The last time the Cleveland Browns and Houston Texans played each other in Week 16, they combined to score 58 total points, and C.J. Stroud wasn’t even playing. In this Browns vs. Texans Wild Card matchup, will we see both offenses put up a ton of points again, and if so, who are the best touchdown scorer bets?
Browns vs. Texans Best Touchdown Scorer Bets
Nico Collins (+155 at ESPN BET)
Blewis: Nico Collins not only is a red zone threat, with the highest target share inside the 20-yard line of any Texans pass catcher, but he also has big-play ability. His 14 receptions of 20+ yards were tied for the seventh-most of any player in the NFL this season.
The Texans are also playing at home, where C.J. Stroud has thrown 17 of his 23 TD passes this past season. He will be going up against a Browns defense that is a different unit away from Cleveland and has injuries in the secondary.
Jerome Ford (+160 at ESPN BET) and Kareem Hunt (+215 at ESPN BET)
Ben Rolfe: The numbers for this game in terms of touchdowns are really tough to judge, as there are no screaming weaknesses that make sense to target. Instead, let’s look back at what happened in Week 16 when the Browns faced the Texans in Houston. In that game, the Browns scored 36 points, with both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt finding the end zone.
MORE: NFL Wild Card Round Predictions and Picks Against the Spread
That is a somewhat fascinating situation because the Texans only allowed 13 total touchdowns to RBs this season, and more than 15% of those were by the Browns in that one game. I am not entirely convinced that we see both score again, but with the odds here, you can hedge and still come out in profit either way.
Kareem Hunt (+215 at ESPN BET)
Blewis: I’m with Ben on Kareem Hunt, and I can’t believe the value at ESPN BET. Hunt scored nine touchdowns this season and dominated the share of carries between him and Ford in the red zone:
- Carries inside the 20-yard line: Hunt 32, Ford 16
- Carries inside the 10-yard line: Hunt 15, Ford 10
- Carries inside the 5-yard line: Hunt 11, Ford 4
Considering the difference in usage in the red zone, it’s surprising to see Ford have such shorter odds than Hunt. Ford has more big-play ability, but neither running back is particularly explosive.
The value at ESPN BET is too good to pass up, considering that as of this writing, Hunt’s anytime touchdown odds are +165 at FanDuel and +155 at DraftKings.
Elijah Moore (+370 at FanDuel)
Soppe: Could there be some hidden value here? We expect the Browns to go with an aerial script given that they rank second in pass rate over expectation since Joe Flacco took the reins, and guess who leads the way in end zone targets from the veteran QB this season?
That’s right: Elijah Moore (five in four games).
Of course, targets in scoring position don’t guarantee a touchdown, but with Flacco being 6-0 ATS for his career in postseason openers, we are getting a threat near the goal line for a team that we expect to win in a weather-proof game.
What more could you realistically ask for?
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