The first games of the NFL Playoffs came and went with a bang yesterday, but the action continues with three more matchups on Sunday. During the afternoon window at 4:30 p.m. EST, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles welcome the San Francisco 49ers to the Linc. With a hostile environment on tap and plenty of talent across both sides, this should be quite an entertaining game.
Let’s take a look at the top first TD scorer picks on DraftKings Sportsbook for 49ers vs. Eagles on Sunday’s NFL Wild Card Weekend slate.
49ers vs. Eagles first touchdown scorer prop bets
Christian McCaffrey first touchdown scorer (+550)
You already know who’s getting the first nod in this article. 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey just earned an AP All-Pro nod after recording 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns this season, marks which rank second and third-best in the NFL. Few players are the crux of their team’s offense like the halfback is, and you can’t deny his all-around impact as an absurd receiving threat at the position after catching 102 passes as well. Plus, only eight players at any position scored the first touchdown of a game at least four times — CMC was one of them.
McCaffrey’s 74 carries in the red zone paced the position and his 24 targets mean he saw a staggering 98 opportunities inside the 20-yard line. Those coveted touches mean plenty of chances to score, so even against an excellent Eagles defense, there’s no reason to feel scared off. This kind of workload is unmatched by most players, so assume the star running back gets a couple of touches in the red zone early in this one.
Dallas Goedert first touchdown scorer (+950)
With the chalk pick out of the way, let’s fly like an Eagle. If we’re looking towards Philly, Saquon Barkley is the team’s favorite to score first followed by Jalen Hurts. I want neither of those guys and am instead looking for better value with Dallas Goedert, who comes in at +950 odds to score the first TD of this game. Why’s that? He scored the first touchdown three times this season and is one of just 21 players to do so on that many occasions or more. While his typical target share of 20.0% doesn’t provide an edge, he leads the Eagles with a 30.0% share of looks in the red zone and tied for the second-most receiving touchdowns in the NFL with 11.
No, he’s not a flashy name, but Goedert gets plenty of chances in the red zone which make him a compelling play to begin with. As an added bonus, the 49ers were vulnerable to tight ends and allowed the fourth-most touchdowns to the position this season. With San Francisco’s defense giving up the third-most targets per game to tight ends as well, watch for Hurts to target the position plenty on Sunday.
For full odds of anytime and first TD scorers, check out the image below!
