Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Player Prop Pick: Should You Bank on Austin Ekeler to Dominate?
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Player Prop Pick: Should You Bank on Austin Ekeler to Dominate?
If you play fantasy football, you're probably pretty familiar with Austin Ekeler as a top 5 draft pick in almost any league this season. And, it's well deserved. He scored 20 touchdowns in the 2021 season, tying Jonathan Taylor for the most in the entire league. I'm expecting his dominance to spill over into 2022, beginning this Sunday in the Chargers' home opener against the Raiders.
The game's point total has a listed over/under of 52.5, good for the 2nd highest mark on Week 1's 16-game slate. That bodes quite well for LA's potential to get Ekeler plenty of endzone opportunities.
Chargers vs Raiders Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
Date: Sunday, September 11
Time: 4:25 pm ET
Where to Watch: CBS
Click Here for Chargers vs Raiders Odds
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Las Vegas Raiders Player Prop Pick
Austin Ekeler Anytime Touchdown Scorer (-113) (Bet $113 to win $100)
*Odds Available at Caesars at Time of Publishing*
Austin Ekeler was basically scoring touchdowns in his sleep last season. On top of making 20 total scoring trips in 2021, he scored in 13 of his 16 games. He's one of the best dual-threat running backs in the NFL, as he routinely burns defenses both as a runner and a receiver. This was especially true in the red zone last season, as he punched in 12 of his 20 TDs as a rusher and the other 8 as a receiver.
Ekeler's matchup against the Raiders is essentially a gift from the gambling gods, too. Las Vegas conceded 24 touchdowns to opposing running backs in their 17 regular season games (17 rushing, 7 receiving). That was good for the third most of any defense in football.
Vegas also gave up a Running Back TD in 15 of their 17 regular season games in 2021. This is excellent for Ekeler's scoring outlook, as he scored 20 of LAC's 21 running back TDs in his 16 active games. When he's active, the Chargers trust him immensely when they approach the end zone.
The 6th-year RB had his fair share of success against the Raiders last year, too. Ekeler scored a pair of touchdowns in each of his two contests against Vegas in 2021. With this prop listed at -113 over on Caesar's, this is a spectacular value. I love Ekeler's TD chances and I would play this all the way up to -140.