• The winless Cincinnati Bengals host the Washington Commanders on MNF tonight
• Joe Burrow’s passing yards O/U and Ja’Marr Chase’s receiving yards O/U are both big numbers
• See the best Commanders vs Bengals player props to target on Sep. 23

Already in an early-season hole which has become all-too-familiar under Zack Taylor, the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2, 0-1 home, 1-1 ATS) host the Washington Commanders (1-1, 0-1 away, 1-1 ATS) in the late kickoff of a Monday Night Football two-pack tonight (8:30 pm ET).

Cincinnati is a 7.5-point favorite in the Commanders vs Bengals odds. Sportsbooks know that Joe Burrow and the Bengals will be in desperation mode against a shaky Washington defense, which is why there are some big numbers on the Cincinnati side in tonight’s Commanders vs Bengals player props.

Commanders vs Bengals Player Props

Burrow has a passing-yards over/under of 264.5 yards, which is 68 yards higher than his counterpart, fellow LSU product Jayden Daniels. Burrow’s top target, Ja’Marr Chase, has a receiving-yards O/U of 81.5, which is 33 yards higher than any other player on the board.

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WSH vs CIN player props from DraftKings and ESPN Bet on Sep. 23. Check out the ESPN Bet app review.

But my NFL player prop picks for Washington/Cincinnati start on the other side of the ball, where a prolific pass-catching RB has a great chance to put up big numbers.

WSH vs CIN Player Prop Pick #1: Austin Ekeler Over 40.5 Receiving Yards (+425)

The first prop I’m targeting tonight is a big alt-total on Austin Ekeler’s receiving yards (over 40.5 yards at +425 odds). Ekeler’s baseline has been set at just 18.5 yards, which is entirely too low for one of the best receiving backs of this generation. Daniels, a rookie, has been all-too-happy to use his check-down option in the first two games of his career; Ekeler is second on the team in receptions (seven) and first in yards (99) after eight quarters.

Austin Ekeler still has it.

pic.twitter.com/93Vz0A6NRg

— Last of the Fullbacks (@TheLastFullback) September 15, 2024

He only went over 40.5 receiving yards in four games last year, when he had 436 receiving yards total in 14 games. But that was a pretty big downturn in production for the 29-year-old, who averaged 40.4 YPG through the air in 2021 and 42.5 in 2022.

I also think the game script is going to play into Ekeler’s favor, at least as a receiver. Washington has a bad defense which currently ranks dead-last in DVOA and finished the 2023 season 31st. They are likely to be playing from behind, which should mean plenty of pass attempts for the rookie Daniels, and plenty of checkdowns and/or designed screens to Ekeler.

Commanders vs Bengals Prop Pick #2: Ja’Marr Chase Under 81.5 Receiving Yards (-110)

Ja’Marr Chase is having a fairly slow start to the season with 97 yards on 11 targets through two games. Dating back to the 2022-23 playoffs, he’s only gone over 81.5 yards five times in his last 21 games. Yes, Joe Burrow has been injured for much of that, but this number is still a shade too high, especially with Tee Higgins back in the mix for the Bengals.

Higgins, Cincy’s undisputed WR2, missed the first two games of the season with a hamstring injury. Yet, even with Higgins sidelined, only 16.9% of Burrow’s passes were aimed at Chase. Compare that to last season, when 23.6% of Cincinnati’s pass attempts were aimed at the three-time Pro Bowler, even though he missed an entire game.

Two games isn’t enough to point to a trend that’s going to pervade the season. But the last eight quarters do go to show that several other targets have Burrow’s trust. New tight end Mike Gesicki, who spent his first five season with the Dolphins and last year with the Patriots, has formed an instant connection with Burrow and leads the team with 13 targets through two games.

The post Best Commanders vs Bengals Player Props to Target on MNF (Week 3) appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.