Is this sneakily the most important AFC West clash to not feature the Chiefs in a decade? Both the Chargers and the Raiders are coming off impressive Week 1 victories and, with Kansas City sitting at 0-2, one of these two squad could take a pretty sizeable lead in the division after just two weeks.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’re not so much interested in the end result of this Monday Night Football matchup, we’re all about how things get started. So, who will be the first touchdown scorer on MNF? Let’s break down the odds and make a couple picks.
Chargers vs. Raiders First Touchdown Scorer Prop Bets
Omarion Hampton First Touchdown Scorer (+500)
I know. I know. It’s the chalk pick. But following a Week 1 performance where the Chargers leaned on the passing attack far more than expected, I think Jim Harbaugh will get back to his roots on Monday Night Football. He wants to run the ball. In such a scenario, Omarion Hampton will be given a massive workload. The rookie was Los Angeles’ “bell cow” back last Friday in Brazil, taking the field for a whopping 80.0% of the Chargers’ offensive snaps. Hampton also saw both of the team’s rushing attempts in the red zone and he even ran a route on 80.6% of his 31 passing down snaps, meaning he’s a threat to score on the ground or in the air. Simply put, when an asset is this involved in their team’s game plan, it’s difficult to ignore their likelihood of finding the end zone. Look for Hampton to score his first career touchdown early.
Tre Tucker First Touchdown Scorer (+2200)
Tre Tucker isn’t your prototypical red zone threat. He’s not going to be targeted on any goal line fades in the near future. He’s certainly behind the likes of Brock Bowers (+1100) and Jakobi Meyers (+1100) on the team’s list of high-leverage threats, maybe even Michael Mayer (+2500). But you know what? Short people score touchdowns, too. Tucker literally scored the Raiders’ first touchdown of the season last Sunday, hauling in a 26-yard dart from Geno Smith. Tucker was also on the field more than almost any other Las Vegas skill position player, finishing that Week 1 victory over the Patriots with a 90.5% snap share. Tucker was only targeted on three of his 37 routes, yet the Cincinnati product’s speed makes him a big play waiting to happen at all times. For as involved as Tucker is seemingly going to be — especially after the retirement of Amari Cooper — this odds just feel a little off. Take advantage.
