Joe Mixon Climbing Odds List to Lead NFL in Rushing Yards

He may have only had one carry in the Cincinnati Bengals’ preseason win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Bengals running back Joe Mixon is climbing the odds list to lead the NFL in rushing. 

WynnBET had Mixon as high as +3500 to lead the NFL in rushing, but the fifth-year back is now +2000 to lead the league, which has him tied with Josh Jacobs, J.K. Dobbins and David Montgomery. 

Cincinnati’s offense is expected to take a step forward with Joe Burrow healthy and first-round pick Ja’Marr Chase in the fold, but Mixon’s health is another key for the Bengals. 

After rushing for over 1,000 yards in the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Mixon was limited to just 428 yards on 119 carries in six games during the 2020 season. Now that Mixon is entering this season healthy, the Bengals, and oddsmakers, expect him to find his old form.

Cincinnati’s offensive line may be the biggest thing in the way of Mixon and a rushing title, as the Bengals finished last year with the 30th-ranked offensive line, according to Pro Football Focus. 

Things haven’t changed much this year at PFF, as Cincinnati enters the 2021 season with the league’s 25th-ranked offensive line. The Bengals did add former Minnesota Vikings tackle Riley Reiff this offseason, but that may not be enough to move them into the upper-echelon in the NFL. 

Mixon averages 4.1 yards per carry for his career, with his best season in that category coming in 2018 when he averaged 4.9 YPC. 

The touches should be there for Mixon, as the Bengals don’t want to overextend Burrow early in the season after he suffered a torn ACL in the 2020 campaign, but it’s a question of whether or not he will be efficient with them. 

Vegas seems to think he’s poised for a bounce-back year, and if the Bengals’ offense as a whole takes a step forward, Mixon should be one of the players leading the charge.

Will Joe Mixon have a bounce-back season? Get in on the action with the WynnBET app.