The Best Super Bowl Running Back Prop Bets

Article ByKyle Garlett

February 6, 2024

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Posted in: US Sports Betting News, US Gambling News

It’s been a number of years since the Super Bowl was dominated by a running back. Of the top 10 rushing performances on Super Bowl Sunday, the most recent was by Michael Pittman Sr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He ran for 124 yards in Super Bowl XXXVII, which ranks tenth on the list.

The last time we had a running back win the Super Bowl MVP was Terrell Davis of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII. Davis had 157 rushing yards and three touchdowns, all while missing the second quarter with a migraine.

The next year, he rushed for 102 yards in Super Bowl XXXIII, making him the third running back in history with 100-yard rushing games in back-to-back Super Bowls. Larry Csonka of the Miami Dolphins (VII and VIII) and Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys (XXVII and XXVIII) are the other two.

This year in Las Vegas, we may see the return of the running back. Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers is the NFL online sportsbook favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year, having tied for the NFL lead with 21 touchdowns. CMC also led the NFL in rushing yards and total yards from scrimmage.

On the other sideline, the main featured back is Isiah Pacheco. The second-year player for the Kansas City Chiefs rushed for 935 yards in the regular season and 254 in three playoff wins. He also has a rushing touchdown in each of the three playoff games.

Last year in Super Bowl LVII, Pacheco rushed for 76 yards and a touchdown in Kansas City’s win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Christian McCaffrey Prop Bets

Since Terrell Davis won the Super Bowl MVP, we’ve had 16 quarterbacks, four defensive players, and five wide receivers win the award. At BetUS.com, McCaffrey is the third betting favorite to win it next Sunday (behind the two quarterbacks) at +375.

Of all of the non-quarterbacks in the game, he is clearly the best bet.

If McCaffrey gets more than 100 yards rushing, he is paying +120. If that bumps up to 120 yards rushing, you can get +285 for the bet.

McCaffrey has gone over 100 yards seven times this season, and he has broken 120 yards on two occasions. 

The Kansas City Chiefs have the second-best scoring defense in the NFL this year. But they are just 17th in rushing yards allowed per game.

Nevada online sportsbooks have McCaffrey at +400 to score the game’s first touchdown, and +450 to score the game’s final touchdown. He is -210 to score a touchdown at any time on Sunday.

Isiah Pacheco Prop Bet

Pacheco isn’t nearly the slam dunk that McCaffrey is to score a touchdown. He is paying -120 to get in the end zone for the second time in two Super Bowls. As the game’s first touchdown scorer, Kansas online sportsbooks are paying +650.

The 49ers are only allowing 97 yards rushing per game, which is fifth-best this season. But a large part of that is the several large leads they have built, forcing the other team to pass. They are allowing 4.3 yards per rush, which ranks 21st.

In the playoffs, Green Bay Packers running backs had 124 yards rushing, and the running backs for the Detroit Lions had 138. This is all to say that the over/under line on Pacheco’s rush yards at 65.5 seems quite low. He has been featured heavily in the playoffs, and in the AFC Championship Game, he faced a better run defense in the Baltimore Ravens and he was over that total.

When looking at the alternative rushing lines for Pacheco offered at Nevada retail sportsbooks, you can get into plus money (+110) at just 70 yards. If he gets to 100 yards, Pacheco pays +425.

Seven times this season, he has rushed for as many as 70 yards, and three times he has gone over 100. In the Divisional Round at the Buffalo Bills, Pacheco finished with 97 yards rushing and a touchdown.

He is paying +2800 to be the game’s MVP.