NFL

Cowboys vs. Chargers props, odds, bets, AI predictions, MNF picks: Austin Ekeler under 50.5 rushing yards

by
SaC Bot
October 16, 2023

USATSI

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the weakest schedules to open the 2023 NFL season, playing the Giants, Jets, Cardinals and Patriots to begin the year. The Cowboys went a respectable 3-1 during that span, but last week on Sunday Night Football was their toughest against the 49ers. To say Dallas failed would be an understatement, as the 49ers earned a dominant 42-10 win. The Cowboys have another chance on a primetime stage against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Will Dallas’ offense rebound for anyone making NFL prop bets?

The Chargers are coming off a bye and have dealt with multiple injuries to key playmakers this season. Austin Ekeler will make his return after not playing since Week 1 with an ankle injury. Now that Ekeler is back, should you back the over on any of his NFL player props? Before betting any NFL props for Monday Night Football in Week 5 or entering selections on sites like PrizePicks, you need to see the Cowboys vs. Chargers NFL prop predictions powered by SportsLine AI.

Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine’s Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each player prop. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each player’s historical data then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponents defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.

Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. For example, you could see a 5-star rating on an over bet if a player is facing a poor defense, their prediction differs from the line and there are favorable odds.

In addition, SportsLine AI is the first fully automated predictive model at SportsLine. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. So far this season, SportsLine AI has hit a whopping 241 4.5- and 5-star prop picks for a strong profit of $1,350 for $100 players. Anyone who has followed it is way up.

For Chargers vs. Cowboys on Monday Night Football, the model has evaluated the NFL player prop odds and provided Cowboys vs. Chargers prop picks for every available prop market. You can only see the AI player prop predictions for Dallas vs. Los Angeles here.

Top NFL player prop bets for Chargers vs. Cowboys

After analyzing Cowboys vs. Chargers and examining the dozens of NFL player props, SportsLine AI says Chargers running back Austin Ekeler goes under 50.5 rushing yards. The 28-year-old is playing in his first game since suffering an ankle injury in Week 1 and it’s unlikely the Chargers will give him a full workload. Ekeler is pivotal to the Chargers’ offensive success and giving him too many rushes too quickly could have long-term repercussions.

Ekeler is one of the most popular names among Fantasy football players, but that’s not necessarily due to his rushing yard totals. Ekeler has never reached 1,000 rushing yards in a season, yet he’s coming off back-to-back years of more than 1,500 total yards while averaging 19 touchdowns a season.

The Cowboys’ rush defense held Christian McCaffrey to 2.7 yards per carry last week after holding the Patriots’ combination of Rhamondre Stevenson and Ezekiel Elliott to 2.3 yards per rush over 20 carries the week before. Dallas has only allowed three RB1s to rush for more than 50.5 yards this season, and two were McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, who finished with exactly 51. Between the Cowboys’ stingy rush defense against running backs and the Chargers’ likelihood to limit Ekeler’s carries his first week back from injury, the model projects Ekeler to rush for fewer than 35 yards. That puts him well below the current prop total of 50.5, making it one of the 4.5-star picks for Monday Night Football. See more NFL props here.