Welcome to NFL Week 16, where the Denver Broncos look to keep their 11-game win streak alive against the feisty Jacksonville Jaguars, the New England Patriots will attempt to rebound against the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try to create some separation from the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South.
Who’s scoring today? That’s what everyone wants to know. Whether you’re crafting the group-chat parlay or looking for a lesser-known name with some value, anytime TD bets have become one of the most popular wagers in the world of sports gambling. Below, we will break down five anytime TD bets to consider for Week 16. These will not be predictable choices like a Derrick Henry or Jonathan Taylor score, but they won’t be wild long shots such as a team defense. Let’s begin with the important matchup going down in Charlotte.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
1. RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+150)
The Buccaneers’ RB1 has registered three straight games with at least 70 scrimmage yards since returning from injury, and scored two touchdowns in those three games. Carolina has an average run defense in terms of yards allowed per game (116.0), but opposing RB1s have scored touchdowns in four straight games vs. the Panthers.
Juicy, but for good reason. Not only does James Cook rank second in the NFL with 1,415 rushing yards, but this Cleveland Browns run defense has been pretty bad as of late. They allowed Tony Pollard to explode for a career-high 161 yards and two touchdowns a couple weeks ago, then D’Andre Swift rushed for 98 yards and two touchdowns last week. Make it a parlay leg.
Amon-Ra St. Brown is six receptions away from becoming the fifth player in NFL history to begin a career with four straight 100 reception seasons. He has also recorded three straight seasons with double-digit touchdowns. Last week against the Los Angeles Rams, St. Brown caught 13 of 18 targets for 164 yards and two touchdowns, but that’s not why I’m picking him to find the end zone on Sunday. I’m taking St. Brown to score because the Pittsburgh Steelers have the sixth-worst pass defense in the NFL, and the Lions are fighting for their playoff lives.
An NFL legend is likely playing his final few games, and will have to do so without quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Still, I expect Travis Kelce to be a big target for Gardner Minshew. Especially when you consider that Rashee Rice and Tyquan Thornton won’t be on the field this Sunday. The Tennessee Titans are extremely short-handed in the secondary, which allowed Brock Purdy to easily throw for 295 yards and three touchdowns last week. His tight end, George Kittle, caught eight passes for 88 yards and a touchdown vs. the Titans. I’m not expecting Kelce to put up those kinds of numbers, but I do have him catching a touchdown in the red zone.
5. WR Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots (+200)
Here’s a bit of a calculated long shot. Diggs hasn’t caught a touchdown since Nov. 9, and has been held under 30 receiving yards in his last three outings. In fact, he hasn’t played more than 50% of offensive snaps in any of the last three games. With the Patriots suffering their first loss in 11 games last week, maybe that leads Josh McDaniels to involve Diggs a bit more against Baltimore.
