TNF Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions Top Anytime TD Scorer Bets
Week 1 of the NFL season kicks off with the first matchup of the season when Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs host Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions. NFL handicapper Ben Rajavuori is here with the best anytime touchdown bets to make for the game.
Ben Rajavuori - September 7, 2023, 1:24 PM EDT
7 minTNF Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions Top Anytime TD Scorer Bets
Lions vs. Chiefs Date, Time, and Where to Watch
- Date: September 7, 2023
- Time: 8:20 pm ET
- Where to Watch: NBC
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The first game of the NFL season is finally here, and it is a matchup between the 2023 Super Bowl champions and a trendy Detroit Lions team. The Kansas City Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl 57 for Mahomes' second Super Bowl win and third appearance in just five seasons. For obvious reasons, the Chiefs are the favorite at +600 to win it all again this year. For the Lions, they are trending upwards coming into the 2023 season. A lot of people are high on Jared Goff entering his third season in Detroit.
The opening line for this game in Arrowhead Stadium tonight was 6.5 points, but after some injury news surrounding the best tight end in the league, Travis Kelce, the Chiefs have fallen two points to -4.5. Kelce is questionable with a knee injury he sustained at practice on Tuesday. While I like them to cover this number even if Kelce can't go tonight, there are a few anytime touchdown scorer props I like more than the spread. Let's get into 'em.
Before I go over my two favorite plays, let's address Kelce. Travis Kelce suffered a hyperextended knee in practice on Tuesday, and word spread quickly. Given that this is a Thursday game, that is obviously a much more difficult turnaround to play than if he had his game on the more normal day of Sunday. Kelce is currently questionable, but the Chiefs have to make a difficult decision whether they want to push him to start through an injury in week one of the season, given the caliber of player Kelce is.
Travis is now 33 years old, and every injury could mean a bit more at this stage in his career, even though he is still the best tight end in the NFL. Given that he is the best tight end in the NFL, Kelce has the lowest odds to score a touchdown of anyone else on the field tonight at -125. Even with the injury news, Travis Kelce is THE MOST bet player to score both the first touchdown and anytime touchdown at BetMGM, per @Johnewing on Twitter. With that being said, I will not be touching Kelce's props with a 10-foot pole tonight because even if he does play, they may limit his snaps or be a lot more careful with how they play him. Instead, these two players are a better bet at a better price.
You can find TD scorer odds and all of the latest NFL odds by clicking here.
TNF Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions Top Anytime TD Scorer Bets
Jerick McKinnon +205 (Bet $100 to collect $305) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
It seems the most popular pick behind Kelce to score is Isiah Pacheco. I have Pacheco on two of my four fantasy teams, so I sure hope he scores, but the value is just way better on Jerick McKinnon. Pacheco's odds are around +100, depending on your book, and McKinnon is over 2/1 your money at DraftKings. Don't get me wrong, I believe Pacheco is the most explosive runner for the Chiefs, and he is the best back the team has, but McKinnon had the bigger role in the passing game in 2022, and that should mostly carry over into the 2023 season. While Pacheco may get more rushing attempts in the red zone, McKinnon was a target machine in the red zone last year. In fact, McKinnon ended the 2022 season second on the team with 9 receiving touchdowns, while Kelce was first with 12. If Kelce can't go or isn't 100%, McKinnon automatically becomes the leading touchdown target from 2022 with odds of +205 to score. McKinnon had double the touchdowns of Pacheco in 2022, and while I don't expect that to remain the same this season, Mahomes has shown he loves to look at McKinnon out of the backfield in the red zone, so this is great value on Jerick to score tonight.
Jahmyr Gibbs +140 (Bet $100 to collect $240) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
Jahmyr Gibbs was the second running back taken in the 2023 draft behind Bjian Robinson, and he was the 12th overall pick. The Lions went all in taking him, and while they do have David Montgomery now as well, I expect a statement to be made early with Gibbs. Gibbs had an excellent year with Alabama in 2022, rushing for 926 yards on 6.1 yards per carry and also tallying 444 receiving yards, totaling ten touchdowns last season in 11 regular season games.
With the Lions likely playing in a negative game script tonight, I think they will look to pass it a lot more, which plays nicely to Gibb's game plan. He is just as explosive as a receiver as he is a runner, and the Lions will look to get him the ball and see what he can do tonight. The Chiefs ranked dead last in receptions to running backs in 2022, and they also ranked 17th in yards per rush allowed, so Gibbs may have some opportunities for some big plays tonight. I like him to find the end zone in his NFL debut.
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Detroit Lions Top Anytime TD Scorer Bets
- Jerick McKinnon +205 (Bet $100 to collect $305) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
- Jahmyr Gibbs +140 (Bet $100 to collect $240) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds for this pick
NFL Odds
