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August 18, 2015 Staff Writer

Betting Picks

NFL Season Prop Bets Offer QB, WR, and RB Odds for 2015

With the NFL preseason already underway and fans preparing for their annual fantasy football drafts, bettors are also busy checking out a large number of player props available to wager on at sportsbooks. Quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs are all in play for these props to have the most passing, receiving and rushing yards, respectively, during the 2015 season.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck seems poised to post the first 5,000-yard season of his four-year career after totaling 4,761 last year with 40 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. Luck is the 7/2 favorite to lead the league in passing yards followed by Aaron Rodgers (4/1) of the Green Bay Packers, Ben Roethlisberger (7/1) of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Peyton Manning (7/1) of the Denver Broncos.

Rodgers finished seventh in passing yards last season with 4,381 while Manning was fourth with 4,727 and Roethlisberger tied Drew Brees (9/1) of the New Orleans Saints for the NFL lead with a career-high 4,952. Luck was third ahead of Matt Ryan (10/1) from the Atlanta Falcons with 4,694 and Eli Manning (12/1) of the New York Giants with 4,410. Brees had previously thrown for 5,000 yards in a record three straight years.

With those quarterbacks all enjoying prolific seasons a year ago, it is no surprise that the top six wide receivers in 2014 played with them. Antonio Brown of the Steelers led the league with 1,698 receiving yards last season and is the 11/2 favorite to repeat, as Roethlisberger is again expected to have a big year under center in Pittsburgh. Julio Jones of the Falcons is the 13/2 second choice playing with Ryan, and he had 1,593 yards last season despite missing one game due to injury. Demaryius Thomas (9/1) and Emmanuel Sanders (33/1) of the Broncos, Jordy Nelson of the Packers (12/1) and T.Y. Hilton (12/1) of the Colts also finished among the top six in receiving yards last year.

Other receivers to watch in 2015 include Dez Bryant (9/1) of the Dallas Cowboys, Odell Beckham (9/1) of the New York Giants, Calvin Johnson (9/1) of the Detroit Lions and A.J. Green (16/1) of the Cincinnati Bengals. Of that group, Bryant and Beckham were in the Top 10 last season while Johnson and Green both were limited by injuries.

On the ground, the 2014 NFL rushing champion will be playing for a new team, as running back DeMarco Murray signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the offseason. Murray rushed for a career-high 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns last year with the Dallas Cowboys, who decided to let him go to their NFC East rivals rather than re-sign him. Murray is 8/1 to lead the league in rushing again this season along with Marshawn Lynch of the Seahawks and Jamaal Charles of the Kansas City Chiefs. Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is the 7/2 favorite though after missing most of last year following a personal-conduct suspension after the first game.

Le’Veon Bell (14/1) of the Steelers finished second behind Murray last season with 1,361 yards, but he will be suspended for the first two games because he violated the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Former Eagle LeSean McCoy (17/2) won the 2013 NFL rushing title with 1,607 yards and was third last year with 1,319, although he was then traded away from Philadelphia to the Buffalo Bills for linebacker Kiko Alonso.