First Touchdown Scorer Predictions for Monday Night Football Week 1: Vikings vs. Bears
The bright lights of prime time await, and let's now look at our first touchdown scorer predictions for Monday Night Football as the first week of the NFL's glorious return to our lives winds down.
As part of our NFL predictions for Week 1, we're eyeing DJ Moore and Jordan Mason as the best candidates to score first from their respective teams when the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings square off in a divisional clash. If you're feeling even more adventurous, Caleb Williams is an intriguing long shot among my NFL picks for tonight.
Kickoff is slated for 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN from Solider Field in Chicago. We dove further into the matchup in our Vikings vs. Bears prediction, with the Vikings commonly entering as a narrow betting odds favorite at -1.5.
π First touchdown scorer predictions Monday Night Football: Week 1
NFL touchdown scorer picks based on NFL odds that are subject to change.
- Jordan Mason to score the first touchdown (+950 via DraftKings) βββ
- DJ Moore to score the first touchdown (+1000 via Caesars) βββ
π° Best Vikings vs. Bears first touchdown scorer bets
Here are my favorite Vikings vs. Bears first touchdown scorer picks for Monday Night Football.
π£ Vikings first touchdown scorer prediction: Jordan Mason, RB (+950) βββ
Depth charts can sometimes not mean a whole lot early in the season, especially when it comes to the running back position.
The Vikings list Aaron Jones as their starter, and the veteran could indeed be primed for another productive season after posting a career-high 1,138 rushing yards during his first season with the team last year. But Minneosta didn't trade for Jordan Mason to simply hold him as depth after the bruiser erupted for three 100-plus-yard rushing games with the San Francisco 49ers last year while filling in for the injured Christian McCaffrey.
Reports throughout the offseason indicate the team could roll forward at least short term with a true backfield committee, and Mason seems more ideally suited to get more goal-line carries as the bulkier back (5-foot-11 and 223 pounds). Mason scored three touchdowns on just 153 carries last year, with all of those trips to the end zone coming inside the 10-yard line.
He'll face a defense that was regularly sliced up on the ground last season while allowing 136.3 rushing yards per game (28th), and the Bears finished tied for the most touchdowns allowed to running backs (18).
If Mason can continue to exploit a weak Bears run defense, a $10 bet at these +950 odds from DraftKings would lead to a profit of $95 with an implied probability of 9.52%.
π» Bears first touchdown scorer prediction: DJ Moore, WR (+1000) βββ
The Vikings attempted to beef up their pass rush significantly this past offseason while adding Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen. Those moves will certainly help a secondary that was repeatedly roasted, but the unit still needs to answer some questions early this season - and DJ Moore is well-positioned to capitalize.
The Vikings fielded the league's 28th-ranked pass defense last year at 242 yards allowed per game. They were especially susceptible against wide receivers while giving up 3,115 yards through the air to the position, the second-most leaguewide, and the most receptions at 255.
Combine that potentially still lingering weakness with Moore's frequent usage inside the 10-yard line, and there's a lot to like about the Bears wideout crossing the goal line first. Moore was given 25% of the team's targets in that area last year, putting him only a few ticks behind Ja'Marr Chase in terms of usage.
Moore being on the other end for the opening touchdown would translate to a $100 profit through these +1000 odds from Caesars, with an implied probability of 9.09%.
Our Esten McLaren is locking in on another Bears wideout in his Vikings vs. Bears anytime touchdown scorer predictions.
π― Best long shot to score first touchdown: Caleb Williams, QB (+2200) ββ
Williams finished a respectable seventh among quarterbacks during his rookie year while posting 489 rushing yards. But he didn't log a single rushing touchdown despite being not far removed from scoring on the ground frequently as a prized college prospect at USC.
His goose egg around the goal line was no doubt tied to the laughable lack of protection Williams was given, and the constant pummeling he was forced to endure. Putting your body even more in the line of fire is a little less inviting when you were sacked an astounding 68 times, tied for the third-most ever in league history.
But the Bears addressed their offensive line during the offseason with three new additions in center Drew Dalman, guard Jonah Jackson, and (most notably) two-time first-team All-Pro guard Joe Thuney. The comfort that comes with Williams' surely improved protection should lead to more confidence to get creative and lean on his athleticism, which is what led to 22 rushing touchdowns from him over his final two years at the collegiate level.
Williams surging over the goal line for the first touchdown would result in a $220 profit on a $10 bet through these odds from BetMGM, with an implied probability of 4.35%.
π Monday Night Football first touchdown scorer odds
Our NFL player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
π‘ More Monday Night Football expert picks
- Vikings vs. Bears prediction
- Vikings vs. Bears player props
- Vikings vs. Bears anytime touchdown scorer predictions
- Vikings vs. Bears first touchdown scorer predictions
- Vikings vs. Bears parlay picks
- Vikings vs. Bears expert picks
πΊ How to watch Monday Night Football
- When: Monday, Sept. 8
- Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Where: Soldier Field (Chicago)
- How to watch: ABC/ESPN
βNFL betting FAQs
What does first touchdown scorer mean?
The first touchdown scorer bet in NFL betting means you're wagering on the first player to reach the end zone (excluding passing TDs). It's one of the most popular NFL prop bets, especially for prime-time games.
What does first touchdown scorer mean for a QB?
A first touchdown scorer bet for a quarterback means the QB must run or catch a touchdown - passing touchdowns donβt count. It's a popular NFL prop bet for mobile or trick-play QBs.
How do NFL touchdown scorer bets work?
There are multiple different ways to make your NFL touchdown scorer predictions. You can wager on a player to score an anytime touchdown, which pays out if they reach the end zone at any point for a touchdown. You can also bet on a player to score the first or last touchdown, multiple touchdowns, or to score in a particular half or quarter for larger payouts.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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