We have four days of football coming up, so let’s kick-off a profitable week with Thursday Night Football. Selecting the right projections may be challenging, but with the assistance of OddsShopper’s NFL PrizePicks Optimizer and thorough research, we have you covered. Let’s dive into the best PrizePicks NFL picks and player projections for Week 16 Thursday Night Football, starting with Chris Olave.
The Saints will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Rams as 4.5-point underdogs. Both teams stand at 7-7 and are battling for a playoff spot in the NFC. This game has a healthy total of 45.5 points, with some pretty good offensive weapons on both sides. However, these teams have gone under their totals a combined 18 times in 28 games.
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PrizePicks NFL Player Predictions: Picks for Chris Olave & More
Chris Olave M/L 39.5 Receiving Yards (Goblin)
The Rams’ weakness is their pass defense and coverage, making this a favorable matchup for Chris Olave. He is the Saints’ leading receiver, with 116 targets and ranks 15th in the NFL with 72 receptions. Last week’s 28-yard total was the first time in eight weeks he went under 40 yards. Even though the Panthers are the worst team in football, they allow the third-fewest yards to receivers, so that game was not a huge surprise.
The Rams have the second-worst coverage team in the NFL and allow the 10th-most yards to receivers. They really hone in on the running game behind Pro Bowler Aaron Donald and should force Derek Carr to throw the ball. I’m taking the discount goblin, as this game is going under the 45.5 total but Olave should be a bright spot for the Saints offense.
Best PrizePicks NFL Player Prediction: Chris Olave More Than 39.5 Recieving Yards (Goblin)
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Puka Nacua M/L 65.5 Receiving Yards
Puka Nacua, a fifth-round draft pick back in June, surprised everyone when he filled the void of Cooper Kupp, recording 25 receptions in his first two games. He’s experienced some regression since Week 2 but is having a remarkable rookie campaign. Since Kupp’s return, Nacua’s volume has decreased, but he still ranks sixth in the NFL with 1,163 receiving yards. However, Nacua gets a tough matchup against a Saints defense that ranks fourth in coverage. The Saints allow just 200 passing yards per game and rank 27th in plays per game over the last three weeks.
The Rams have an implied team total of 24.25 points, down 4 points from last week’s matchup against Washington. PrizePicks has Nacua’s projection at 65.5, but OddsShopper’s Positive EV Bets tool shows some of the sharper books have this between 60.5 and 63.5. We are getting good value in a tough matchup for Nacua.
Best PrizePicks NFL Player Prediction: Puka Nacua Less Than 65.5 Receiving Yards
Taysom Hill M/L 4.5 Fantasy Score
Taysom Hill is always a wild card for the Saints, whether he’s involved in the game plan or not. Although he only logged 12 snaps against the Giants last week, he’s averaging 29 snaps per game. The Rams struggle against the tight end position, allowing 13.8 fantasy points per game, the fourth most in the NFL. We know Hill is used in multiple ways for this Saints offense, and this is a game he should get utilized at tight end.
The Rams allow the fewest receiving yards per game to running backs and the fourth-fewest fantasy points. Given this is a tough matchup for Alvin Kamara, Hill will get involved tonight through the air and on the ground.
Best PrizePicks NFL Player Prediction: Taysom Hill More Than 4.5 Fantasy Score
