Who scored first touchdown tonight Chiefs

The NFL season is here, which means it’s a great time to dive into some of the selections available across the sportsbook industry. You can obviously bet on sides and totals, but player prop bets have been gaining in popularity over the past few years. That includes first touchdown scorer bets.

Below, I’ll run through my favorite first touchdown scorer props. Then, we’ll outline some strategy tips for this special type of bet.

So let’s start with the all-important question: who will be the first touchdown scorer tonight?

First Touchdown Scorer Tonight: TNF Week 2

Here are the top first touchdown scorer predictions and best bets for Thursday Night Football Week 2:

Chargers WR Mike Williams (+1100)

The big news for the Chargers heading into this contest involves the health of Keenan Allen. He exited their Week 1 win over the Raiders with a hamstring injury, and he’s been ruled out for Thursday Night Football.

That should allow Williams to serve as Justin Herbert’s primary pass-catcher. He didn’t exactly take advantage of that role last week – he finished with four targets, two catches, and 10 yards – but Williams is coming off the best season of his career in 2021-22. He racked up 76 catches for 1,146 yards, and he was also frequently targeted in the red zone. He was tied for the 10th-most targets in the red zone last year, and his nine receiving touchdowns ranked tied for ninth. I love his chances of getting on the board Thursday.

Where to bet: Mike Williams – First TD Scorer | +1100 at FanDuel Sportsbook

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (+2200)

Mahomes isn’t known as a rushing quarterback, but he’s capable of getting the job done with his legs when needed. He’s had two rushing touchdowns in each of his four full NFL seasons, and he’s added another five rushing touchdowns during the postseason.

Mahomes might need to be a bit more active than usual with his legs vs. the Chargers. They have a dominant pair of edge rushers in Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, and they sacked Derek Carr five times in Week 1. The Chiefs have a quality offensive line, but it’s reasonable to expect them to struggle a bit with that duo.

If they can force Mahomes out of the pocket, there’s a chance he tucks it and runs near the goal line. I’ll take a shot with him as the first touchdown scorer at +2200.

Where to bet: Patrick Mahomes – First TD Scorer | +2200 at FanDuel Sportsbook

More TNF Props

NFL Anytime Touchdown Scorer Predictions & Best Bets

Thursday Night Football Prop Bets: Chiefs vs. Chargers Player Props (Week 2)

First Touchdown Scorer Bet Explained

Player prop bets are linked to player production instead of team production. That can make them a bit easier for beginning bettors to digest, especially those with a background in fantasy football.

Typically, most player prop bets involve wagering on whether you believe a player will go over or under a specific number in a particular category. They can include things like passing yardage, receptions and carries.

However, you can also bet on whether or not you think a player is going to score a touchdown. These bets offer different odds for different players, with the most likely players to score getting the shortest odds

You can read all my analysis about anytime touchdown scorers here.

If those props don’t offer enough upside for you, first touchdown scorer props take things to another level. Instead of winning your bet if your player scores a touchdown at any time, they have to be the first ballcarrier to cross the goal line in a given game. There can only be one first-touchdown scorer in every contest, so it makes these props significantly harder to win.

However, that added risk comes with added upside. You’ll get a far greater payout if you roll the dice on the first touchdown scorer instead of an anytime touchdown scorer.

Do Passing Touchdowns Count For First Touchdown Scorer Props?

Just like with anytime touchdown scorer props, passing touchdowns are not included in first touchdown scorer props. If the first touchdown of a game is a passing touchdown, then whoever caught the ball would be considered the first TD scorer.

However, that doesn’t mean that quarterbacks are irrelevant in first touchdown scorer props. Quarterbacks will run for more touchdowns than you think, especially as more athletic passers enter the league seemingly every year. 23 quarterbacks ran for multiple scores last year, with Jalen Hurts leading the pack at 10. There are some familiar suspects on the list – Hurts, Josh Allen, and Kyler Murray each had at least five rushing touchdowns – but you don’t need to be a great rusher to score touchdowns. Ryan Tannehill was second among quarterbacks with seven touchdowns, while noted statue Tom Brady even had two scores.

