NFL First TD Scorer:
Super Bowl LIX is almost here and there are a ton of different betting options to focus on. The focus here will be on the First Touchdown Scorer market, an article that I’ve done every week this season. This is a really popular bet for the Big Game. Bettors love the instant gratification wagers that don’t take a while to be decided and this is one that usually has a resolution pretty early.
The First Touchdown Tracker is updated for the full season and for the two teams that will participate in Super Bowl LIX, the Chiefs and the Eagles.
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One thing makes this game different, aside from the enormous stakes of being crowned the champion, is that sportsbooks offer a lot of bonuses and odds boosts, deposit and reload bonuses, and other ways to possibly stretch your hard-earned dollar farther. Keep an eye out for the boosted odds or match bets available on the TD Scorer markets and check the terms and conditions to see if they apply to First TD, Anytime TD, or any other variation of a TD prop.
From the First Touchdown Tracker, here are the two teams and their weekly results:
Kansas City Chiefs
| Week | Opponent | Position | Player | First of game? | TD scored on team opening drive of game? |
| Week 1 | BAL | WR | Xavier Worthy | NO | YES |
| Week 2 | CIN | WR | Rashee Rice | NO | NO |
| Week 3 | @ ATL | WR | Rashee Rice | NO | NO |
| Week 4 | @ LAC | WR | Xavier Worthy | NO | NO |
| Week 5 | NO | RB | Kareem Hunt | YES | YES |
| Week 6 | BYE | – | – | – | |
| Week 7 | @ SF | RB | Kareem Hunt | YES | NO |
| Week 8 | @ LV | RB | Kareem Hunt | YES | YES |
| Week 9 | TB | WR | DeAndre Hopkins | NO | NO |
| Week 10 | DEN | TE | Travis Kelce | NO | NO |
| Week 11 | @ BUF | WR | Xavier Worthy | NO | NO |
| Week 12 | @ CAR | TE | Noah Gray | YES | YES |
| Week 13 | LV | WR | Justin Watson | YES | NO |
| Week 14 | LAC | WR | DeAndre Hopkins | YES | NO |
| Week 15 | @ CLE | WR | JuJu Smith-Schuster | YES | NO |
| Week 16 | HOU | QB | Patrick Mahomes | YES | YES |
| Week 17 | @ PIT | WR | Xavier Worthy | YES | YES |
| Week 18 | @ DEN | NO TD | NO TD | NO | NO |
| Divisional | HOU | RB | Kareem Hunt | YES | NO |
| Conf Champ | BUF | RB | Kareem Hunt | YES | YES |
| Totals: | WR (10), RB (5), TE (2), QB (1), No TD (1) | Hunt (5), Worthy (4), Rice (2), Hopkins (2), Kelce (1), Gray (1), Watson (1), Smith-Schuster (1), Mahomes (1), No TD (1) | 11/19 (57.9%) | 7/19 (36.8%) |
Philadelphia Eagles
| Week | Opponent | Position | Player | First of game? | TD scored on team opening drive of game? |
| Week 1 | GB | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | NO |
| Week 2 | ATL | WR | DeVonta Smith | YES | NO |
| Week 3 | @ NO | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | NO |
| Week 4 | @ TB | WR | Parris Campbell | NO | NO |
| Week 5 | BYE | – | – | – | |
| Week 6 | CLE | WR | A.J. Brown | YES | NO |
| Week 7 | @ NYG | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | NO |
| Week 8 | @ CIN | QB | Jalen Hurts | NO | NO |
| Week 9 | JAX | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | NO |
| Week 10 | @ DAL | QB | Jalen Hurts | YES | NO |
| Week 11 | WAS | QB | Jalen Hurts | NO | NO |
| Week 12 | @ LAR | WR | A.J. Brown | NO | NO |
| Week 13 | @ BAL | TE | Dallas Goedert | NO | NO |
| Week 14 | CAR | QB | Jalen Hurts | YES | NO |
| Week 15 | PIT | WR | A.J. Brown | YES | NO |
| Week 16 | @ WAS | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | YES |
| Week 17 | DAL | D/ST | C.J. Gardner-Johnson | YES | NO |
| Week 18 | NYG | WR | Ainias Smith | YES | YES |
| Wild Card | GB | WR | Jahan Dotson | YES | YES |
| Divisional | LAR | QB | Jalen Hurts | YES | YES |
| Conf Champ | WAS | RB | Saquon Barkley | YES | YES |
| Totals: | WR (7), RB (6), QB (5), TE (1), D/ST (1) | Barkley (6), Hurts (5), Brown (3), D. Smith (1), Campbell (1), Goedert (1), A. Smith (1), Dotson (1), D/ST (1) | 15/20 (75%) | 5/20 (25%) |
As you can see, both teams have had tremendous success scoring the first touchdown in recent weeks. And, in the case of the Eagles, they’ve also scored on their first offensive possession in all three playoff games. Philadelphia actually ranks second in First TD% behind the Ravens. The Chiefs are tied for 10th with one fewer game played.
