Christian McCaffrey. Jalen Hurts. Odell Beckham Jr. Rob Gronkowski. Patrick Mahomes.
Those are the last five first touchdown scorers in the Super Bowl, which is annually one of the most popular props in the NFL title game.
Hurts scored on a 1-yard rush, via the Eagles’ patented “tush push,” to open the scoring in Philadelphia’s 38-35 loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl 57.
The Eagles quarterback recently sprinted 44 yards for a touchdown to open the scoring in Philadelphia’s 28-22 triumph over the Rams in the divisional playoffs.
In the NFC title game, running back Saquon Barkley broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage in their 55-23 win over Washington.
Not surprisingly, Barkley is the clear +475 favorite at Circa Sports to score the first touchdown in Super Bowl 59 on Sunday in New Orleans, and Hurts is the clear +650 second choice.
“You usually don’t see a team that’s got two guys as low as Philadelphia does,” Westgate SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said. “But the Eagles are a unique team where if Barkley’s not running in some long touchdown and the ball’s anywhere near the 1, we know what’s coming, and it just hasn’t been stopped.”
At Station Sports, Barkley leads the ticket count for first touchdown scorer with 22 percent of the market.
“We’re probably going to be rooting against Barkley scoring the first touchdown,” Red Rock Resort sportsbook director Chuck Esposito said. “The game script is such an important part. If they’re on the 1, you’ve got to think it’s the tush push and it’s going to be Hurts. If they’re outside the 2 or 3, you’ve got to make Barkley a huge favorite.
“He has the game-breaking ability to take it to the house from 90 at any point. But he’s going up against a really good defense, and the real key is if he will get the touches in the red zone.”
Barkley and Mahomes are the ticket leaders at BetMGM, where Barkley and Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt are the money leaders.
Mahomes’ history
Mahomes is 22-1 at MGM to score the first touchdown. The Kansas City quarterback scored on a 1-yard run to give the Chiefs a 7-3 lead over the 49ers en route to a 31-20 win in the 2020 Super Bowl. He didn’t score a touchdown against the Eagles in Super Bowl 57.
Hunt, the 9-1 third favorite at MGM, scored the first touchdown in both of Kansas City’s playoff games this year. He ran it in from 12 yards out to put the Chiefs up 7-0 in their 32-29 triumph over Buffalo in the AFC championship game. Hunt also scored on a 1-yard run to give Kansas City a 13-3 lead over Houston en route to a 23-14 victory in the divisional playoffs.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, the 10-1 fourth choice at MGM, is another popular pick to score the first touchdown. He scored Kansas City’s first touchdown in Super Bowl 57, when he caught an 18-yard pass from Mahomes on the Chiefs’ first drive to make it 7-7.
Kelce is the +435 second choice at Circa to be the player to score the Chiefs’ first touchdown. Hunt is the +425 favorite.
Barkley is the +177 favorite at Circa to score the Eagles’ first touchdown, and Hurts is +310.
Long shots
Chiefs wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is a popular value pick at Station, where he’s 25-1, and Philadelphia tight end Dallas Goedert is the largest liability at the Westgate, where he’s down to 14-1.
“For the most part, people try to bet a price,” Salmons said.
Circa has posted prices on 108 players to score the first touchdown.
No touchdown scored pays 230-1. Chiefs backup quarterback Carson Wentz is 1,000-1. Eagles long snapper Nick Lovato and Kansas City long snapper James Winchester are the longest shots on the board at 10,000-1.
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at [email protected]. Follow @tdewey33 on X.
Player to score first touchdown
At Circa Sports
Up to 90-1
Saquon Barkley +475
Jalen Hurts +650
Kareem Hunt +825
Travis Kelce 9-1
A.J. Brown +1,150
Xavier Worthy +1,250
Dallas Goedert +1,550
Isiah Pacheco +1,575
DeVonta Smith +1,675
Patrick Mahomes 18-1
Marquise Brown +1,950
JuJu Smith-Schuster 33-1
DeAndre Hopkins 35-1
Noah Gray 35-1
Justin Watson 60-1
Samaje Perine 60-1
Kenneth Gainwell 80-1
Will Shipley 80-1
Jahan Dotson 90-1
