NFL First Touchdown Props Week 17: Barkley Breaks the Plane vs Cowboys

First TD prop bet #1: Saquon Barkley

Best odds: +230 at DraftKings

At +230 odds, it has to be said that you aren’t getting great value on Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley opening the scoring against the Dallas Cowboys but it’s hard to go elsewhere in this divisional clash.

The Eagles are favorites by over a touchdown and should score first. Jalen Hurts being out does two things. One, Saquon is less likely to be vultured in the red zone, something we’ve seen a lot from Hurts this season. Two, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith’s chances of scoring first are downgraded thanks to having Kenny Pickett at QB.

As for Barkley himself, he’s chasing Eric Dickerson’s rushing yards record and the team will likely give him plenty of carries to beat that record, and it's especially true without Hurts in the lineup.

He’s been deadly this season, scoring 15 times, and it really could have been more given that Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns himself. The odds are low but Barkley really should open the scoring here.

First TD prop bet #2: Jonathan Taylor

Best odds: +340 at FanDuel

Another game with a heavy favorite is the Indianapolis Colts' trip to MetLife to face the New York Giants. The Giants have been getting destroyed and are struggling on offense.

The Colts are hopeful Anthony Richardson plays despite having not practiced this week. If he does play, it’s hard to imagine him rushing too much, especially after getting re-injured last week.

That opens up Jonathan Taylor to open the scoring, especially with Richardson’s inaccuracy. The 25-year-old running back is hot after a strong 218-yard rushing day against the Titans, scoring three times. Bijan Robinson rushed for a TD twice against the Giants last week and we can expect a similar big day for Taylor.

First TD prop bet #3: Bucky Irving

Best odds: +450 at bet365

We’re taking a third running back to open the scoring with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Bucky Irving facing the Carolina Panthers. This is a must-win game for the Bucs, while the Panthers are playing for nothing but pride at this point. Not only that, but there’s a real difference in quality between the teams with the Bucs listed as eight-point favorites.

Irving got back to scoring ways last week and has four touchdowns in his past six games. He’s the best runner on the Bucs’ offense and heavily out-snapped Rachaad White and Sean Tucker last week. The Panthers have given up the third-most touchdowns to running backs this season with 19 in 16 games.