Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Minnesota Vikings Player Props (12/9/21)
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The Steelers scraped and clawed their way to a narrow win over their divisional rival in the Ravens last week and are hanging around in a crowded race for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. The Vikings, meanwhile, are coming off an embarrassing loss in handing the Lions their first win of the season. Both of these teams have high-profile players who should draw a lot of attention to player props in this primetime matchup. You can use the player prop search tool below to find the best values in your betting market for the players in this Steelers vs. Vikings Thursday Night Football showdown.
Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. Minnesota Vikings Player Prop Search Tool
Najee Harris Over 18.5 Rushing Attempts
It’s been a brutal season for the Steelers’ rookie running back, and Bill Simmons joked on his podcast that he’s essentially going to be a four-year veteran after this year with the number of times he’s been drilled behind the line of scrimmage behind a putrid offensive line. While his efficiency has been subpar due to surrounding circumstances, Harris has seen elite usage with 20+ carries in six of his last eight games. In the two games where he did not reach that number, the Steelers fell behind by multiple scores and became very pass-heavy. Essentially, you’re betting on the game not getting away from the Steelers here, and I have them covering and potentially even winning this one against an up-and-down Vikings team.
Vikings vs Steelers Player Prop Video
Tyler Conklin Anytime TD Scorer: +225
With Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook likely both out for the Vikings in this game, they will look to other red-zone options. Conklin has seen 14 targets inside the 20-yard line this year, 25.5% of the team’s total, but he has only scored three touchdowns. However, he’s played on 80% of snaps or more in almost every game, and the Steelers’ secondary hasn’t been nearly as elite as you might think. Conklin will be one of my favorite players to target for those first/anytime TD scorer parlay boosts sportsbooks often offer, and I like the value at more than 2-to-1 odds for him to find the end-zone in this game.
Chase Claypool Longest Reception Over 33.5
The Vikings’ secondary has been toasted all season as they have allowed the seventh-highest rate of explosive passes and the ninth-most passing yards overall. Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have the same arm velocity and touch as he used to, but Chase Claypool has been producing despite this lately. Claypool has a reception of 37+ yards in each of his last three games and has generated significant yards after the catch. You can target Diontae Johnson for this prop if you’d like – he has a great chance as well – but I’m expecting Claypool to see a lot of Bashaud Breeland in this matchup, a cornerback who has been quite generous to opposing wide receivers all season.
Justin Jefferson Over 7.5 Receptions and Over 90.5 Receiving Yards
Jefferson has been dominant lately. Over his last four games, he’s averaging eight receptions for 144.3 yards. The Steelers’ defense has been gashed through the air lately as they have allowed 255 passing yards per game over their last three games, the fifth-most in the NFL over that span. Pittsburgh’s pass defense succeeded in the previous year despite their weak secondary, but they haven’t been able to mask that weakness this year. Joe Haden, the team’s top cornerback, still isn’t back at practice, and the team doesn’t have anyone who can come close to slowing down Jefferson on the outside. With Thielen and Cook both likely out again, that only means more work for Jefferson, and he should dominate again this week.
