Ricky Dimon
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Week 9 of the NFL season gets underway with Thursday Night Football between the New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts. We appreciate that such a matchup leaves a little bit to be desired, as the two teams come in with a combined 5-10 record (the Jets are 2-4; the Colts are 3-5). There really isn’t much star power on either squad, too, especially with New York rookie quarterback Zach Wilson sidelined.
Who will step up to the plate (forgive the out-of-season baseball reference) and find the endzone on Thursday night? Here are some of our best touchdown scorer bets.
First touchdown scorer: Mo Alie-Cox, TE, Colts (+1400)
The first touchdown scorer is generally a crapshoot (unless someone like Cooper Kupp is involved), and the odds suggest as much. Nobody in this game other than Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and receiver Michael Pittman Jr. has better than a +1000 chance to bully his way into the endzone first. An element of luck is involved whenever a first touchdown scorer bet is cashed. That’s not to say that you can’t make picks that are smart on paper; it just means that skill isn’t the entire equation. That’s why I think going big—really big—is the way to go. Favorites like Taylor (+400) generally don’t entice me much in this market.
But +1400 odds? Now we’re talking! Cox basically has zero value when the football is in the middle of the field, but that is no concern here. Right now we are only worried about touchdowns, and Cox is a red-zone machine. MAC has scored 4 TDs this season and every one of them has come in the last five games. The Jets have allowed the 10th most fantasy points to tight ends in 2021, so you have to like Cox’s chances of adding to his touchdown total. And there is no reason why he can’t do it right away in front of the home crowd.
Be sure to check out our full game preview for New York Jets vs Indianapolis Colts
Anytime touchdown scorer: Michael Carter, RB, New York Jets (+160)
Indianapolis has surrendered a mere 2 rushing touchdowns this entire year. But don’t be alarmed; that is the main reason why you can get Carter at +160, and +160 is too good to pass up. Keep in mind that the rookie out of North Carolina has another avenue to paydirt: via the pass. He made 9 catches on 14 targets during last week’s upset of Cincinnati, turning those into 95 yards. Oh, yeah; Carter also rushed for 77 yards and a score. Mike White will be back under center in Wilson’s absence, and clearly the White-to-Carter connection is clicking. It really wouldn’t be a shock to see Carter score both on the ground and through the air on Thursday night.
Make sure you read our TNF same game parlay for Jets vs Colts (+3089 odds!)
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 endzone, 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 Matt Ryan throws a touchdown pass to Cordarrele Patterson, wagers placed on Patterson as an anytime touchdown scorer will cash. However, those placed on Ryan 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 endzone himself, either as a runner or a pass-catcher.
In the age of the mobile quarterback, QBs such as Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, 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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