Just like the Eagles and Chiefs are running back a rematch from the 2022 Super Bowl, DraftKings Sportsbook is running back its King of the End Zone promotion for the final NFL game of the ’24-’25 season. Cue visions of 50+ yard A.J. Brown bombs, another home run from Barkley that tops 60 yards, or an unexpected over-the-top Xavier Worthy snag that shows Mahomes’ 65+ arm of yore. Indeed, we’ll once more be looking to use this promo token to include an Anytime TD Scorer whose trip to the end zone is the longest of the big game. Always important to keep the touchdown market in mind when cobbling together Super Bowl picks and predictions.
As is typical with my columns for this promo throughout the playoffs
Find more details on this new promo here and below!
King of the End Zone — What You Need to Know
King of the End Zone Special Prize Note | Super Bowl 2025
Make sure to note that, rather than the standard $2 million pot, the Super Bowl bonus bets handed out to bettors who placed a single or parlay-leg bet on the longest touchdown scorer will receive a bonus bet cut from a $5 million pie.
King of the End Zone Preview & Picks | Super Bowl 2025
Players with shortest odds to score a TD:
- Saquon Barkley (-195)
- Jalen Hurts (-110)
- Kareem Hunt (+140)
- Travis Kelce (+140)
- Xavier Worthy (+155)
- A.J. Brown (+165)
Who’s the pick, and what’s the strategy?
Always important to keep in mind, in terms of strategy for this promotion, that you can throw together a three-leg SGP for the Super Bowl, since it’s the only game on the bill for Sunday. Even if that parlay loses, you’ll still get your bonus bet. So, essentially, everyone has three shots at the bonus bet.
I’m not sure I’m expecting too many touchdowns to be scored in the game, and—seeing as the short-odds TD-scorer favorites are so close to even-money payouts, yet only three of the above (Barkley, Hurts, and Hunt) have under +1000 odds to score two TDs—I’m not sure the books think so either. Which is to say: I really wouldn’t go out of my way to level a heavy-unit three-leg parlay with this token for the Bowl.
Having said that, if you want to both hit your wager and collect your bonus bet, I think you include Barkley at -195, unfortunately. Hurts already broke the NFL record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in the playoffs, and the Eagles robbed Barkley of an almost-certain usurping of Eric Dickerson’s regular-season rushing record. They did it to get him to this game, with showdown shot to win his first ever Super Bowl.
Not to mention, the Chiefs stuffed the Bills’ tush-push enough times in the AFC Championship game that I figure the Eagles won’t try to press the issue that way if they encounter similar adversity as Buffalo. They’ll hand it off to their all-world running back for a touchdown.
And it’s entirely possible Saquon will have ripped off or will be in position to rip off a long touchdown before or after, respectively, a goal line opportunity.
Dan’s most-confident pick for King of the End Zone on Super Bowl Sunday
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (+240)
This isn’t a cheeky way to hedge my fear that Trent McDuffie will drape himself all over A.J. Brown. It’s because, when it comes to the two fundamental coverage types—man or zone—I think Smith might have the slight advantage for an over-the-top/busted-coverage type play. I have to believe McDuffie will demand the challenge of lining up against Brown in almost every man package Spags sends out for the Chiefs.
Brown is the Eagles’ best man-beater. Since 2022, Brown has 183 targets and 115 receptions against man coverage, which leads the team. The general hope is that the shootout-in-the-square between he and McDuffie will be spectacular. Which is to say, I still expect Brown to get his one-on-one opportunities, even if he’s got one of the best defensive backs in the game dogging his routes.
But this personnel approach would leave Smith lined up against Jaylen Watson, or potentially-but-less-likely Chamarri Conner. And this is a clear advantage for a healthy DeVonta Smith, whose championship pedigree speaks for itself. In Super Bowl LVII, Smith caught seven balls for 100 yards, and no touchdowns. That, of course, was the ultimate downfall of the Eagles in the loss two years’ ago: an inability to convert in the red zone.
Everyone’s all over Dallas Goedert’s yardage props in this game—and for good reason—but I think I’ve talked myself into loving the Slim Reaper as my primary touchdown scorer pick for the Bowl (other than Barkley). He’s the better zone-beater than Brown, historically. Smith has 157 targets since 2022 against zone; Brown has 146. DeVonta leads the Eagles with over 700 yards against zone coverage in 2024. If Smith catches the Chiefs’ safeties with a double-move on a go route, it might be moonball time.
Verdict
I really don’t believe I’ll be able to call three correct touchdowns in this game. And, while I feel like Saquon Barkley is your potential best-bet-but-worst-price for the King of the End Zone, I’m taking Smith over all the other choices for Super Bowl LIX’s longest touchdown.
I’ve listed the bet I placed on the DKN betting group—tail it with me here!—as my best bet, but also provided an alternate three-leg parlay, if you wanted to be conservative and hedge A.J. Brown in there just in service of securing the bonus bet.
Dan’s best bet for King of the End Zone: Saquon Barkley (-195) + DeVonta Smith (+240) two-leg SGP for +470
Alternative bet: Saquon Barkley (-195) + DeVonta Smith (+240) + A.J. Brown (+165) three-leg SGP for +1800
Tail this bet with me in the DraftKings Network Betting Group by clicking this link. Any bet I write up here on DKN, or on my handle @dansby_edits, I post to the betting group and provide direct links for easy slip-filling.
