NFL Player Props NFC Championship Game: San Francisco 49ers vs. Detroit Lions Top Anytime TD Scorer Bets
The Detroit Lions are ready to battle the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night. Who will find the end zone and help their team reach the Super Bowl? Matt MacKay provides his top anytime touchdown scorer picks for Lions vs. 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Matt MacKay - January 28, 2024, 12:10 PM EST
5 minNFL PLAYER PROPS NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS VS. DETROIT LIONS TOP ANYTIME TD SCORER BETS
Two NFC teams with much different preseason expectations find themselves set to square off in Santa Clara, California on Sunday night during the NFC Championship Game, as the San Francisco 49ers host the Detroit Lions.
The 49ers are the one-seed and experienced a bit of adversity in the middle of the season, losing three consecutive games, before hitting a reset during their Bye Week and surging atop the NFC. Conversely, the Detroit Lions, led by Jared Goff and head coach Dan Campbell, have won five of their last six games, including two consecutive playoff games at home against the Rams and Buccaneers.
Oddsmakers are giving the Lions +7.5 against the 49ers on the road, where San Francisco has struggled to cover the spread. The 49ers have failed to cover the spread at home in six consecutive games, so winning by at least eight points is a tall order, especially against a stout Lions run defense.
If San Francisco is unable to establish the run with star running back Christian McCaffrey, all of the pressure will be on quarterback Brock Purdy. Purdy's been hyper-efficient under center in the West Coast offense head coach Kyle Shanahan runs, but Detroit edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson's talent will make it difficult for the 49ers' signal-caller to operate on obvious passing downs. Both teams struggle against the pass, especially Detroit, which means we could get a big outing from San Francisco's receiving corps, especially with the return of wideout Deebo Samuel.
NFL handicapper Matt MacKay is back to share his latest anytime touchdown scorer props to bet ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions.
49ERS VS. LIONS DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: January 28, 2024
- Game Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: FOX
BEST NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ANYTIME TD BETS: 49ERS VS. LIONS
BRANDON AIYUK ANYTIME TD SCORER (+110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Detroit's secondary has surrendered big plays downfield all season, including during the playoffs. This translates into 49ers wideout, Brandon Aiyuk, becoming a bigger focal point of San Francisco's passing attack during the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.
The Lions surrendered three passing touchdowns last week against Tampa Bay, going to wideout Mike Evans, tight end Cade Otton, and running back Rachaad White. Aiyuk has been relatively quiet down the stretch, hauling in three of six targets for 32 yards against a quality Green Bay secondary. This week though, Aiyuk should have plenty of good opportunities to find the end zone, ending his two-game touchdown drought.
The Lions also surrendered two passing touchdowns to the Rams' wide receiving corps in the Wild Card Round, further bolstering Aiyuk's appeal as an anytime touchdown scorer at +110 odds. Let's stake a unit on Aiyuk to find the end zone against a vulnerable Lions pass defense on Sunday night.
GEORGE KITTLE ANYTIME TD SCORER (+125) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
George Kittle scored the opening touchdown in the NFC Divisional Round matchup against Green Bay, and he'll likely return to the end zone once again while playing against the Lions on Sunday.
Kittle is a big-play machine, scoring at least one touchdown in four consecutive home games against NFC opponents. The Lions allowed Cade Otton to convert 5-65-1 on eight targets last week, plus Kittle has averaged over 11.0 yards per target in five of his past six games, indicating he'll get clean looks downfield to execute a big play for a touchdown.
The 49ers' TE1 has only scored consecutive touchdowns once this season, but this matchup couldn't be any more ideal for Kittle to take advantage of a weak Detroit pass defense. He saw seven targets against Green Bay, so expect anywhere from five to ten targets in a game plan that will likely put a lot on Brock Purdy's plate as a passer, resulting in us cashing Kittle's anytime touchdown scorer prop at a solid +125 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.
DAVID MONTGOMERY ANYTIME TD SCORER (+160) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Like Gus Edwards, who was held out of the end zone for one of the few times this season during the Divisional Round, Lions running back David Montgomery was also blanked against Tampa Bay. Instead, Jahmyr Gibbs scored, with Montgomery getting his normal workload and usage at the goal-line stolen by RB3 Craig Reynolds during the NFC Divisional Round.
While his workload is trending down, Montgomery still has earned 10-plus carries for 11 consecutive games. He also saw four targets against Tampa Bay, the second-most this season. Surprisingly, the 49ers have not been great at stopping the run. Most teams simply fall behind and are forced to play catch up against San Francisco.
Detroit is a run-centric offense that likes to run a lot of play action passes, but they should be able to move the football downfield with Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, and Gibbs as reliable pass catchers. Aaron Jones ripped off over 100 rushing yards against San Francisco last week, but all of their touchdowns came in the passing game.
With a lot of bets coming in on Gibbs to extend his touchdown streak against the 49ers due to his versatile skill set and increasing workload, Montgomery is being overlooked at +160 odds for an anytime touchdown scorer. We haven't seen odds this good for Montgomery since much earlier in the season, as they tend to be +100 or minus odds, so we're obligated to wager a unit on his anytime touchdown scorer prop at +160 odds during Sunday's NFC Championship game.
SAM LAPORTA ANYTIME TD SCORER (+180) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
The last player we need to invest in when it comes to anytime touchdown scorer props is Detroit's rookie tight end, Sam LaPorta.
The Lions selected LaPorta out of Iowa with the 34th overall pick in the 2023 draft and he's rewarded them with 11 total touchdowns this season. LaPorta logged nine receptions for 65 yards on 11 targets against Tampa Bay last weekend, but he didn't find the end zone. However, he scored against the Rams on a much smaller target share during the Wild Card Round. He's one of Goff's favorite red zone targets, plus, San Francisco just gave up a touchdown to Green Bay tight end Tucker Kraft on a wide open busted coverage during the NFC Divisional Round.
LaPorta is playing through a knee injury, using a brace, but that hasn't stopped him from being efficient as a pass catcher in the playoffs. San Francisco's defense is not as stout as they appear, so let's wager a unit on LaPorta's anytime touchdown scorer prop ahead of Detroit's biggest game in franchise history. +180 is good value to acquire, especially since LaPorta has scored a touchdown after being held scoreless three different times this season.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME ANYTIME TD PICKS: 49ERS VS. LIONS
- Brandon Aiyuk Anytime TD Scorer (+110) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
- George Kittle Anytime TD Scorer (+125) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
- David Montgomery Anytime TD Scorer (+160) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
- Sam LaPorta Anytime TD Scorer (+180) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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