The Indianapolis Colts and San Francisco 49ers will face off in the Week 16 edition of Monday Night Football. This is an important matchup for both sides from a postseason seeding perspective, with the regular season in its home stretch.
In addition to the typical array of betting options, including player props, game totals and plenty more, DraftKings is offering a King of the End Zone promo.
During the Monday Night Football matchup tonight, $2 million in DraftKings Sportsbook bonus bets will be up for grabs.
Find more details on this promo below!
King of the End Zone — What You Need to Know
King of the End Zone Preview & Picks | Monday, Dec. 22
Players with the shortest odds to score an Anytime TD:
- Jonathan Taylor (-245)
- Christian McCaffrey (-195)
- George Kittle (+120)
- Jauan Jennings (+140)
- Tyler Warren (+230)
- Michael Pittman Jr. (+340)
- Brian Robinson Jr. (+360)
- Josh Downs (+380)
- Kendrick Bourne (+425)
King of the End Zone Picks for Monday, Dec. 22:
The thought process behind making these selections is a bit complex. For starters, you should be targeting players you believe will score a touchdown. But to win the split of the bonus bets through the King of the End Zone promo, you also must keep the distance of the potential score in mind. Here are my three favorite King of the End Zone picks for the Monday Night matchup.
1. Kendrick Bourne (+425 odds for an Anytime TD)
With the distance of the touchdowns in mind, I am taking all Colts off the board. Phillip Rivers’ longest pass completion was for 17 yards in his debut and Indianapolis made a clear effort to play within his limitations at age 44. This will also result in the 49ers’ stacking the box to slow down Jonathan Taylor, and limit the outlook for him breaking free for a long score.
The 49ers are not particularly known for their explosive plays, but Kendrick Bourne leads the team with a longest reception of 56 yards this season. While he has not reached the end zone yet this year, some of this must be attributed to injuries and inconsistent play at the quarterback position. Bourne has 22 touchdowns in his career, and he has pulled in 33 receptions for 499 yards on the season. He also leads the team with an average of 10.8 yards per target.
Bourne has been inconsistent all year, but has two games with 142 receiving yards. He has the speed to run deep and create some separation in this Colts’ secondary. The +425 odds rightfully indicate this is a long shot for a player who has not found pay dirt all year. But San Francisco can put this Colts team away if they score at a high rate. Expect a few deep shots to be a part of this blueprint and for Bourne to have a chance to be on the receiving end of a long score.
2. Christian McCaffrey (-195 odds for Anytime TD)
You cannot get far when talking about the 49ers’ offense without bringing up Christian McCaffrey. The former Offensive Player of the Year leads the team with 922 rushing yards, 820 receiving yards, and 14 total touchdowns on the season. He has reached the end zone in 10 of the 14 games this year, including five touchdowns over the past four weeks.
Even as the 49ers inch back to full strength, the blueprint will not change for McCaffrey being the primary offensive weapon. He will carry this over against a Colts’ defense that ranks 13th in points allowed and 22nd in total yards conceded.
Unlike the big play threat receivers, Christian McCaffrey is completely capable of taking a screen pass for a long touchdown all on his own. He has tallied 18+ touches in all but one game this season, and logged 30+ in five games. This is too much volume to ignore, especially with his ability to make opponents miss. The -195 odds are steep, and this is sure to be a popular choice, but McCaffrey could not be excluded from this list.
3. Jauan Jennings (+140 odds for Anytime TD)
Now in his fifth season with the 49ers, Jauan Jennings has tallied 44 receptions for 499 receiving yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. This also marks a career-high in touchdown scores for the 28-year-old. He has scored in three consecutive games entering tonight, with six touchdowns over the past six weeks.
Jennings’ touchdowns have come at distances of 42, 11, 6, 12, 7, 4, and 13 yards. He will be riding the momentum of the two-touchdown performance last week against the Titans. While the distance of the touchdowns is not overwhelming, Jennings has come on strong in the final stretch of the season and climbed up the red zone target list. His 11.3 average yards per reception still shows that his big play ability exists.
This is a nice middle ground of a player with a defined role in the offense with big play ability. San Francisco will be looking to pour on points, and Jennings will surely be a major part of this effort. Based on the limited big play opportunities expected in this game, a touchdown from just outside the 10-yard line may be enough to be crowned King of the End Zone, and he will still get some opportunities to stretch the Indianapolis secondary. Jennings has seen at least five targets in each of the last eight weeks, and look for him to remain hot by notching a touchdown in his fourth straight game.
