Two of the most popular NFL bets this season are First Touchdown Scorer and Anytime Touchdown Scorer.
Every week during the NFL season, our experts will give you their prediction on which player they think will score the first TD for every game.
These prop bets can be difficult to predict, but they are a fan favorite among many NFL bettors.
What is a first touchdown scorer bet?
To win this bet, you must correctly pick the player to score the first touchdown in the game — the first player who receives a touchdown pass or crosses the goal line with the ball.
A touchdown scorer is defined as the player in possession of the ball in the end zone and not the player who throws the TD.
What is an anytime touchdown scorer bet?
To win this NFL bet, you must correctly pick a player who will score a touchdown. Similar to first touchdown bets, the player is the one who crosses the end zone himself, not the QB who throws to that player.
Before placing your anytime TD or first TD bet, be sure to check out our BetMGM Sportsbook bonus code
First & Anytime Touchdown Scorer Predictions & Bets for Wild Card Weekend
Panthers vs. Rams 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Puka Nacua (WR, Rams) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+600)
Nacua has been the league's most consistently productive passcatcher this season, holding the NFL's highest target-per-route rate (35.9%) and the most yards per route run (3.71) through 17 games. The Panthers were without Jaycee Horn when Nacua put up 72 yards on six receptions in Charlotte in Week 13, but even with their star cornerback in the lineup, Carolina ranks just 28th in yards per target allowed to WR1s.
Panthers vs. Rams Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Jalen Coker (WR, Panthers) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+310)
When the Panthers first met the Rams back in November, Coker led the team with 30% of their targets and 62% of their air yards. The second-year wideout managed a season-high 74 yards and his first touchdown of the season on the day, and he caught 15 of his 18 targets for 170 yards and a team-high 2 touchdown receptions in the four games since. Coker also led the team with a route run on 92% of his snaps last week, in a perceived must-win game against the Buccaneers.
Bears vs. Packers 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Romeo Doubs (WR, Packers) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+1200)
Doubs led the Packers in receiving the last time these teams faced off in Chicago, catching five of six for 84 yards and his sixth touchdown of the season in Week 17. He also led the team through the 2025 regular season in receptions (55), targets (85) and yards (724) as he’s been one of the Packers’ only consistently healthy targets this season. Doubs lines up on the outside on a team-high 85.2% of snaps, where the Bears have allowed a 29th-ranked 10.2 yards per target.
Bears vs. Packers Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Colston Loveland (TE, Bears) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+220)
On ten total targets against the Packers this season, Chicago’s rookie tight end took seven receptions for 59 yards and his fourth of six career touchdowns. Since Week 16, Loveland has run a route on 84.6% of his dropbacks (second on the team behind the injured DJ Moore), and he’s drawn targets on a team-high 28.3% of them. In that three-week span the Packers have ranked 19th with 9.7 yards per catch allowed to tight ends, down from their league-best 7.7 through the first 15 weeks of the season.
Jaguars vs. Bills 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Jaguars) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+1100)
Through the last four weeks, Trevor Lawrence has ranked eighth with 5.1 yards per rush on his way to a league-leading four rushing touchdowns. He also managed a first down or touchdown on a league-high 61.9% of his sixth-ranked 21 carries in that window. Lawrence could continue to look to his legs for success against a Bills’ defense that ranks 29th with 22.6 rushing yards per game allowed to quarterbacks.
Jaguars vs. Bills Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Dawson Knox (TE, Bills) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+340)
Josh Allen’s passing attack has run through his tight ends in the last five weeks, as he’s targeted them on 29.1% of his passes. On the season, he’s looked to tight ends on 35.1% of his red zone throws (ranked seventh) and 52.4% of those to the end zone (ranked first). As Dalton Kincaid continues to battle through a knee injury, we’ve seen an increase in production from Dawson Knox. Since Week 14, Knox has seen a bump in targets per route from 12.3% up to 27.4%, and his yards per route jumped to 2.66 from 0.94. He could take advantage of this volume to find his fifth receiving score of the season this week, as the Jaguars are allowing 6.3 catches per game to tight ends (ranked 29th) for an 18th-ranked 5.7%touchdown rate.
Eagles vs. 49ers 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Dallas Goedert (TE, Eagles) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+1000)
On the season, Dallas Goedert saw 27.8% of the Eagles’ red zone targets and brought in 10 of his career-high 11 receiving touchdowns from inside the 20. He’s been the lifeblood of Philadelphia’s short-range offense as the Tush Push faded out of favor earlier this year, and his production is likely to continue as the 49ers have ranked 25th in yards per game (63.6) and total receiving touchdowns allowed (7) to tight ends since Week 6.
Eagles vs. 49ers Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Jauan Jennings (WR, 49ers) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+230)
In the red zone, Jauan Jennings trails only Chrisitan McCaffrey with a 22.9% share of San Francisco’s passing targets. He led the team from inside the 20 with 36.1% of their air yards, with a route run on 86.7% of his targets and seven total touchdowns. His increased usage as a red zone target should benefit him against this unforgiving Eagles’ pass defense.
Patriots vs. Chargers 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Oronde Gadsden (TE, Chargers) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+1800)
Before injuries sullied the peak of his performance, Oronde Gadsden ranked third on the Chargers with a 14.7% share of their targets (tied with Quentin Johnston). From his Week 3 debut through to Week 9, Gadsden caught a whopping 84.2% of those targets for a team-high 453 yards, as well as two of his three touchdowns on the season. The rookie tight end finds himself in an ideal matchup to get back on that horse, as the Patriots have faced the third-highest rate of tight end targets (27%) and allowed a 16th-ranked 7.2 yards per target.
Patriots vs. Chargers Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Ladd McConkey (WR, Chargers) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+235)
McConkey has taken a few steps back since his impressive rookie season (at least partially due to the limited availability of his starting offensive line), averaging one full yard per route fewer than he did in 2024 (2.40 down to 1.40). This matchup has its upsides for the second-year wideout, however, particularly as it relates to his usage against man coverage defenses. McConkey has seen targets on 22.6% of his routes against man coverage, which New England runs at the league’s fourth-highest rate (31.9%). McConkey also lines up in the slot on a team-leading 61.3% of snaps, where the Patriots have allowed a 28th-ranked 8.5% touchdown rate.
Steelers vs. Texans 1st TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Kenneth Gainwell (RB, Steelers) is our pick for the first TD scorer bet (+1000)
While the Texans have been air tight against the run this season, Kenneth Gainwell still possesses upside in this game when it comes to his role in the receiving attack. Gainwell ranks second among all running backs in catches (44) and receiving yards (363) on the season, with three of his eight total touchdowns coming on receptions. When Aaron Rodgers is forced to get the ball out quickly (within 2.5 seconds of the snap), Gainwell ranks first on the team with 20.6% of their targets. The Texans defense allowed 22.9% of all their opponents’ receptions to running backs (ranked 27th), and they rank 22nd in yards per target (5.9) and yards per reception (7.5) allowed to the position.
Steelers vs. Texans Anytime TD Scorer Bet Prediction:
Jayden Higgins (WR, Texans) is our pick for the anytime TD scorer bet (+390)
Through the 2025 season, Jayden Higgins ranked third on the Texans with 12.3% of their targets and fifth with a route run on just 56.4% of his dropbacks, but he made the most of this limited participation. Higgins trailed only Nico Collins with 18.3% of the team’s air yards and 10 total end zone targets, tying Collins with a team-high six touchdown receptions in the process (with one in each of his last two games). He’ll be a looming threat as a deep-ball receiver in this matchup, as the Steelers have ranked 28th with a 5.5% touchdown rate allowed through the air in their last nine games.