Ja'Marr Chase vs. Diontae Johnson: Who Will Have More Yards?

The Pittsburgh Steelers head to Paul Brown Stadium in Week 12 with revenge on the brain after the Cincinnati Bengals beat them earlier in the season. At the heart of this matchup will be two young wide receivers, Ja’Marr Chase from the Bengals and Diontae Johnson from the Steelers. 

Chase has better overall stats this season, but Johnson has been more consistent and is coming into this game with a hot hand. Let’s take a look at the receiving yards prop odds for each player from WynnBET Sportsbook and predict who goes over in Week 12. 

Ja'Marr Chase Receiving Yards Total 71.5 (OVER -125/UNDER -115)

The Bengals struck gold when they drafted Chase No. 5 in the 2021 draft. The rookie may only have 47 receptions, but he has made the most of his “limited” work. Those 47 receptions rank him 29th in usage in the NFL. He is also 6th in the league with 867 receiving yards and 3rd with eight touchdowns. His 18.4 average yards per catch is third-best in the NFL. 

However, Chase has been a bit inconsistent this season with four games under 55 yards but two games over 150 yards. His best game to date was a 201-yard performance against the Ravens. 
He is coming off a 32 yards game in the Bengal's 32-13 victory over the Raiders last weekend.

Chase will line up across from an average Steelers passing defense that ranks 16th in the NFL. Another positive is that Chase has gone over his prop bets in seven of the 10 games he’s played in this season. I do worry that he has had three games in a row under 50 yards against the Raiders, Browns, and Jets. I think that Chase is a true talent but might be suffering from a bit of fatigue in his rookie season with the expanded schedule. I think this week ill be fading Chase against the Steelers and see if he can pull out of his funk. 

Diontae Johnson Receiving Yards Total 76.5 (OVER -125/UNDER -115)

Diontae Johnson doesn’t have the overall stats of Chase, but he does have one major advantage in this game. He’s playing against the Bengals' defense. Cincy is the 23rd ranked passing defense this season and are averaging 269.7 yards allowed per game.

Johnson has also been more consistent over the last 12 weeks in contrast to Chase who is more feast or famine. Johnson is coming off a 101-yard game against the Chargers last week and has gone over 76.5 yards in three of his last four games. 

I like Johnson’s chances to stay hot and lead all receivers in this game.