NFL player prop: Festive Flowers

It probably doesn’t qualify as a Christmas miracle, but capping the holiday with a matchup between the league’s two best teams seems like the ultimate gift from the NFL. Both the 49ers and Ravens own an 11-3 record and the top seed in their respective conference. A decade has passed since these franchises met in the Super Bowl — where Baltimore coach John Harbaugh famously earned a 34-31 win over brother Jim — and as they move toward a potential title-game rematch, we’re backing a rookie for our preferred prop:

The bet: Over 4½ receptions for Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers (DraftKings)

The 22nd overall pick out of Boston College, Flowers quickly established himself as the team’s No. 1 receiver. He drew 10 throws from Lamar Jacksom in the season-opening win over the Texans, catching nine of them for 78 yards.

Flowers’ subsequent production has fluctuated considerably. He comes off of a season-worst performance in a win over the Jaguars, gaining just seven yards on a single reception. But he has never posted consecutive games of fewer than five catches, and the Ravens figure to be throwing the ball as six-point underdogs facing the third-best run defense.

Before the draft, Flowers was commonly compared to Seahawks wideout Tyler Lockett because the two players have strikingly similar numbers for height, weight, 40-yard dash and vertical jump. Against the 49ers two weeks ago, Lockett caught all six of his targets and turned them into 89 yards.

Flowers should see comparable volume, and on this biggest day of giving, he’ll know the joy of receiving.