NFL Week 8 betting tips: Edwards-Helaire will run wild against New York

There’s only really one match-up everyone in America will be discussing this weekend – and I don’t fancy either of the competitors to be that good as a wide receiver! Luckily we are parking the politics and focussing on the matchups that make money on Sundays.

This weekend we have the mouthwatering clash between Darius Slay of the Eagles and Dallas Cowboys stud Amari Cooper, Bengals WR1 Tyler Boyd going up against Titans Chris Jackson, T.J. Hockenson trying to break the tight end curse against the Colts, and Clyde Edwards-Helaire feasting on the Jets.

Here are the best four prop bets for this weekend’s slate of games. 

BUST: Amari Cooper (Under 53.5 receiving yards -115)

Cooper comes into this NFC East clash in fine form, going over 79 yards in six of his seven matches this season. But as the Cowboys arrive at Lincoln Field, there is one HUGE reason to bet against the star wide receiver this weekend.

And that reason is none other than Darius Slay. The Eagles defensive star has allowed an average of just four catches against him for a total of 40 yards per game in a red-hot season so far. Terry McLaurin put up the best performance against Slay so far this season and managed just 61 yards in Week 1.

Add to that the concern over the Cowboys offense with Dak Prescott on the shelf and now Andy Dalton coming off the back of a concussion and there are enough negatives to lean towards a BUST for Coops.

BOOM: Tyler Boyd (Over 66.5 receiving yards -115)

The Titans will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat of the season by dishing out a hammering to the Bengals, but that might not stop Joe Burrow going off – and that is good news for Tyler Boyd.

Boyd is coming off the back of a monster game, hauling in 11 catches for 101 yards against the Browns, and has already racked up 72 yards or more in four games this season. With 61 total targets for the Bengals he is the clear number one wide receiver and against the Titans will likely face off against Chris Jackson in the slot.

The Titans have the third-lowest sack rate in the NFL, which should give Burrow plenty of time. He will be brimming with confidence after putting up more than 400 yards in Week 7 against the Browns, and in this clash where I’d expect him to be attempting 35+ throws, there’s a good chance Boyd hauls in seven or eight catches and beats this line.

BUST: T.J. Hockenson (Under 41.5 receiving yards -115)

This one is simple – a tight end against the Indianapolis Colts? Back them to bust.

The statistic is quite ridiculous. The Colts have allowed just 134 yards to tight ends through six games. That averages out to just 3.7 yards per target. On those numbers, T.J. would need 11 targets to hit this line.

Hockenson has seen at least four targets in every game this season, but he is prone to throwing in the odd dud. In Week 4 he caught two passes for nine yards against the Saints, and in Week 6 off the bye he caught two passes for 17 yards against the Jags. A five catch 59-yard performance in Week 7 against the Falcons would have delighted Detroit fans, but T.J. will fall back down to earth on Sunday.

BOOM: Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Over 65.5 rushing yards -115)

The Kansas City Chiefs are a huge 19.5 point favourites over the 0-7 New York Jets. The Chiefs are projected to score 34 points and despite the looming presence of Le’veon Bell, I’m still keen to get the Fresh Prince of Helaire on my side.

The Jets have seen teams build up a lead and then lean on the run game against them. They’re giving up an average of 29 touches to running backs per game this season. Even if Bell’s role increases, of 28+ touches you’d still expect CEH to bag a minimum of 16, right? In games where he has had a minimum of 16 touches so far, he’s racked up 138 yards against Houston, 64 against Baltimore, 64 against New England, and 161 against Buffalo.

Some may say the Jets run defense isn’t so bad, but they haven’t exactly faced up to much – they’ve played the Bills twice, the 49ers, Colts, Broncos, Cardinals, and Dolphins. Melvin Gordon ran for 107 yards against them off 23 carries, Myles Gaskin racked up 91 yards off 18 carries. and Raheem Mostert managed 92 yards off just eight carries. There is plenty up for grabs here and CEH can feast even with Bell trying to pinch food off his plate.

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