8.0 YPA would get Purdie there, and I think that’s just about the clip we should see tonight.
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