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The Cowboys' Backfield Is Crowded, Making Rushing Prop Bets Tough To Predict

No one expected Tony Pollard to eat into Zeke's workload, but he leads the team in rushing yards two weeks into the season👇 (3 minute read)

September 27, 2021

The Cowboys’ Run Game

Last season, Ezekiel Elliot had career lows in rushing yards (979) and rushing TDs (6). With Dak Prescott returning, many were high on Zeke to bounce back

Before Week 1 kicked off, oddsmakers had Elliot finishing with the most rushing yards at +2400 (T-6th best odds)

Preseason Rushing Title Odds:

  • Derrick Henry: +450 (bet $100, win $450)

  • Christian McCaffrey & Dalvin Cook: +600

  • Nick Chubb: +850

  • Cam Akers & Jonathan Taylor: +1100

  • Antonio Gibson, Joe Mixon & Saquon Barkley +1600

  • Aaron Jones & Ezekiel Elliot: +2400

However, what we didn’t expect was Tony Pollard, a fourth round draft pick in 2019, to steal the spotlight from Zeke…

The Current State Of Play

Even though the Cowboys have used both running backs consistently to begin the season, Pollard has proven to be more effective than Zeke in both the running and passing game

  • Pollard: 123 rushing yards on 16 carries; 60 receiving yards on 7 receptions

  • Zeke: 104 rushing yards on 27 carries; 32 receiving yards on 4 receptions

When Zeke was asked by reporters if his backup RB should receive more touches, here was his response:

“You hear it, but what really matters is what’s going on in this building. I mean they’re not the one signing the checks. They’re not the ones sending the wires.”

Zeke is right about that. Although he’s being outperformed on the field, he signed a six-year, $90M contract extension in 2019. The problem is, Pollard is younger and far cheaper, which is leading to questions about the future of the RB1 spot in Dallas

MNF Prop Bet

This running back duo will face a tough test on MNF, as the Cowboys take on fellow NFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles. Knowing what we know about Pollard cutting into Zeke’s touches, let’s breakdown this interesting prop bet

Zeke’s O/U Rushing Yards vs the Eagles:

  • Over 62.5: -115

  • Under 62.5: -115

The Eagles’ defense is giving up 120.5 rushing yards per game (T-18th out of 32 teams), so the Cowboys should look to run the ball tonight. But, with Pollard averaging 7.7 rushing yards per game vs Zeke’s 3.9, taking the under here is not a bad call

Parlay At Your Own Risk

If you like what you’ve seen from Tony Pollard after two weeks of football, then it’s time to get in on the action. Try this on for size

  • Zeke under 62.5 rushing yards: -115

  • Pollard over 29.5 rushing yards: -115

  • Cowboys’ money-line: -175

If you bet $100 on this parlay, you would be looking at a $449 payout. Don’t get mad at me Cowboys fans, but I’m hoping Pollard gets some real RB1 action tonight 💵