Mohamed Sanu Week 8 Projected Stats: New Patriots WR Given +200 Odds to Score a Touchdown
- Mohamed Sanu is a +120 bet to top 45.5 receiving yards in his New England Patriots debut
- The 30-year-old also sports attractive +200 yards of scoring a touchdown in Week 8
- Sanu has racked up 313 receiving yards and one touchdown in seven games with Atlanta this season
The New England Patriots bolstered their injury-battered receiving corps this week by shipping a second-round draft pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for veteran wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
The 30-year-old is expected to have an immediate impact when he makes his Patriots debut on Sunday. The Week 8 NFL props list him as a -120 wager to record OVER 45.5 receiving yards and +200 to score a touchdown.
Mohamed Sanu Week 8 Over/Under Props
| Prop | Line | Over Odds | Under Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Receiving Yards O/U | 45.5 | -120 | -120 |
| Total Touchdowns O/U | 0.5 | +200 | -300 |
Odds taken Oct.. 23, 2019.
Sanu Coming Off Career Year in Atlanta
Sanu racked up a career-best 838 receiving yards last season to go along with four TDs. However, the eight-year veteran out of Rutgers has endured somewhat of a roller coaster campaign with the struggling Atlanta Falcons this season.
Sanu averaged just under 60 receiving yards per game through his first four outings, but has seen his production drop steadily over the past three weeks, reaching a low in the Falcons’ 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, when he made just one catch for three yards.
Patriots' receiving corps with Josh Gordon now on IR:
Julian Edelman
Mohamed Sanu
Phillip Dorsett
Jakobi Meyers
Gunner OlszewskiThen they can add N'Keal Harry to this group next week.
— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) October 23, 2019
Sanu could emerge as a regular target for New England quarterback Tom Brady when the Patriots host the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium as heavy 13-point favorites. The New England receiving corps has been battered by injury, with Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, and Phillip Dorsett all spending time on the injury report.
The Antonio Brown experiment also proved to be a failure, while rookie receiver N’Keal Harry remains ineligible to return from the injured reserve until the team’s Week 9 clash with the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens.
Despite those struggles, the Patriots’ receivers have performed well through the team’s impressive 7-0 start, averaging 291.1 receiving yards per game and racking up 11 touchdowns. That said, they have recorded just one touchdown over New England’s past two outings.
Sanu Making a Timely Arrival
The addition of Sanu is also timely as the Patriots prepare to face arguably only their second worthy opponent of the season. The Browns have fallen far short of expectations, and are coming off a bye in Week 7 following a disappointing 32-28 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6, dumping them to 2-4 on the season.
However, the Cleveland pass defense has emerged as one of the bright sports during the squad’s shaky start, ranking sixth while surrendering an average of just 219.4 passing yards per game.
Myles Garrett uses spin move to get sack on Russell Wilson
#Seahawks vs #Browns pic.twitter.com/UmUavPZ6V5— Browns Replay (@BrownsReplay) October 13, 2019
But the Browns turned in mixed results in their bid to contain Seahawks pivot Russell Wilson in Week 6. The Cleveland pass defense surrendered 295 passing yards and three touchdowns, while sacking Wilson on three occasions. The unit has now been victimized for five majors over the past two weeks.
Browns Feeling Absence of Cornerbacks Ward, Williams
The Browns defense has been ravaged by injury. Cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams have both been hobbled by hamstring injuries that forced them to miss the past four games, while safety Damarious Russell has been limited to just four appearances, also with a hamstring injury.
#Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams are getting close to returning from hamstring injuries
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) October 15, 2019
With the status of Ward and Williams still uncertain for Sunday’s contest, opportunity knocks for Sanu. His collegiate experience playing under coach Greg Schiano at Rutgers will ease the transition to New England, where he joins former Scarlet Knights Devin McCourty and Duron Harmon.
Now playing for the defending Super Bowl champions following two difficult seasons in Atlanta, look for Sanu to enjoy a memorable debut in New England on Sunday.
Picks: OVER 45.5 receiving yards (-120); OVER 0.5 touchdowns (+200)
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
