Anytime touchdown wagers have become one of the most popular bets for sports gamblers these days. Everyone wants to know which stars will find the end zone, and which long-shots are in position to surprise everyone by finding pay dirt.
Last week, we saw Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin catch two touchdowns, while Jahan Dotson of the Philadelphia Eagles scored in place of the injured A.J. Brown. Then, who saw the 40-year-old Joe Flacco rushing for a touchdown vs. the New York Jets?
Below, we will break down five anytime TD bets to consider for Week 9. These will not be predictable choices like Derrick Henry or Jahmyr Gibbs, but they won’t be wild long-shots such as a team defense. Let’s begin with a running back that has been one of the biggest surprises of this season so far.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, where new users get $300 in bonus bets with a winning $5 bet:
Everyone will be on Josh Jacobs (-150) to score a touchdown in this matchup, but let’s go in a different direction. This is a solid price for Dowdle, and it has already fallen from +270 to +220. I imagine the logic behind this price is that sportsbooks believe the Green Bay Packers are going to absolutely destroy the Panthers, leaving little opportunity for Dowdle to carry the rock. But are we sure the Packers should be favored by 13.5 points with Bryce Young back?
Dowdle’s 605 rushing yards this season rank fifth in the NFL, and his 5.7 yards per rush rank third. He hasn’t scored a touchdown in two straight weeks, but has found the end zone in three out of four home games this year. Coach Dave Canales hinted at a bigger workload for Dowdle moving forward, so this is good value.
McConkey has recorded 294 yards receiving and caught three touchdowns over the last four games. Realistically, I think any Chargers wide receiver to score a touchdown is a good bet this week, because the Tennessee Titans are down their top three cornerbacks from Week 1. The franchise traded Jarvis Brownlee Jr. and Roger McCreary away, while L’Jarius Sneed is on injured reserve. That leaves Jalyn Armour-Davis, Darrell Baker Jr., Marcus Harris, Samuel Womack III and Micah Robinson to cover an extremely talented wide receiving corps.
3. RB RJ Harvey, Denver Broncos (+350)
Last week, Broncos running back RJ Harvey became the third rookie in franchise history to rush for two touchdowns and catch a touchdown in a single game, joining Clinton Portis and Terrell Davis. That’s correct, Harvey scored three total touchdowns last Sunday. Obviously the Houston Texans defense is a lot better than the Dallas Cowboys defense, but +350 is a nice price.
The reigning NFL MVP has recorded a rushing touchdown in three out of five regular-season games vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Last week against the Panthers, Allen had his 46th game with a passing touchdown and rushing touchdown, surpassing Cam Newton for the most all time. Allen has five rushing touchdowns in seven games played this season.
Sunday’s matchup marks the 10th between Patrick Mahomes and Allen. Believe it or not, they are separated by just one point through the first nine meetings (Kansas City 243-242). Steve Spagnuolo knows Allen well, but when things break down in the pocket, that’s when Allen turns to his legs.
The Lions are hosting the Minnesota Vikings, who have a defense that has been torched by opposing quarterbacks over the past few weeks. Jalen Hurts recorded a perfect passer rating vs. the Vikings in Week 7 while A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 304 receiving yards and three touchdowns, then three different Chargers players caught touchdowns vs. Minnesota last week.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has more receiving touchdowns than any other wide receiver this season with seven, and he’s tied with Ja’Marr Chase in having the most receiving touchdowns over the last three years with 29.
Bonus: QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (+1400)
Remember when Goff caught a touchdown against the Chiefs a couple weeks ago that was taken away due to a penalty? Maybe we see another trick play from the Lions in a game that I expect to be a blowout. Or, Goff could always sneak one in. $10 nets you $140.