The Indianapolis Colts are getting one of their most important pieces back for Week 5, as Jonathan Taylor is healthy and has a new contract.
Run it back. pic.twitter.com/XKvIpJEJVc
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) October 7, 2023
With Taylor's planned return to the field in Week 5, we now have our first opportunity to bet on Jonathan Taylor player props for the 2023 season. And after a couple of hours of (we assume) running the numbers, FanDuel has posted Jonathan Taylor props for Colts vs Titans in Week 5.
At FanDuel, Jonathan Taylor's player prop for total rushing yards vs the Titans is currently set at over/under 56.5 yards. Taylor is also +130 to score a touchdown against Tennessee. And if you're looking to place your bet on Taylor or any other NFL markets on Sunday, make sure to use our FanDuel promo code!
Our NFL betting expert, Brandon Anderson, reacted to the latest Jonathan Taylor props and made his picks on how to bet Taylor's return below:
Jonathan Taylor Player Props, Pick for Colts vs Titans
Brandon Anderson: Welcome back, Taylor! His presence will be a real boon to this offense and one that should be felt quickly.
Can you imagine putting a player of Taylor’s talent into the Eagles’ scheme the last couple years? That’s what this could look like for Shane Steichen’s offense, with supercharged athletic versions of Jalen Hurts in Anthony Richardson and now whatever Philadelphia RB with Taylor. Taylor’s presence will make Richardson more valuable as a runner, and vice versa, and both will make the offensive line look better, too. The Colts are building something real and can push for a division title right now in 2023 (+500 via BetMGM).
That said, I’ll be betting Taylor’s player prop unders Sunday against the Titans, specifically under 56.5 rushing yards. It’s a rough welcome back against a Titans defense that ranks second in Run Defense DVOA and one that’s been the toughest opponent of Taylor’s career. Tennessee is the lowest YPG allowed to Taylor for any opponent he’s faced twice as a starter. He’s run for 64, 70, 42 and 58 yards against the Titans over the last two seasons, with Tennessee holding him to two of his five games at 70 or below in his monster season.
Add in the fact that Taylor likely doesn’t see a full workload yet as he ramps back up and this is an easy yards under decision. The public may want to bet Taylor’s over with his return, so keep an eye out and you might get a better number if you wait til closer to kickoff.
It was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday that Taylor and the team had reached an agreement that would open the door for the star running back to make his season debut on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.
Sources to ESPN: Jonathan Taylor and the Colts reached agreement on a three-year, $42 million contract extension, including $26.5M guaranteed, that makes him one of the league’s highest-paid RBs and clears him to make his season debut Sunday vs. Titans.
Taylor becomes the first… pic.twitter.com/uidsSbbyPi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 7, 2023
Taylor averaged 78.3 yards on 17.5 attempts in 11 games last season for the Colts before an ankle injury in Week 15 ended his 2022 campaign. He had been placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the season, meaning he had to miss at least the first four games of 2023.
This offseason, Taylor had been granted permission by the Colts to seek a trade amid a contract dispute, but the new contract extension would seem to indicate that the two sides are now on the same page.
