This article is part of our NFL Picks series.
Thursday Night Football brings us an opportunity to watch the undefeated Eagles take on the Texans. We also have more contests to wade through on Monkey Knife Fight.
Three Game Types are offered, including "More Or Less," "Rapid Fire" and "Stat Shootout." For a full breakdown of the rules for each game, see the House Rules page. Let's dive into some of the contests within each Game Type and discuss how things might play out.
More Or Less Contest
Let's start with a 2/2 goal for 3.5X the prize. We need to pick sides on Miles Sanders 80.5 rushing yards and Dameon Pierce 64.5 rushing yards. For Sanders, take the over. The Texans have allowed 186.0 rushing yards per game this season, most in the NFL. Sanders has been the leader of the Eagles' backfield, receiving at last 15 carries in five of their seven games.
In terms of Pierce, I'm actually leaning toward the under. He's had an excellent rookie season, but with the Texans shorthanded at wide receiver, the Eagles can focus on trying to slow him. The Titans did that last week, holding him to 35 yards on 15 carries. If the Eagles also race out to an early lead, Pierce might not see many carries in the second half.
Rapid Fire Contest
An interesting option is a 2/2 goal for 3X the prize. The battles are Jalen Hurts vs. Davis Mills passing yards (with Mills receiving a +29.5 passing yards bonus) and Sanders vs. Pierce rushing yards (with Pierce receiving a +16.5 rushing yards bonus). Right off the bat, give me Sanders over Pierce. The Texans have a horrible run defense, and the game script might not lead to a lot of second-half rushing attempts for Pierce.
Also, I'll roll with Hurts over Mills. Mills only threw for 152 yards against the Titans last week, and he has three games this season in which he has thrown for fewer than 180 yards. Nico Collins (groin) has already been ruled out, and Brandin Cooks might not play after failing to be dealt at the trade deadline. Even if he does play, he'll have to battle with the stellar cornerback duo of Darius Slay and James Bradberry. An ugly stat line could be coming from Mills.
Stat Shootout Contest
The touchdowns option is always fun, so let's select three players to combine for 2.5-plus touchdowns for 2X the prize. Sanders is a must, which is a bit of a surprise given that he didn't rush for a single touchdown last season. However, he has five rushing touchdowns this season, including at least one in three of the last four games. The Texans have allowed 10 rushing touchdowns.
The second player to take is A.J. Brown, who had three touchdown receptions against the Steelers. He has five total touchdowns this season and has received nine red-zone targets. He has big-play upside whenever the ball is thrown his way, recording 10 receptions of at least 20 yards.
Finally, let's go with Pierce. Points should be difficult to come by for the Texans, but if they do score any, Pierce likely will be involved. In his last five games, he has three rushing touchdowns and one receiving score.
