Experts Pick Three Prop Bets for Cardinals-Commanders Week 1 Showdown

We're just hours away from the Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders battling each other for the fist week of NFL action.

That feels great to type.

It's been a long offseason for both teams, and as kickoff nears, one will have the opportunity to begin the 2023 season 1-0.

Against the spread, the Cardinals are seven-point underdogs and currently are the second-biggest dogs behind the Houston Texans (9.5 or 10 depending on the book) to the Baltimore Ravens.

But you're not here for spread analysis (if you were though, we found some picks here). You're here for prop bets.

It's Sunday morning, and you're looking to make some cash. Here's some of the best picks we could find.

Covers.com: Brian Robinson Under 58.5 rushing yards

Josh Inglis: "Robinson ran to 3.9 yards per carry which ranked outside the the top 35 among NFL RBs. He had five games of 20-plus carries and failed to reach 100 yards in any of them.

"His breakaway speed is also concerning if his carries are diminished as he will struggle to get big yards. In 2022, Robinson had just six carries of 15-plus yards, and that equated to a 2.9% breakaway run rate which ranked 46th in football.

"If Antonio Gibson cuts into his workload Sunday, Robinson will struggle to get 60 yards without seeing more than 15 carries.

"Plays could be an issue with a Sam Howell-led offense as he is arguably the worst starting quarterback in Week 1. There might not be a ton of plays for the Commanders and with their O-line issues (their offseason moves were more lateral than anything), Washington could be seeing plenty of passing downs.

"Lastly, the Arizona Cardinals offense is absolutely going to struggle to move the ball — hence the Commanders’ 7-point spread. This might seem advantageous for the Washington run game, but if the Commanders are getting the ball near mid-field consistently, there just won’t be a ton of yards with the short field.

"Robinson had a huge workload last year and did nothing with and now with a possible bigger timeshare, the Under on his 58.5 rushing yards is showing a lot of value. THE BLITZ is projecting 52 yards yards for Robinson while Gibson is projecting Over his rushing total of 30.5 yards."

Action Network: Antonio Gibson Over 19.5 Receiving Yards

Dylan Wilkerson: "Last season, Gibson was targeted 58 times for 353 yards. His 7.7 yards per reception was nearly a yard more than Robinson. When you consider that Robinson had 56 more carries than Gibson, the division of workload becomes clear. Gibson is there as a pass-catching option while Robinson will be the one taking the handoffs.

"As for Howell, based solely on preseason performance, Commanders faithful should be excited. Like with any new quarterback, we have to wonder how Howell will respond to pressure, both atmospheric and literal.

"The quick and safe play is to get to the ball to the running back on a blip screen or flare, and due to Howell’s lack of experience, I am accounting for this to happen.

"I also think that Rivera will gameplan for a fretful Howell and design some quick passes. Last season, it was clear that Gibson was the back Rivera wanted catching passes. Accounting for a jittery quarterback is not a diss on Howell, rather an observation about young quarterbacks early.

"Last season, the Cardinals allowed 810 receiving yards to running backs, which was the third most in the NFL behind the Raiders and Jaguars.

"Add in the fact that Howell is a young quarterback that will presumably have some jitters, I think that quick passes will be the answer to a lot of Washington’s questions."

DraftKings: Sam Howell OVER 1.5 Passing TD

Pete Hernandez: "After looking poised and efficient in helming the Commanders’ offense through the preseason, it’s time to translate that level of play into meaningful football. The Cardinals' defense tied for 28th last season with an average of 1.7 passing touchdowns allowed per game. Playing at home against a leaky secondary, Howell should kickstart his 2023 campaign with at least a pair of passing touchdowns."