It’s a short week for the Patriots, as they’re headed to New York after just two practices for a Thursday night football matchup against Aaron Rodgers and the Jets.
Want to get in on the action? Here are my Prize Picks for the contest:
— Antonio Gibson MORE than 21.5 rushing yards
— Breece Hall LESS than 100.5 total yards
While New England seemingly can’t pass the ball to save their life right now, their rushing attack has been their bread and butter. In each of their first two games, the Patriots’ offense has rushed for over 170 yards and is averaging 4.7 yards per carry – well ahead of schedule. An underrated story, however, is that while Rhamondre Stevenson has been lights out as their bellcow, he’s currently second in the NFL in touches with 51. It’s a rate that’s hardly sustainable for a 17-game season, and I think that’s why last week against Seattle we saw Antonio Gibson get 11 of the team’s carries. He took that opportunity and ran with it, literally, for 98 yards.
Long story short, I think they’ll lean on Gibson again, especially on a short week, and he runs for MORE than 21.5 yards on Thursday.
Let’s shift gears to the Jets running backs. We all know Breece Hall – year three phenom, fantasy football darling, etc. But someone who’s flying a bit under the radar is rookie Braelon Allen. Allen is just 20 years old, and in his second career game found the endzone twice last week against Tennessee.
So why do I bring him up? Because I think, like the Patriots, New York will want to conserve Breece Hall’s touches and also lean on their No. 2 back. New England is also going to do what they always do and try to take away their opponents’ No. 1 option. This all turns into a PrizePicks play of Breece Hall having LESS than 100.5 total yards.
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Follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
