Last Sunday night, NFL fans were treated to the early game of the season when the Buffalo Bills staged a dramatic late-game comeback to pip the Baltimore Ravens, 41-40. The Atlanta Falcons and Minnesota Vikings have high standards to live up to tonight.
This marquee clash will also feature somewhat of a rematch of the 2024 FBS National Championship Game, in which Michigan, led by J.J. McCarthy, edged out Washington and Michael Penix Jr. McCarthy now starts at quarterback for the Vikings and Penix for the Falcons.
Wolverines running back Donovan Edwards — now on the Washington Commanders’ practice squad — scored the game’s first touchdown in that contest. Who will find the end zone first tonight?
Let’s break down the first TD scorer odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Falcons at Vikings First Touchdown Scorer Prop Bets
Justin Jefferson First Touchdown Scorer (+600)
A top-five player at his position is always going to be a threat to get in the end zone, and Jefferson is no exception. The former Offensive Player of the Year had a quiet game through three quarters but broke out in the fourth-quarter comeback with a 13-yard score. Though he’s more of a yards-eater than a touchdown machine, never finding the end zone more than 10 times in a single season, he should continue to be a red zone threat. Last season, he ranked third in red-zone targets league-wide, and he was the recipient of two of McCarthy’s three red zone passes in Week 1.
Plus, while both of the Vikings’ running backs, Jordan Mason (+550) and Aaron Jones (+750), both have compelling cases to score first, Jefferson is the clear top wideout, at least until Jordan Addison returns from his three-game suspension for substance abuse. Atlanta has a weak secondary, allowing 22 touchdown passes to wide receivers last season — the most in the NFL — and only 12 total scores to running backs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka found the end zone twice in his debut, beating Mike Hughes both times.
Drake London First Touchdown Scorer (+950)
I selected Bijan Robinson (+550) to be the game’s first touchdown scorer in Week 1 against the Buccaneers, and he did find paydirt first, taking a screen pass from Penix for a 50-yard score, and as a threat in both the running and passing games, he certainly has a chance of repeating his feat. Regardless, I like London’s value better; the 24-year-old had nine touchdowns last season and accounted for a league-high 42.1% of his team’s targets in the red zone and 52.6% inside the 10-yard line. Penix clearly trusts him, targeting him 15 times against Tampa Bay.
While Minnesota was good at forcing turnovers, it got gashed through the air for most of last season. The Vikings allowed the second-most yards to wideouts as well as 18 receiving touchdowns to the position, so it’s not like London shouldn’t have his opportunities. The secondary was even more abysmal in Week 1, recording the league’s second-worst coverage grade. The outside corners, Isaiah Rodgers and Byron Murphy Jr., recorded the 60th- and 67th-best coverage grades, respectively, out of 75 qualified cornerbacks.
