Panthers vs. 49ers: NFL player props for Rico Dowdle, Christian McCaffrey for Monday Night Football Week 12

Two teams currently in the playoff hunt face off on Monday Night Football to wrap up Week 12 as the 7-4 San Francisco 49ers host the 6-5 Carolina Panthers. Both sides are coming off Week 11 wins and are looking to pick up a big win in a game that could have tiebreaker implications for a wild card spot.

Both teams rely heavily on the run game on offense, and the 49ers lean on Christian McCaffrey, who started his career with Carolina before being traded to San Francisco in 2022. CMC has 707 rushing yards along with 732 receiving yards and 11 total touchdowns. The Panthers have been one of the NFL's more surprising teams this year and much of that can be attributed to breakout running back Rico Dowdle, who is fourth in the league in rushing yards with 833 and has emerged as the team's go-to back over Chuba Hubbard.

McCaffrey and Dowdle are two of the key players to watch on Monday, but which running back should you target when making NFL player prop bets? We've used the SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, to identify the best player prop picks for both McCaffrey and Dowdle on Monday. All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook. Be sure to check out the SportsLine model's game forecast for Panthers vs. 49ers, as well expert picks and best bets.

Carries props

Christian McCaffrey: 17.5 (Over +103, Under  -132)
Rico Dowdle: 18.5 (Over +102, Under -130)

Top pick: Rico Dowdle Over 18.5 carries (3.5 stars)

Dowdle has been a major X-factor for the Panthers offensively since the start of October, and he's certainly had plenty of touches over the last month-plus. The model likes the Over on his carries prop with a projection of 20. Dowdle has cleared 18.5 carries four times this year in 11 games, including twice of his last three contests.

Rushing yards props

Christian McCaffrey: 72.5 (Over -113, Under -111)
Rico Dowdle: 75.5 (Over -112, Under -112)

Top pick: Christian McCaffrey Over 72.5 rushing yards (4 stars)

The model has McCaffrey going for 86.3 yards on the ground, and his consensus line is 71.5 rush yards. The Panthers fare slightly better against the pass than the run, which means CMC should have plenty of chances to break off big runs in this contest. He's gone Over 72.5 rushing yards in just three games this season, but two of those instances have come over the last three weeks.