Marques Valdez-Scantling had the first TD for the Chiefs last season, but the 49ers scored first. Jalen Hurts had the first TD the last time these two teams played in Super Bowl LVII.
Here’s a look at all 58 previous Super Bowls, the first TD, if it was the first score of the game, and if the team that scored the first TD won:
| Super Bowl | Game’s first TD | Opening drive? | First score of game? | Winning team? |
| LVIII Chiefs def. 49ers | Christian McCaffrey | NO | NO | NO |
| LVII: Chiefs def. Eagles | Jalen Hurts | YES | YES | NO |
| LVI: Rams def. Bengals | Odell Beckham Jr. | NO | YES | YES |
| LV: Buccaneers def. Chiefs | Rob Gronkowski | NO | NO | YES |
| LIV: Chiefs def. 49ers | Patrick Mahomes | NO | NO | YES |
| LIII: Patriots def. Rams | Sony Michel | NO | NO | YES |
| LII: Eagles def. Patriots | Alshon Jeffery | NO | NO | YES |
| LI: Patriots def. Falcons | Devonta Freeman | NO | YES | NO |
| 50: Broncos def. Panthers | Malik Jackson (Broncos D/ST) | NO | NO | YES |
| XLIX: Patriots def. Seahawks | Brandon LaFell | NO | YES | YES |
| XLVIII: Seahawks def. Broncos | Marshawn Lynch | NO | NO | YES |
| XLVII: Ravens def. 49ers | Anquan Boldin | NO | YES | YES |
| XLVI: Giants def. Patriots | Victor Cruz | NO | NO | YES |
| XLV: Packers def. Steelers | Jordy Nelson | NO | YES | YES |
| XLIV: Saints def. Colts | Pierre Garcon | NO | NO | NO |
| XLIII: Steelers def. Cardinals | Gary Russell | NO | NO | YES |
| XLII: Giants def. Patriots | Laurence Maroney | NO | NO | NO |
| XLI: Colts def. Bears | Devin Hester | YES | YES | NO |
| XL: Steelers def. Seahawks | Ben Roethlisberger | NO | NO | YES |
| XXXIX: Patriots def. Eagles | L.J. Smith | NO | YES | NO |
| XXXVIII: Patriots def. Panthers | Deion Branch | NO | YES | YES |
| XXXVII: Buccaneers def. Raiders | Mike Alstott | NO | NO | YES |
| XXXVI: Patriots def. Rams | Ty Law (Patriots D/ST) | NO | NO | YES |
| XXXV: Ravens def. Giants | Brandon Stokley | NO | YES | YES |
| XXXIV: Rams def. Titans | Torry Holt | NO | NO | YES |
| XXXIII: Broncos def. Falcons | Howard Griffith | NO | NO | YES |
| XXXII: Broncos def. Packers | Antonio Freeman | YES | YES | NO |
| XXXI: Packers def. Patriots | Andre Rison | NO | YES | YES |
| XXX: Cowboys def. Steelers | Jay Novacek | NO | NO | YES |
| XXIX: 49ers def. Chargers | Jerry Rice | YES | YES | YES |
| XXVIII: Cowboys def. Bills | Thurman Thomas | NO | NO | NO |
| XXVII: Cowboys def. Bills | Thurman Thomas | NO | YES | NO |
| XXVI: Redskins def. Bills | Earnest Byner | NO | NO | YES |
| XXV: Giants def. Bills | Don Smith | NO | NO | NO |
| XXIV: 49ers def. Broncos | Jerry Rice | NO | YES | YES |
| XXIII: 49ers def. Bengals | Stanford Jennings (Bengals D/ST) | NO | NO | NO |
| XXII: Redskins def. Broncos | Ricky Nattiel | NO | YES | NO |
| XXI: Giants def. Broncos | Zeke Mowatt | NO | NO | YES |
| XX: Bears def. Patriots | Matt Suhey | NO | NO | YES |
| XIX: 49ers def. Dolphins | Carl Monroe | NO | NO | YES |
| XVIII: Raiders def. Redskins | Derrick Jensen (Raiders D/ST) | NO | NO | YES |
| XVII: Redskins def. Dolphins | Jimmy Cefalo | NO | YES | NO |
| XVI: 49ers def. Bengals | Joe Montana | NO | YES | YES |
| XV: Raiders def. Eagles | Cliff Branch | NO | YES | YES |
| XIV: Steelers def. Rams | Cullen Bryant | NO | NO | NO |
| XIII: Steelers def. Cowboys | John Stallworth | NO | YES | YES |
| XII: Cowboys def. Broncos | Tony Dorsett | NO | YES | YES |
| XI: Raiders def. Vikings | Dave Casper | NO | NO | YES |
| X: Steelers def. Cowboys | Drew Pearson | NO | YES | NO |
| IX: Steelers def. Vikings | Franco Harris | NO | NO | YES |
| VIII: Dolphins def. Vikings | Larry Csonka | YES | YES | YES |
| VII: Dolphins def. Redskins | Howard Tilley | NO | YES | YES |
| VI: Cowboys def. Dolphins | Lance Alworth | NO | NO | YES |
