Ahead of Thursday Night Football and the opening of a brand new season, here are the three best Ravens vs Chiefs player props available before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC/Peacock on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Sam Farley's 4 Ravens vs Chiefs Player Props
- Lamar Jackson Over 19.5 Pass Completions (-120, FanDuel)
- Zay Flowers Over 52.5 Receiving Yards (-120, DraftKings)
- Justin Watson Over 15.5 Receiving Yards (-113, FanDuel)
- Samaje Perine Anytime Touchdown (+650, FanDuel)
Lamar Jackson Over 19.5 Pass Completions (-120)
Last year, we saw Lamar Jackson hit the 20+ competition mark in 50% of his regular season appearances.
That largely came down to the team using the ground game rather than his arm, because he only failed to hit that mark once when attempting 28 or more passes.
The arrival of Derrick Henry might sway you to think that the Ravens will lean very heavily on the ground game, which they've done in recent years. However, if you look at last season’s AFC Championship Game defeat to the Chiefs they didn’t do that, with Jackson attempting 37 passes, and incidentally covering this line.
Pick: Lamar Jackson Over 19.5 Pass Completions (-120)
Zay Flowers Over 52.5 Receiving Yards (-120)
If we’re expecting the Ravens to try and pass through the Chiefs, then it makes sense to back their top receiving option to cover his receiving yards line.
The Ravens' wide receiver corps isn't loaded with talent, with Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor not likely to rival Flowers for targets.
We know Jackson loves a tight end, and there’s always the risk of Mark Andrews or Isaiah Likely taking up targets, but Flowers’ potential is too high to ignore.
Flowers showed out last season as a rookie and should he make a leap in 2024-25, he could find himself in the upper echelon of receivers in the NFL.
He exceeded 52.5 receiving yards on nine occasions during the regular season and crucially had his biggest game of the season against the Chiefs in the playoffs, when he turned five receptions in 115 yards.
Pick: Zay Flowers Over 52.5 Receiving Yards (-120)
Justin Watson Over 15.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
When it comes to Patrick Mahomes’ favorite targets, we know that Travis Kelce reigns supreme. But when you break down the targets elsewhere on the depth chart, things get far less predictable.
Rashee Rice is likely to rank second, with the sophomore coming off an impressive first season in the NFL.
Who's next up though? Xavier Worthy should be eased in despite being drafted at the end of the first round. With his speed, he’s going to be boom-or-bust and will frequently be used to stretch the field.
Elsewhere, we know that Hollywood Brown isn’t going to suit up, Skyy Moore has yet to show anything in the NFL and Mecole Hardman and a returning JuJu Smith-Schuster are unlikely to post big games.
That leaves Justin Watson, who should see plenty of time on the field and can smash his 15.5 receiving yards line with just a couple of receptions.
Pick: Justin Watson Over 15.5 Receiving Yards (-113)
Samaje Perine Anytime Touchdown (+650)
It feels wrong to be advising Samaje Perine picks in 2024, but at big odds, he’s simply impossible to ignore.
Now on his fifth team, we know that Perine will never be a stud in the NFL, but he can be effective and have a role as the Chiefs' receiving back.
We saw Jerick McKinnon do well in that role over a number of years, and with him gone and Clyde Edwards-Helaire on IR, there's a big opportunity.
We’ve seen previously that Andy Reid isn’t scared about throwing new arrivals into the backfield, as we saw with LeSean McCoy in 2019.
Reid has also praised the former Bronco saying he’s “super smart” and “a great addition” to the team.
It’s by no means a lock, but the odds are simply too big for a good pass catching running back who should see time on the field with the best quarterback in the league.
