49ers vs. Commanders: Is Christian McCaffrey prop bet worth it?

The 49ers host the Commanders on Saturday, and there’s an intriguing prop bet out there for Christian McCaffrey and his total rush yards.

The San Francisco 49ers shouldn’t have too much difficulty handling their business against the visiting Washington Commanders in Week 16.

After all, Washington is traveling across the country after suffering a tough loss against the New York Giants last weekend, while the Niners enjoyed an added few days of rest after having defeated the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football in Week 15.

A win that secured the NFC West for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.

That could put San Francisco on a course where it’d rest its star players. However, with the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture up for grabs, signs are pointing to Shanahan playing his starters as if Saturday’s bout was a must-win game.

That means there’ll be plenty of opportunities for stars like EDGE Nick Bosa, tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey.

Currently, according to the oddsmakers over at DraftKings, the 49ers sit as 6.5-point home favorites.

Diving deeper into the betting odds, however, looking at one particular prop bet is certainly interesting.

49ers RB Christian McCaffrey has an intriguing prop bet vs. Commanders

Against the Hawks, Shanahan allowed McCaffrey to touch the ball a whopping 32 times with 26 of those touches coming via the ground game.

Perhaps that usage was a bit much, and it’s a fair question to wonder if McCaffrey’s use in Week 16 will be limited. However, with rookie running back and “closer” Jordan Mason questionable with a hamstring injury, and “wide back” Deebo Samuel still out with ankle and knee injuries, the Niners may have no choice but to use McCaffrey a lot.

DraftKings set the over/under on McCaffrey’s rush totals against Washington at 80.5, and the moneyline in either direction is -115.

So, will McCaffrey go over that mark or under it?

The Commanders are in the playoff picture not because of a dynamic offense, which might actually encourage Shanahan to use McCaffrey and the rushing attack much more to keep Washington’s offense off the field.

No, it’s the Commanders defense that poses a problem, one that ranks third best in the NFL in total yards allowed (4,324).

However, against the run, Washington is much more of a so-so team in the middle of the pack, allowing opponents to run for an average of 4.4 yards per carry and having come off three games in a row where the other team has netted at least 120 yards on the ground.

Read More: 49ers vs. Commanders: Betting odds, prediction for Week 16 game

McCaffrey, meanwhile, is averaging 4.6 yards per carry and 66.8 yards per game with San Francisco after having been traded over from the Carolina Panthers last October.

If the 49ers get out to a solid lead, McCaffrey’s touches might diminish, but there seems to be a strong betting chance he’ll hit the over in this bout, making that an intriguing prop bet.

The Niners and Commanders kick off on Saturday, Dec. 24 at 4:05 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.