It’s the last Thursday Night Football game of 2023! For this special primetime game, it will be Trevor Siemian against Joe Flacco. The Browns are touchdown favorites on their home field, but instead of looking at the spread, I’ve focused on the touchdown scorer market. I’ve chosen two touchdown picks for this primetime game, so let’s get right into it.
New York Jets touchdown scorer best bet: Breece Hall (+170)
Available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
FanDuel must still be in the giving mood because this price is a gift. Last week, Breece Hall ran for 95 yards on 20 carries and 2 touchdowns while also recording an insane 12 receptions for 96 yards. He did a little bit of everything in New York’s win over the Commanders, and it appears he will continue to be the center of the offense in Week 17 too. That’s because Trevor Siemian will remain the starting quarterback since Zach Wilson failed to pass concussion protocols in time. Hall becomes more of a dual threat on offense when Siemian is under center because the veteran quarterback tends to do a lot of checkdowns to his running backs.
On Thursday night, Siemian will face a difficult Cleveland defense with several elite pass rushers on the defensive line. That means he won’t have a lot of time in the pocket to find receivers downfield and Hall could remain a prevalent option through the air when he breaks from the backfield. After a stellar Week 16 performance, I’m backing Hall to ride the momentum into this primetime game.
Cleveland Browns touchdown scorer best bet: David Njoku (+210)
Available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing
David Njoku might petition to have Joe Flacco be the starting quarterback for next season. In the few games with Flacco under center, Njoku has had some of the best games of his career. The tight end has 22 catches, 239 yards, and 4 touchdowns in the last 3 games. Flacco has been relying on two main receivers since taking the starting job four weeks ago: Njoku and Amari Cooper. And last week against the Texans, Cooper finished with 265 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. That means Cooper will likely be matched up with Sauce Gardner, who is one of, if not the best, cornerback in football.
Flacco will have to look elsewhere, and I’m expecting him to lean on Njoku and Elijah Moore. Plus, the Jets can be vulnerable against athletic tight ends. Last week, Logan Thomas of the Commanders was able to find the end zone against New York. Njoku should play a key piece in the passing attack on Thursday, and I’m expecting one of those passes to be for a score.