Ultimately, quarterbacks were some of the most profitable players last year in anytime touchdown scorer props. If quarterbacks are scoring more rushing touchdowns than expected, it stands to reason they’d be underpriced in first touchdown odds as well.

What Odds Should You Expect With First Touchdown Scorer Props?

This obviously depends on what players you’re looking at, but you’re going to get significantly better odds on first touchdown props than anytime touchdown props. For example, the Rams are opening the season by hosting the Bills on Thursday Night Football. Cooper Kupp has the shortest anytime touchdown odds at -160 on FanDuel Sportsbook, but that figure increases to +600 to score the first touchdown. In general, you can expect most of the top touchdown scorers in the league to be priced between +500 and +700 to score the first touchdown of the game.

Most of the other players who are expected to be on the field will likely be around +1000. Running backs will get plenty of love in this department – especially ones who tend to carry the ball near the goal line – followed by the rest of the receivers, tight ends, and quarterbacks.

Then comes the real long shots. The depth receivers, second straight tight ends, and non-rushing quarterbacks will all be priced at +2000 or greater. The less that a player is expected to be on the field, the greater the potential payout if they’re the first td scorer.

How To Deal With The Swings

Betting on first touchdown scorer props is a lot like playing large tournaments in daily fantasy sports. Your win rate is going to be low, so you’re going to have to handle going through stretches with no wins. That can be demoralizing for bettors.

The key is to maximize your upside when you win. That allows you to survive the downswings and preserve your bankroll. If you’re upping your bets every time you hit a first touchdown prop, you’re not going to be able to survive the inevitable cold streaks. Like most things in life, discipline is key.

First TD Scorer Strategy

Just like with anytime touchdown scorer props, there is no surefire way to guarantee a win on first touchdown scorer props. That said, there are some things you can do to greatly increase your win rate.

Pay Attention To Injuries

Simply being on top of the injury report is one of the easiest ways to get value as a bettor. By knowing which players are questionable, you can often pounce on lines before the sportsbook has a chance to react.

For example, if the starting running back is questionable, I like to have some bets queued up on the backup running back. If he’s ultimately ruled out, you can potentially beat the sportsbook for tons of closing line value.

It’s not a fool-proof method, and the sportsbooks aren’t dumb. However, there are at least a few times a year when unexpected news leaves them open. Make sure you’re plugged into the news – Twitter alerts for the top news reporters are the best source – and take advantage when you can.

Defense (& Coaching) Matters

One of the most annoying things about betting on first td scorer props is that you are occasionally powerless. Only one team gets the first possession of each game, which means there’s a roughly 50/50 chance that your chosen player will start the game on the sidelines. If the opposing team goes down the field and scores, your player will have zero chance of scoring the first TD.

That’s why backing a player with a solid defense makes sense. If they can keep the opposing offense out of the end zone, it creates more chances for your player to score the first touchdown.

Additionally, knowing which coaches like to receive the ball after winning the coin toss is another way to create some value. The vast majority of coaches choose to defer at this point, but new coaches enter the league every year. Finding one who prefers to receive the ball almost guarantees they’re going to start the game on offense, which is a huge boost for first touchdown props.

Know The Goal Line Stats

Not all red zone touches are created equal. For running backs, in particular, getting the ball inside the five-yard line is a great way to rack up plenty of touchdowns.

There are some ways to exploit this. Last year, Boston Scott was the most profitable anytime TD scorer in the entire league. He had just 20 red zone touches, which put him well behind most of the top runners in the league. However, 16 of those attempts came from inside the 10-yard line, and 12 came from inside the five. Ultimately, only 10 running backs had more carries from inside the five-yard line than Scott last season.

I’m not sure who this year’s version of Scott will be, but staying on top of the numbers can help you turn a profit.