Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions Player Prop Picks: Rashaad Penny's Time to Shine
Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions Player Prop Picks: Rashaad Penny's Time to Shine
The Seattle Seahawks and the Detroit Lions are both officially eliminated from playoff contention. Each team's final two games may not be very meaningful outside of NFL Draft positioning, but there is a silver lining to their sad seasons. Both the Seahawks and Lions have been able to take stock in their young players and see what they have for the future.
Seattle has gotten to take a long look at Rashaad Penny, and they may have a real gem in the fourth-year running back. As the Seahawks host the Lions, I'll be breaking down my favorite prop from this game and explaining why it's Rashaad Penny's time to shine.
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Rashaad Penny Anytime Touchdown (+130)
Line Available at DraftKings at Time of Publishing
Rashaad Penny has been considered an NFL Draft bust by many for the last few seasons but could be flipping that narrative around right now. The Seahawks selected Penny in the first round of the 2018 Draft, joining the New York Giants (who drafted Saquon Barkley), as the only clubs to take a running back in round one a few years ago. Penny's backfield mate Chris Carson has had a stranglehold on the starting job since 2018, but injuries to Carson and others have recently gifted Penny with a tremendous opportunity.
Penny has dominated the early-down snaps in the Seahawks backfield over their last three games. He's handled 68% of the team's RB carries, seeing 16 and 17 in the two games Seattle won or remained competitive in. Penny also scored in each of these games. He had a pair of touchdowns in Seattle's 33-13 win over the Texans and punched in another TD in last week's one-point loss to Chicago.
The former first-round pick's 6 Red Zone carries are good for first on the team over the last month, including his 3-yard TD run last week. His excellent December performance has certainly earned him plenty of valuable touches this week. And, with the Seahawks coming in as 7.5-point favorites with a Team Total over/under of 25.5 points, Penny shouldn't be a stranger to scoring opportunities this week.
The Lions are traveling to Seattle, presenting a terrific matchup for Penny and the Seattle backfield. Opposing running backs are seeing 24.9 carries per game against the Lions this season, good for 5th most in the NFL. They've allowed 23 touchdowns just to running backs in 15 games this season, second to only the New York Jets. Detroit's opponents have converted 34 of their 49 trips to the red zone into touchdowns, making the Lions the NFL's third-worst Red Zone defense.
Look for the Seahawks to keep leaning on Rashaad Penny and the ground game in what forecasts as a cold, rainy day in Seattle. The former San Diego State running back is the unquestioned top dog in the Hawks' backfield and is in a great spot to find the end zone against a soft Lions defense. And, the fact that we're getting +130 odds on this play makes it an awesome value.