| V: Colts def. Cowboys | John Mackey | NO | NO | YES |
| IV: Chiefs def. Vikings | Mike Garrett | NO | NO | YES |
| III: Jets def. Colts | Matt Snell | NO | YES | YES |
| II: Packers def. Raiders | Boyd Dowler | NO | NO | YES |
| I: Packers def. Chiefs | Max McGee | NO | YES | YES |
| YES-NO: 5-53 | YES-NO: 26-32 | YES-NO: 42-16 |
Thanks to Executive Producer Stephanie Kamerschak tracking that all down doing this Tracker and article the last two seasons.
Let’s get to Super Bowl LIX action. I’ll be using DraftKings odds because they’re widely available, but SHOP AROUND for the best prices. Sportsbooks are all over the place on the FTD market, and the onus is on you to get as much bang for your buck as possible.
Super Bowl Schedule and FTD Rates from 2024
Chiefs (57.9%) vs. Eagles (75%) – Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET
Remember, while the purpose of this article is ultimately to try and pick the first TD scorer, this type of intel can help with first quarter and first half betting, plus live betting, so don’t be afraid to use it in that context.
Super Bowl LIX First Touchdown Predictions
Lines current at time of publish
Remember – these are first TD odds for the game; you can also use all of the info in this weekly article to bet first team TD at your preferred sportsbook as well.
Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkley +450
The price on Barkley is about as good as we’ve seen in a while, not a surprise given that the Eagles are in a rare underdog role and there are a lot of other options. Barkley led the Eagles with six first team touchdowns and all six of them were the first TD of the game.
Dallas Goedert +2000
It has been talked about a lot, but the Chiefs struggle to cover tight ends. They allowed 1,191 yards on 106 receptions to tight ends during the regular season. That was the most yards in the NFL by 67 over the Buccaneers and 106 catches ranked second behind the Bengals. Goedert has been a big factor this postseason, racking up 15 catches on 18 targets. He does only have one touchdown, but Jalen Hurts is using him a lot. Hurts, by the way, is another option, but he’s priced around +600.
Kansas City Chiefs
Travis Kelce +1000
The Eagles, conversely, did a masterful job defending TE during the season, allowing the third-fewest catches with 68 and fewest yards with 591. That being said, Kelce has 12 targets and nine receptions for the Chiefs in two playoff games and one of their two receiving TDs. Kelce had the first Chiefs TD twice in three playoff games last season and is obviously a trusted weapon for Mahomes in every way.
Xavier Worthy +1100
I know that the Chiefs like to use Kareem Hunt in short-yardage situations and he’s scooped some touchdowns as a result, but the Eagles only allowed five touchdowns total to running backs during the regular season. All five were on the ground. Running backs had zero receiving TD against them. Josh Jacobs had a rushing TD in the Wild Card Round, but no RB has one in the other two games.
So, I’m not enamored with looking at Hunt. I’d rather look at Worthy, who leads the Chiefs with 13 targets this postseason and has the other KC receiving TD. Worthy has also hauled in 11 of those 13 targets, so Andy Reid and Matt Nagy have scripted him open for some easy pitch-and-catch or he’s been able to haul in rare contested passes.
Again, look for some boosts or possible ways of adding to your potential profit on these. You can and should also adjust your bet sizing on these and other longer shot props given the odds.
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed the First TD Scorer articles and the First Touchdown Scorer Tracker throughout the course of the season. Good luck with Super Bowl LIX!
