One thing the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams can do is score touchdowns and they’ve done that plenty in the 2018-19 NFL season. The Rams finished second in the league, averaging 32.9 points per game. The Patriots were fourth, averaging 27.2 points per game.
But somebody has to score those touchdowns and somebody is going to the first player of Super Bowl LIII to take the ball into the paint. Who’s it going to be? As always, BetDSI has a nice little prop bet for your financial and entertainment purposes.
Which player will score the first touchdown of Super Bowl LIII?
Sonny Michel +400
Todd Gurley +450
Robert Woods +700
Brandin Cooks +700
James White +800
Rob Gronkowski +800
Julian Edelman +850
CJ Anderson +900
Rex Burkhead +1200
Chris Hogan +1800
Philip Dorsett +2200
Josh Reynolds +2200
Gerald Everett +2800
Tyler Higbee +2800
Cordarrelle Patterson +3000
Patriots Defense or Special Teams +3300
Rams Defense or Special Teams +3300
James Develin +3800
Tom Brady +5000
Jared Goff +5000
Khadarel Hodge +5000
No Touchdown Scored +7500
Related: Super Bowl Betting | Prop Betting Guide
First off, let’s go ahead and kill that last option right now. There’s no way these two teams, with their offensive firepower and playcallers, will make it through 60 minutes of Super Bowl LIII football and not score a touchdown. It could very well be a lower scoring affair than expected, like the Rams’ two playoff victories, but there’s going to be some end zone dancing in this one. So save your money there.
Sony Michel has scored five touchdowns in the playoffs and there’s plenty of reasons to toss your money his way. Todd Gurley didn’t do much in the NFC Championship except score a touchdown. How much will Bill Belichick’s defensive gameplan be focused on Gurley considering that? Gurely is a touchdown machine and regardless of what New England has planned, both he and Michel will likely hit the end zone at some point. You just have to decide which guy will make it first.
Here’s an interesting tidbit too. Both Belichick and Rams head coach Sean McVay like to defer the opening kick off. The idea, and it’s a sound one, is if you get a final possession in the second quarter and score, you can double up with a score on your first possession of the second half. A three or seven-point lead can turn into a two-score lead quickly. So neither of these teams, in spite of their offensive success, likes to start out with the ball.
Secondly, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn’t in love with anyone when it comes to playcalling other than Tom Brady. He could put any running back in there in the red zone at any time. So that makes Rex Burkhead especially an option and James White if the Pats have to convert a third down.
McVay too likes to use his new toy C.J. Anderson plenty, with Anderson’s size and ability to run through tackles especially dangerous inside the red zone. The Rams also look a lot at their tight end, Tyler Higbee, in the paint, especially on play action. He’s become way more of a factor in the offseason over the last two months.
Michel and Gurley are probably your best bets, but don’t be too shocked to see Higbee or Burkhead spike the ball first in Super Bowl LIII.
