Sports Betting

Chargers vs. Dolphins First Touchdown Scorer Picks: 3 Juicy Bets for Sunday Night Football

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Jack Dougherty
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Jack Dougherty Sports Editor

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies. When Jack isn't writing about sports, he's watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He's also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.  

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Updated11 Dec 2022

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Raheem Mostert runs the ball against the Browns.

It’s time for another edition of Sunday Night Football, and we’ve got a good one in Week 14 with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers welcoming Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins to town.

We should be in store for a high-flying battle with a ton of points on Sunday night, so let’s try to nail a first touchdown scorer bet to make it even more fun.

Jaylen Waddle +1000

Jaylen Waddle’s touchdowns seem to come in bunches this season. The speedy wide receiver scored three TDs in the first two games of the season and three more between Week 8 and Week 9. In his other eight starts of the season, though, Waddle didn’t find the end zone once.

After three straight scoreless games, the Alabama product is due to score a touchdown in what should be a high-scoring game on Sunday Night Football. I’ll take a chance that it comes early in the game.

Raheem Mostert +1100

Raheem Mostert runs the ball against the Browns.
Raheem Mostert of the Miami Dolphins rushes with the ball against the Cleveland Browns | Megan Briggs/Getty Images

This price doesn’t make much sense to me. Raheem Mostert played 61% of Miami’s offensive snaps last week against the San Francisco 49ers and rushed for 30 yards on seven carries. Meanwhile, Jeff Wilson Jr. played just 37% of the team’s snaps and saw just one carry in the game.

Yet, Wilson is +900 to score the first touchdown on Sunday night and Mostert is +1100 (FanDuel). What am I missing here? Mostert seemed to steal the starting job back last week, and I think he’ll out-snap Wilson again in Week 14.

Josh Palmer +1700

RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa Contract: How Much Does the Dolphins QB Make and What Will the Next Tua Contract Look Like?

Josh Palmer has filled in admirably for the Chargers with Mike Williams and Keenan Allen hobbled by injuries throughout the season. The talented wideout is averaging 6.7 catches and 71.5 yards over his last six games, and he’s scored two touchdowns in that span.

Williams and Allen will both be active for Sunday Night Football, and that’s why Palmer’s price to score the first touchdown is so high. But I don’t see the Chargers shutting out Palmer in the passing game. Justin Herbert trusts him in the red zone and on third downs, so I’ll take a bite of the inflated price here.

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