NFL Wild-Card Player Prop Picks: Ja'Marr Chase, T.J. Hockenson, Darius Slayton

Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase (1) tracks down the football as Buffalo Bills fullback Reggie Gilliam (41) defends during the third quarter at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

• T.J. Hockenson OVER 4.5 receptions: Hockenson has seen at least six targets in each game with the Vikings outside of the meaningless Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears and tallied 13 receptions against New York earlier this season.

• Darius Slayton longest reception OVER 22.5 yards: When Slayton hits 40 yards receiving, at least one of those catches is usually a deep ball for more than 23 yards. This season, he’s eclipsed that number in 8-of-13 matchups, and his longest reception in Week 16 against the Vikings was 32 yards, as well.

• Ja'Marr Chase OVER 6.5 receptions: Chase has always played well against the Ravens and is quarterback Joe Burrow’s favorite target in the matchup. Dating back to last year, Chase has recorded eight, seven, seven and eight catches against Baltimore.

Estimated reading time: 4 mins

BET: T.J. Hockenson over 4.5 receptions (-125 @ BetMGM) vs New York Giants

Bet game plan: Play down to -140

  • In their Week 16 matchup against each other, T.J. Hockenson had 13 catches for 109 yards. With cornerback Adoree' Jackson being back for the Giants, it might be tougher for quarterback Kirk Cousins to get the ball to Justin Jefferson when the Giants blitz, leading to more throws Hockenson's way. Since being traded to the Vikings, Hockenson has seen at least six targets in each game outside of the meaningless Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears.
  • The Giants have allowed the eighth-most catches to tight ends this season, and even when excluding Hockenson’s big performance, they’ve allowed more than the league average.

BET: Darius Slayton longest reception over 22.5 yards (-115 @ BetMGM) vs. Minnesota Vikings

Bet game plan: Play up to -120

  • The Vikings' defense is primarily designed around soft zone coverage and providing a lot of space for wide receivers to maneuver. During the regular season, they faced the fourth-most pass attempts of 20-plus yards to wide receivers — and 38 receptions of 23 yards or more, which ranked second most in the league.
  • Darius Slayton’s role in the Giants' offense is primarily to be a deep threat. When he hits 40 yards receiving, at least one of those catches is usually a deep ball for more than 23 yards. This season, he’s eclipsed that number in 8-of-13 matchups, and his longest reception in Week 16 against the Vikings was 32 yards, as well.
  • With a game total of 48.5, there will likely be a lot of points scored on both sides, leading to more passing and volume for Slayton to break off a big chunk gain on one play.

BET: Ja’Marr Chase over 6.5 receptions (+102 @ FanDuel) vs. Baltimore Ravens

Bet game plan: Play down to -120

  • Ja'Marr Chase has always played well against the Ravens and is quarterback Joe Burrow’s favorite target in the matchup. Dating back to last year, Chase has recorded eight, seven, seven and eight catches against Baltimore. This year, with the Ravens switching from a more man-heavy blitzing scheme to more split-safety zone coverages, there are more throws underneath the zone coverages, which is where Chase has produced. He averages 14.9 yards per reception in his career, but that number has dropped to 7.1 and 10.8 in two games against Baltimore this season. The Bengals also like to line him up in the slot to try and keep him away from the coverage of Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters, choosing instead to match him up with a linebacker or rookie Kyle Hamilton.
  • The Ravens have allowed 230 receptions to wide receivers this year, which is the fifth most of any team in the league. While their defense has steadily gotten better since trading for Roquan Smith, Chase is still a tough matchup for any of their defenders to handle.

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