Target these four player props for Thursday night’s Patriots-Vikings tilt in Minnesota.
The last Thanksgiving game of the day pits the Patriots against the Vikings in Minnesota. New England is a 2.5-point underdog in the first meeting between these two teams since 2018.
The Patriots enter Week 12 on a three-game win streak, which includes a 10-3 win against the Jets on a game-winning punt return touchdown. The Vikings had been one of the NFL’s hottest teamsl until the Cowboys came to Minneapolis and handed them their first home loss by a whooping 37 points.
Despite the struggles both offenses endured last week, the total for the contest at SI Sportsbook is set at 42.5 points, so the expectation is that these teams bounce back on that side of the ball. Here are four props I like in this game.
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Rhamondre Stevenson Over 3.5 Receptions (-150)
Rhamondre Stevenson’s involvement in the Patriots’ passing game has increased immensely from his rookie to sophomore season. His 41 catches are second-most on the team and he’s tied for the fifth-most catches by a running back in the NFL. Stevenson has gone over this total in six of his last 10 games and four of his last five and his targets are on the rise. There’s no reason Mac Jones will go away from his trusty, bruising target out of the backfield against Minnesota.
T.J. Hockenson Over 4.5 Receptions (+105)
T.J. Hockenson has been a huge part of the Vikings’ offense ever since the team traded for him just a few weeks ago. His per-game averages in Minnesota are seven catches for nearly 50 yards and he’s yet to have fewer than nine targets from quarterback Kirk Cousins. With that many opportunities for a player of Hockenson’s talent, five catches—at plus-odds, nonetheless—seems extremely doable against a Patriots’ defense that’s struggled to defend tight ends this season.
Jakobi Meyers Longest Reception Under 20.5 Yards (-118)
Jakobi Meyers is a possession receiver who hasn’t caught a pass for 21 or more yards in four games. His longest play of the season is 30 yards, his average depth of target (9.3) is a career-low and his quarterback, generally speaking, isn’t throwing much further than the sticks unless he has to. Meyers’ catches this season have gone for 11.6 yards on average and he’s not adding much after the catch. There’s always the threat of a defensive back slipping or a broken tackle turning a short gain into a big play, but the under still feels like the play here.
Mac Jones Over 19.5 Passing Completions (-118)
Most of the other Jones props for this contest aren’t very enticing given this play this year, even a week after Dak Prescott and the Cowboys destroyed the Vikings’ defense. But if there’s one thing Jones has done especially well this season, it’s complete passes. He has the fifth-highest completion percentage in the NFL and he’s had 20 or more completions in all six games in which he played at least 50% of snaps. Frequent checkdowns to Stevenson and short looks Meyers will see to it that Jones hits the 20-completion threshold once again.
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