Super Bowl 1st TD odds: If healthy, Tevin Coleman is a steal
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All the comical prop bets will headline Super Bowl Sunday: Over or under 40.5 grams of carbs in Jennifer Lopez's pre-show meal? Will Joe Buck talk about the Astros scandal? WHAT COLOR GATORADE IS IN THE DAMN COOLER? You can wager on just about anything.
The first touchdown scorer of the game is a more traditional bet, and Circa Sports went the extra mile, releasing 90 - yes, 90 - players with odds for next Sunday.
Although there's nothing really predictive about who will be the first to cross the goal line, we're going to give it a whirl. Here's a rundown of skill players featuring those with less than 100-1 odds.
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| RB Raheem Mostert | SF | 11-2 |
| RB Damien Williams | KC | 11-2 |
| TE Travis Kelce | KC | 9-1 |
| TE George Kittle | SF | 9-1 |
| WR Tyreek Hill | KC | 10-1 |
| WR Deebo Samuel | SF | 11-1 |
| WR Sammy Watkins | KC | 16-1 |
| WR Emmanuel Sanders | SF | 17-1 |
| RB Tevin Coleman | SF | 20-1 |
| QB Patrick Mahomes | KC | 20-1 |
| WR Kendrick Bourne | SF | 20-1 |
| RB Matt Breida | SF | 22-1 |
| WR Mecole Hardman | KC | 22-1 |
| WR Demarcus Robinson | KC | 22-1 |
| RB Darwin Thompson | KC | 35-1 |
| FB Kyle Juszczyk | SF | 35-1 |
| QB Jimmy Garoppolo | SF | 45-1 |
| TE Blake Bell | KC | 50-1 |
| FB Anthony Sherman | KC | 60-1 |
| TE Ross Dwelley | SF | 60-1 |
| WR Richie James | SF | 75-1 |
Let's throw some darts!
Fade
Raheem Mostert (9-2)
Mostert went off last weekend. After fellow running back Tevin Coleman went down with a dislocated shoulder, Mostert rushed 29 times for 220 yards and four touchdowns.
If you're looking for a way to cap the first touchdown scorer, lean toward who's getting the ball around the goal line, right? Well, Mostert only received nine red-zone carries during the regular season, then he benefited from Coleman's absence last weekend. Look elsewhere.
Patrick Mahomes (20-1)
I took Aaron Rodgers over 13.5 rushing yards last week against the 49ers, and I finished with more yards. I'm now convinced there's an invisible force field at the line of scrimmage prohibiting quarterbacks from getting past the Niners. Or maybe San Francisco's defense is just that good. I wouldn't rule out either of those possibilities.
Mahomes made an impact with his legs last weekend against the Titans, slicing up Tennessee for 53 yards and a touchdown. Perhaps it's recency bias, but this price feels way off. San Francisco's defense allowed quarterbacks to score only three regular-season rushing touchdowns, and Mahomes has notched just three in 18 games this campaign. I'd pass.
Best bets
Tevin Coleman (22-1)
The coaching staff sounds optimistic about Coleman playing, which makes this bet automatic.
He was given 26 rushing attempts inside the 20-yard line - 10 more than the next-leading 49er - and was third on the team in red-zone targets during the regular season. I simply think there's too much value here.
Travis Kelce (9-1)
Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman don't know how to score on a play that doesn't resemble "Da Bomb" from "NFL Blitz 2000." Then there's Sammy Watkins, who was given a whopping six red-zone targets during the regular season, and I don't like Mahomes at his price.
By process of elimination with the Chiefs, we're left with Kelce, who tops the team in red-zone targets and faces a defense that's allowed seven receptions per game to tight ends over its last four contests.
Plus, he's probably thought of a sweet touchdown celebration. That has to count for something.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.