Browns vs. Saints NFL Player Prop Bets for Week 9

Sunday brings us an awfully strange matchup. The Cleveland Browns are defying the odds, racking up five wins so far and placing themselves squarely in playoff contention. They travel to face another team improbably in the playoff race: the 2-5 New Orleans Saints are only one game back in the NFC South.

New Orleans is a three-point home favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. Cleveland is +140 to pull off the upset, with the total set at 42.5 points. 

Let’s dive into the top player prop bets for Sunday’s clash between the Browns and the Saints.

Browns vs. Saints NFL Player Prop Bets

Quinshon Judkins 70+ Rushing Yards (-108)

Cleveland’s passing attack will have a difficult day, but that is nothing new. Deshaun Watson remains one of the league’s worst starting quarterbacks, but he’s been manageable enough to get it done so far. Watson cleared the concussion protocol Saturday but is expected to be inactive, so the Browns will start second-year QB Shedeur Sanders against the Saints.

Moving the ball on the ground won’t be tough, however. New Orleans’ run defense has been putrid so far, allowing 4.8 yards per carry (T-29th in the NFL) and 139.4 rushing yards per game (29th). Quinshon Judkins hasn’t been exceptional this season, but he can punish the right matchups, and the Cleveland offense will lean on him to control time of possession and keep the ball away from the Saints.

Tyler Shough Under 225.5 Passing Yards (-112)

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough has had a respectable season under center. He’s throwing for just under 250 yards per game, completing 67% of his passes, and posting a respectable 13:6 TD-to-INT ratio. New Orleans’ offense has been in the middle of the pack almost entirely due to his play, chiefly his elite connection with wide receiver Chris Olave.

But this will be a difficult matchup. The Saints can’t run the ball this year, which makes it hard to exploit Cleveland’s major defensive-line weakness. But the Browns can sure defend the pass, tied for the 10th-fewest net yards per attempt this season (6.6). With Denzel Ward on the outside, they have as good a chance of stopping Olave as anybody, which could leave Shough in the rough. Another factor is time of possession; as we discussed before, Cleveland will lean on the run game to move the ball and keep Shough on the sidelines. A mix of bad game script and a bad matchup bodes ill for Shough here.