For the first time in 33 years, the Cincinnati Bengals are preparing for an AFC Championship game. The last time they reached this stage of the season, they won the conference title before losing to the 49ers in the Super Bowl. Is history on course to repeat itself or can the Joe Burrow-inspired Bengals write a brand new chapter?
The sportsbooks don’t like their chances, making the Kansas City Chiefs the favorite by a touchdown, and with good reason. For a record-breaking fourth successive year, the Chiefs are not only playing in the AFC Championship, but they are also hosting it, sweeping aside the Titans and Bills in the last two editions to reach the Super Bowl.
The Chiefs might be favored to advance to a third straight Super Bowl but don’t forget, the Bengals beat the Chiefs 34-31 in Week 17 in a game of consequence as Cincinnati wrapped up the AFC North. That game was a wild shootout and with two high-powered offenses on the field, we have plenty of food for thought as we examine the touchdown scorer markets.
Be sure to read our full game preview of Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs
First touchdown scorer: Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs (+600)
Normally, I’d advise taking someone at a bigger price to score the opening touchdown given how unpredictable it can be but it’s hard to look past co-favorite Travis Kelce in this spot. Kelce was one of the heroes of the Chiefs’ unforgettable win over the Bills in the Divisional Round, catching the game-winning touchdown in overtime. That capped an impressive night for the tight end, who finished with 96 yards and a TD from 8 receptions and he could be set for another big game against the Bengals.
Cincinnati has been weak in the middle of the field all year and it was one of several shocking decisions made by the Titans on offense that they didn’t attack the Bengals there last week. The AFC North champs have given up the 4th-most receptions (96) and 5th highest number of touchdowns (8) to tight ends this year, with Kelce one of those TE to get in the endzone when the teams met in the regular season.
Kelce had only recently returned from the Covid list when that Week 17 game took place so didn’t post monster numbers but his TD was the start of a four-game touchdown scoring streak #87 rides into the AFC Championship game. In last year’s conference decider, Kelce finished with 2 touchdowns to his name and the stage looks set for him to play a pivotal role on the road to the Super Bowl again.
Anytime touchdown scorer: Byron Pringle, WR, Kansas City Chiefs (+175)
With so many talented offensive players on both teams, this was not an easy call to make. The Bengals’ receiving core is certainly stacked and C.J. Uzomah at +220 and Tee Higgins at +145 hold appeal, but it feels like more needs to go right for them to score than the Chiefs. If Tyrann Mathieu plays then that improves the Chiefs’ defense significantly, giving them another blitzing option to go after Burrow, who could struggle to stay upright again after being sacked nine times last week.
It’s far easier to put your faith in the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes, while Pringle’s odds nicely split the difference between Uzomah and Higgins. Pringle and Mecole Hardman have been battling for the WR2 spot all year with Pringle having a slight edge over Hardman at this stage of the season.
The Kansas State product has seen more snaps than Hardman since the bye, while he’s had more targets than the Chiefs’ gadget player in 4 of the last 5 weeks. He has also been targeted twice in the redzone in each of KC’s two postseason games and has put his increased workload to good use. Pringle has hauled in 5 receptions in each of the last 3 games, while he’s recorded 3 touchdowns already in the playoffs. He’s earned Mahomes’ trust and against a defense that ranks 24th against the pass in DVOA, there’s value in adding Pringle to your betslip.
Anytime Touchdown Scorer FAQs
What does “anytime touchdown scorer” mean?
Anytime touchdown scorer is a popular player prop bet that NFL bettors can wager on throughout the season. But what is it, and how do you win?
As the name suggests, placing a wager on the anytime touchdown scorer market is when you tip a particular player to score a touchdown during a game. This can be a rushing or receiving touchdown for an offensive player, or you can wager on a team’s defense/special teams to score a touchdown by interception return and fumble return or kickoff and punt returns.
If your player or defense scores a touchdown, you win! The odds will differ from player-to-player depending on the sportsbooks’ calculated probability of that player scoring.
Does anytime touchdown scorer include passing touchdowns?
Not for a quarterback, no. A player must get into the end zone, himself, in order to qualify as an anytime touchdown scorer. If a quarterback throws a touchdown pass, only the player who caught it counts as the scorer. If Tom Brady throws a touchdown pass to Mike Evans, wagers placed on Evans as an anytime touchdown scorer will cash. However, those placed on Brady as an anytime touchdown scorer will not (unless he also runs for a TD). See below for more on what the anytime touchdown scorer market means for quarterbacks.
What does anytime touchdown scorer mean for a QB?
For a wager on a QB to be an anytime touchdown scorer to cash, he must follow the same rules as a running back, tight end, or receiver. He must get into the end zone himself, either as a runner or a pass-catcher.
In the age of the mobile quarterback, QBs such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, and Josh Allen are often seen rushing in for a touchdown on any given Sunday. And don’t forget the occasional Philly Special, either. QBs can sometimes catch passes for TDs, too.
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