Keagan Smith details his top Omarion Hampton player props for Chargers vs. Texans on Saturday in NFL Week 17.
The NFL brings us a two-game Saturday slate in Week 17 headlined by a clash between a couple of AFC postseason competitors. Last year, the Houston Texans played a defensive masterclass to upset the Los Angeles Chargers in the Wild Card. Now, we get a rematch of that contest with Justin Herbert and Omarion Hampton looking to solidify their place in the playoff seeding.
Here are the best Omarion Hampton prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook for Chargers vs. Texans on Saturday in Week 17.
Best Omarion Hampton prop bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
It’s been a rough rookie season for Omarion Hampton. A first-round pick out of North Carolina, the former Tar Heel was supposed to work in a tandem with Najee Harris but was quickly thrust into a lead role ahead of schedule when the veteran suffered a season-ending injury in the early weeks. The Chargers’ prized rookie started to come alive and show signs of stardom just before an injury of his own sidelined him for two months. Hampton returned in Week 14 to the tune of 56 yards on 13 carries, then posted 61 and 85 rushing yards in his next two games. He’s clearly beginning to find his stride heading into the final weeks of the regular season, but can he find room to run this week?
There are few matchups more imposing than this one. The Texans possess one of the NFL’s most elite defensive units which plays with a chip on its shoulder — laying big hits and playing physical football is a specialty for every player ranging from the trenches to the safeties. Houston allows just 96.2 rushing yards per game to opponents, fourth-fewest, also limiting them to 4.1 YPC, good for 12th. With with 10 rushing touchdowns allowed, the Texans are tied for the fourth-fewest scores given up via the run and they’re also tied for the seventh-best EPA/carry at -0.10.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Hampton’s prop bet lines are set at O/U 15.5 rush attempts, 63.5 rushing yards, 1.5 receptions and 11.5 receiving yards. His odds to score an anytime touchdown sit at +110.
The big status to watch today is that of fellow running back Kimani Vidal, who’s questionable to play with a neck injury. The Troy product looked quite good in Hampton’s absence and earned a share of touches in what’s become a backfield committee with his higher-drafted counterpart. If Vidal isn’t able to play or sees fewer touches as a result of the injury he’s managing though, it could bode well for Hampton’s volume.
Even if Vidal does play though, Hampton could still see enough work to go over his prop bet line of 15.5 rush attempts. The rookie saw just 13 carries in his return from injury back on December 8, then took 15 rush attempts the following week. He finally exceeded his 15.5 line last week with 16 carries against the Cowboys, and now that he’s further removed from the ankle fracture which left him sidelined for so long, it’s easier to see the workload continuing to tick upwards.
Over the last several weeks since suffering an injury to his non-throwing hand, Justin Herbert’s passing numbers have largely been limited. He and the Chargers have thrown fewer than 30 passes in five straight games, meaning we’re seeing a shift to a more run-focused attack on offense. That benefits Hampton, as does the fact the Texans don’t usually push teams too much offensively since their own scoring can be quite inconsistent at times. The combination of these factors — as well as a somewhat low game total of 40.5 combined points on DraftKings Sportsbook — mean Los Angeles will likely lean on the ground game in this defensive slugfest.
With that in mind, I love getting Hampton to record over 15.5 rush attempts today at +100 odds. The value gets even better there if Vidal is unable to play, so I’d highly encourage bettors to get in on the over while they can before an official status is revealed ahead of kickoff.
Best Bet: Omarion Hampton over 15.5 rush attempts (+100)
Click the odds of this bet to tail!
