King of Props: Eyeing the other Daniel

Dating back nearly a century, the rivalry between the Eagles and Giants gets renewed at least twice annually. Philadelphia won both games during the regular season, but because New York’s playoff positioning couldn’t be improved, the team rested several key starters in the finale, including quarterback Daniel Jones. As these long-standing NFC East foes prepare to meet in the postseason for just the fifth time, a target who likewise sat out Week 18 is the subject of our top prop:

The bet: Over 2½ receptions for Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger (DraftKings)

Rookie tight ends Chig Okonkwo, Greg Dulcich, and Jelani Woods were all money for us in December, and now we look to rekindle that magic with Bellinger. A fourth-round pick out of San Diego State, he has started all but one of the games he’s played and made multiple catches in 9 of the last 11.

On both a per-play and per-game basis, the Eagles fielded the best pass defense in the league during the regular season. But they have shown a recent vulnerability to tight ends. Over the last five games, opposing players at the position have posted the fifth-highest catch rate.

Giants backup QB Davis Webb contributed to that figure two weeks ago by connecting with No. 2 tight end Lawrence Cager eight times for 69 yards. Now that Jones is back under center, he should employ a similar approach and distribute some of his trademark dimes to Bellinger, who caught all three of the passes he saw in the first matchup with the Eagles.