To conclude the Week 7 Sunday slate, the San Francisco 49ers will host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. San Francisco enters with a 4-2 record on the season, while Atlanta is 3-2 to start the season. Both these NFC teams hold playoff aspirations, but sit in second place in their respective divisions. The 49ers will be without Brock Purdy for another week due to his toe injury. Ricky Pearsall is also set to miss, but George Kittle is making his return to the field. Atlanta enters with a cleaner overall bill of health.
The 49ers enter as 1.5-point favorites and hold -118 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Falcons hold -102, and the game total is set at 49.5 points.
There are plenty of ways to get involved in the action beyond just backing a side. This article will look at my three favorite prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for the Week 7 Sunday Night Football matchup.
Falcons vs. 49ers Best Prop Bets
Christian McCaffrey Over 43.5 Receiving Yards (-114)
Injuries prevented Christian McCaffrey from ever finding his stride last year, but he has resumed his place as one of the most talented offensive players in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler has rushed for 336 yards and a touchdown while adding 444 yards and three touchdowns through the air. McCaffrey has tallied over 43.5 receiving yards through the air in all six games thus far, posting receiving totals of 69, 55, 52, 49, 57, and 54. There is still plenty of time left in the season, but the 49ers star is on pace to break the single-season receiving record by a running back.
Looking at the matchup, Atlanta has the fewest total yards and the fewest receiving yards on the season. But this has had more to do with their strong pass rush and strong play at the cornerback position. Count on San Francisco to continue leaning on McCaffrey out of the backfield as a counter to each of these problems. The 29-year-old is posting a team-high 25.9% target share and logging a 74.6% route participation rate.
Expect Mac Jones to lean on McCaffrey as the top option in the offense once again tonight. During the Week 4 matchup between the Falcons and the Commanders, with Marcus Mariota getting the start, Washington tallied 106 yards through the air to the running back position. Chris Rodriguez Jr. recorded 59 receiving yards, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt added 47. Expect a similar game plan against Atlanta in this matchup. This is the biggest weakness in the Falcons’ defense, and McCaffrey is the most talented pass-catcher they have faced at the running back spot. Look for the San Francisco star to tally over 43.5 receiving yards for the seventh straight game this season.
Kendrick Bourne Under 46.5 Receiving Yards (-112)
One of the breakout talents on the San Francisco roster has been Kendrick Bourne this season. Back with the 49ers after last suiting up for them in 2020, Bourne has pulled in 23 receptions for 371 yards. He is coming off back-to-back games with a career-high 142 yards and tallied 15 receptions across these two games.
While this pair of performances was impressive, Bourne had recorded 44+ yards through the air just once over his past 15 games played. He is averaging 35.2 receiving yards throughout his career and 34.0 per game across his five seasons with the 49ers. He will now take on a Falcons’ defense that has given up the fewest passing yards this year at just 139.4 yards per game. This is 18 fewer than any other team in the league.
The injury to Purdy only clouds the outlook for Bourne even further. George Kittle’s return will shake up the pecking order for the pass catchers, and Bourne has been held to under 46.5 receiving yards in the other three games this year. Expect the Atlanta defense to assert itself and for Bourne to fail to replicate the breakout performances over the past two weeks. 46.5 is a high bar of expectation based on what his typical level of work rate is. Count on the 30-year-old to come back to reality and be held to under 46.5 receiving yards in this tough defensive matchup.
Drake London to Record 100+ Receiving Yards (+255)
The Drake London breakout is underway. Through the opening five weeks, he has pulled in 34 receptions for 427 yards and two touchdowns. He is coming off back-to-back weeks with 110+ yards through the air and is the clear top pass catcher in Atlanta’s offense. London tallied a career-high 1,271 receiving yards last year in Michael Penix Jr’s rookie season, and the two are building off this together this year.
Penix has targeted London 53 times already this season, which is tied for eighth in the NFL. San Francisco still holds a general reputation for a strong defensive team, but the production has not exactly matched that. Through the opening six games, they are 15th in points allowed and yards given up. They have especially struggled to stop the pass, ranking 18th in passing yards allowed, 19th in yards per pass attempt, and 17th in passing touchdowns conceded.
London got off to a slow start to the season, failing to crack 55 yards in any of the first three weeks, but has hit his stride now. The standard receiving prop is set at 72.5 for this matchup on DraftKings Sportsbook. While I am backing this as well, look for London to surpass this by an even greater margin. Jaxson Smith-Njigba tallied 124 receiving yards in the season opener, and look for Atlanta to have a similar plan of attack with London. Count on the Falcons standout to continue looking like one of the best wide receivers in football and record 100+ yards for the third straight week.
