NFL Rushing Yards Odds
LaDainian Tomlinson was the last running back to lead the league in rushing yards in consecutive years (2006 & 2007). So between a looming suspension and recent seasonal trends, Ezekiel Elliot could have a hard time repeating. While the NFL has become a passing league, it’s still imperative for successful teams to possess a strong running game. So while the race for the rushing crown will be exciting from an NFL standpoint, it could be just as exciting to your bottom line if you’re placing the right prop bets.
The favorites should come as no surprise as David Johnson and LeVeon Bell both sit at +300. Those odds really allows one the opportunity to take advantage of other high profile backs with higher odds. If you believe that lightning can strike twice for rookies, Leonard Fournette at +3300 is a great price. Derek Henry may be on his heels but, former rushing champion DeMarco Murray also has some nice odds as he sits at +1000. So while you are looking over the week 1 NFL odds, feel free to take a closer look at the rushing yards prop bet. Here are some other backs to keep an eye on when placing your bets.
Philadelphia Eagles | Odds: +1600
While the Bills look as if they are loading up for the 2018 draft, LeSean McCoy is ready to punish defenses. Among running backs with at least 1,000 rushing last season, McCoy would have the third fewest carries with 234. He was able to manage his 1,267 rushing yards despite having four games with less than 15 attempts. On top of that, he would have 4 games in which he had less than 20 attempts, but still managed 7 or more yards per carry. To go a little further, only one of McCoy’s seven 100 yard performances came with more than twenty attempts. The point that is being driven home here is that even with fewer carries, McCoy was still a monster. Given the recent changes to the Bills offense, you can expect the team to lean on McCoy now more than ever.
Miami Dolphins | Odds + 1000
Following the Arian Foster retirement, Ajayi would cement his place in the Dolphins backfield. His well documented three games of 200 rushing yards has him being recognized as one of the top young backs in the league. There have also been reports out of Miami that the 24-year-old back wants 300 plus carries this year. The addition of gun slinger Jay Cutler should have opposing defenders on their heels more so than with Tannehill. This could allow for fewer men in the box for Ajayi to deal with. It also helps to know that 4 games on his schedule will be against a depleted Jets team and a Buffalo Bills defense that allowed the third most rushing yards to backs in 2016. If everything goes right for Ajayi, he could become the first Dolphins back since Ricky Williams in 2002 to lead the league in rushing.
| Team | NFL Rushing Leader Odds |
| LeVeon Bell +300 | |
| David Johnson +300 | |
| Jordan Howard +1000 | |
| DeMarco Murray +1000 | |
| Jay Ajayi +1000 | |
| LeSean McCoy +1600 | |
| Melvin Gordon +1800 | |
| Todd Gurley +2000 | |
| Devonta Freeman +2200 | |
| Marshawn Lynch +2500 | |
| Lamar Miller +3300 | |
| Leonard Fournette +3300 | |
| Joe Mixon +5000 | |
| C.J. Anderson +5000 | |
| Carlos Hyde +5000 | |
| Dalvin Cook +5000 | |
| Eddie Lacy +5000 | |
| Isaiah Crowell +5000 | |
| Paul Perkins +5000 | |
| Spencer Ware +5000 | |
| Ty Montgomery +5000 | |
| Adrian Peterson +5000 | |
| Bilal Powell +6600 | |
| Doug Martin +6600 | |
| Jamaal Charles +6600 | |
| Christian McCaffrey +6600 | |
| Mike Gillislee +6600 | |
| Mark Ingram +10000 | |
| LeGarrette Blount +10000 | |
| Thomas Rawls +10000 | |
| Rob Kelley +10000 | |
| Matt Forte +10000 | |
| Devontae Booker +10000 |
Oakland Raiders | Odds + 2500
Because of his age, Lynch may not be your most likely option for the league leader in rushing. To play devil’s advocate, you should look no further than the 2015 season to find a back who was in a similar position. Headed into the 2015 season, Adrian Peterson was a 30-year-old running back who was coming off of a 2014 season in which he only played in one game. With the odds stacked against the future hall of fame back, Peterson would go on to be the league leader in rushing with 1,485 yards. Marshawn Lynch is coming out of retirement and is also passed that 30-year-old threshold. Luckily for Lynch, he landed with a Raiders team that has one of the best offensive lines in football. While Lynch has never led the league in rushing, from 2011-2014, Lynch would finish in the top 7 among the league leaders. 2015 was an injury plagued season and 2016 would be his retirement year. While some would call Lynch over the hill, others may consider him well rested. At his odds, and inheriting the offensive line in Oakland, Lynch is one of the more intriguing lottery tickets this season.
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Chicago Bears | Odds + 1000
Despite winning just 3 games in 2016, the Chicago Bears had a silver lining in the form of rookie running back Jordan Howard. If not for Ezekiel Elliott, it would have been Howard who was the most talked about rookie running back as he finished second to Elliott in yards rushing. While Howard would end the year 318 yards behind Elliott, he doesn’t have a suspension hanging over his head and is still the biggest threat that Chicago has to offer. He had seven 100 performances and in three of those performances, he would average more than 6 yards per carry. At the end of the season in 2016, Howard would be just one of four running backs to have 200 plus attempts and still average over 5 yards per carry.
