Christian McCaffrey is no stranger to being a top running back in the NFL, but injuries have derailed him over the past couple of seasons. After playing in all 16 games in his first three NFL seasons, McCaffrey has played in just 10 games the last two seasons.
The Panthers offense needs McCaffrey, but he needs to be available for them. When he is healthy, he is a top-five running back without a doubt. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, McCaffrey’s rushing yard total for 2022 is set at 900.5 yards, and his touchdown total for 2022 is set at 8.5.
This means bookmakers are not confident that McCaffrey will be the player he once was, or they think he will not suit up for close to all 17 games this season. In McCaffrey’s two best seasons, he eclipsed this number with ease both times. In his injured seasons, he did not come close.
The Panthers need McCaffrey, but his availability is certainly in question. With some changes to the Panthers offense, it will be interesting to see if McCaffrey can return to being one of the league’s best running backs.
Let’s dive into CMC’s 2022 prop bet lines and break down if he will go over or under his totals set by DraftKings.
Christian McCaffrey Prop Bets for 2022
(All odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)
How Many Rushing Yards will Christian McCaffrey have in 2022?
(Over 900.5; -110)
Last season, McCaffrey played in just seven games and finished with 442 rushing yards. If McCaffrey played just 14 games out of 17 last year, he should have easily eclipsed this total. Availability is the best ability in the NFL, and injuries have hindered CMC the past two years. But, if he is healthy, I find it hard to believe he cannot rack up 900 rushing yards fairly easily.
The Panthers made a trade for Baker Mayfield, and while there is an open competition in training camp for the QB1 spot, I expect Mayfield to be the starter. Mayfield benefitted by having two great running backs leading the way in Cleveland, and I think the Panthers have the roster to follow that same blueprint.
Carolina had a bad offensive line last season, so they went to work improving this unit in the offseason. The Panthers drafted LT Ikem Ekwonu and signed G Austin Corbett and C Bradley Bozeman. These additions should make life easier on CMC and allow him to produce more rushing yards than in the past.
Yes, it is hard to envision CMC suiting up for all 17 games, but all running backs face injury concerns every time they touch the rock. It is impossible to project injuries, so based on this line, and McCaffrey’s talent, I have no choice but to bet the over.
How Many Rushing Touchdowns will Christian McCaffrey Have in 2022?
(Under 8.5; -140)
In his five seasons in the NFL, McCaffrey has only eclipsed this touchdown total one time. Injured or not, this is a high total, so I am not surprised to see it juiced to the under. There are a ton of variables in projecting seasonal touchdowns, and based on a few of them, I do not see McCaffrey going over this number.
For starters, McCaffrey is such a rare talent due to how good he is in the passing game. He has great ability to make plays through the air and score touchdowns, but given this Panthers offense, he may not end up as the bell cow at the goal line.
Carolina has capable backs D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard behind him on the depth chart, and based on body types, Foreman is more likely to get red-zone carries for the Panthers. CMC is their most complete back, so he will certainly get opportunities to score, but hitting paydirt nine times on the ground alone is tough for any running back. I can also see the Panthers using him as a decoy as well. The defense will always need to keep an eye on CMC, so it could lead to the Panthers deferring to his teammates within the 10-yard line.
How to Bet Christian McCaffrey Props
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Christian McCaffrey’s rushing yard prop for the 2022 season is set at 900.5 yards, and this over has a -110 vig. This means that in order to win $100, you would need to bet $110 that McCaffrey will have more than 900.5 rushing yards.
Check out the FTN Bets Parlay Calculator to see how much you’d win based on the odds and amount wagered.