First Touchdown Scorer Prop Bets for Steelers vs. Bengals on Sunday Night Football

We’ve got a battle for AFC North supremacy on Sunday Night Football in Week 10, as the Steelers travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. It’s a rematch of a highly contested game from back in Week 3, when Pittsburgh emerged with a 30-27 victory, handing its hated rival one of only two losses they’ve suffered all season long.

Whether or not the Bengals are able to get revenge is a major plot point of the entire conference’s playoff picture. However, those stakes are a little macro for the purposes of this article. We’re here to deal with one thing and one thing only: First touchdown scorers.

Let’s break down the market on the DraftKings Sportsbook and make a couple picks for this primetime matchup between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Steelers vs. Bengals First Touchdown Scorer Odds

Steelers vs. Bengals First Touchdown Scorer Picks

Ja’Marr Chase First TD Scorer (+650)

At first glance, it might be hard to realize the monopoly that Ja’Marr Chase has on the Bengals’ red zone targets through nine weeks. Yes, the LSU product leads Cincinnati in receiving touchdowns (7), but Tee Higgins (+800) and Mike Gesicki (+1400) aren’t too far behind on the leaderboard. However, Chase’s 31.7% red zone target share is the seventh-highest mark among all skill position players in the NFL, and his 13 red zone targets are more than double any other Bengals pass catcher. Joe Burrow (+3000) clearly has his preference near the goal line, and it’s the same guy he’s preferred since college. The other thing to consider here is the likelihood that Cincinnati registers this game’s first touchdown through the air. Entering Week 10, the Bengals have thrown for 79.3% of their touchdowns this season — easily the highest mark in the league.

Rico Dowdle First TD Scorer (+1200)

Injuries have limited Dowdle to just a 25.1% snap share so far this season, yet the bruising 28-year-old has still managed to garner as many red zone rushing attempts (9) as his teammate Jaylen Warren (+650), who has logged a 72.% snap share. Coincidence? I think not. While Warren is clearly the more dangerous of the duo as a pass catcher, Dowdle’s skill set and strength lends itself to operating between the tackles and near the goal line. Since returning to action in Week 6, Dowdle’s seen eight carries inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and he finally found the end zone in the Steelers’ last contest against the Browns. None of this is to suggest that Warren won’t also have his opportunities, but I think it’s silly that Dowdle’s odds are almost twice as long in this specific market. Take advantage.