Last week, the Minnesota Vikings failed to score a touchdown in their 3-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. This week, with a total above 40 points, oddsmakers are expecting at least some points in the Vikings vs. Cincinnati Bengals game. But who are the best touchdown scorer bets for this game? Let’s dive into our favorite anytime touchdown picks.
Vikings vs. Bengals Touchdown Scorer Bets
Ty Chandler (+175 at FanDuel)
Ben Rolfe: Ty Chandler will be the lead back for the Vikings this week in their Week 15 matchup after Alexander Mattison was ruled out. There is a very real chance that Chandler could see 20-25 touches this week with no obvious backup to take reps away from him and the Vikings are still in the midst of the playoff hunt.
The Bengals did a good job shutting down the running game last week but have been vulnerable to backs in recent weeks. Over the past four games, Cincinnati has allowed four rushing touchdowns and 334 yards to opposing backs. These are nice odds for a lead back facing a team averaging a touchdown allowed per game in recent weeks.
T.J. Hockenson (+220 at FanDuel)
Brian Blewis: T.J. Hockenson only scored two touchdowns with Joshua Dobbs as their starting quarterback, but he should see an uptick in production with Nick Mullens now under center.
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In 11 games with Mullens, George Kittle had four touchdowns and absolutely dominated the target share. I’m expecting similar production from Hockenson, and he’s going against a Bengals defense that has allowed the fourth-most touchdowns to tight ends this season.
Chase Brown (+440 at ESPN Bet)
Kyle Soppe: There’s no denying the juice that Chase Brown has (166 touches on his 20 touches over the past two weeks). It’s the type of skill set I want to target against the fourth-best per-carry run defense in the league.
The slow-grind that is Joe Mixon doesn’t play great in a spot like this. The short pass game could well supplement the traditional ground game, and if that’s the case, Brown could find himself in space with blockers out in front.
The odds are what they are due to his limited role near the goal line, which is a fair concern. But with Cincy clearly looking to take advantage of his upside, I think he could keep rolling in this spot!
David Bearman: You gotta love what we’ve seen so far from Brown, who has burst onto the scene at just the right time to help save the Bengals’ season after they lost QB Joe Burrow. The rookie has big-play potential, already taking a swing pass to the house.
The Bengals, with a backup QB, should continue to integrate Brown into the game plan, which could also lead to his first rushing TD.
C.J. Ham (+2800 at FanDuel)
Jason Katz: I also like Chandler at +165, but let’s swing for the fences here. These are the types of odds we expect to see on a first touchdown for a player who rarely scores.
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With Mattison out, Chandler is going to start and should see the lion’s share of the touches. I expect him to also be the goal-line back.
However, we’ve seen the Vikings use C.J. Ham in short yardage before. If they get inside the 2-yard line, there’s at least a chance they go to Ham. At these odds, I’m willing to put a small sprinkle on him to score.
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