Panthers vs Saints, Steelers vs Browns Best Anytime TD Scorer Prop Bets: 3 Prop Picks to Bet for MNF
The NFL schedulemakers have lined up two games to cap Week 2 on Monday night. We’ll see divisional showdowns kicking off an hour apart.
Unfortunately, the NFL odds don’t expect a ton of scoring in these matchups, as both totals come in under 40 points. The weather should be great in both cities, so the low totals are a testament to the defenses that will take the field.
In the first kickoff, No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers will battle Derek Carr and the NFC South favorite New Orleans Saints.
The later kickoff will be in Pittsburgh when Kenny Pickett and the Steelers look to bounce back after an embarrassing Week 1 loss against a tough Cleveland Browns team. I’ll break down the NFL lines for these matchups and give my best NFL picks for these games here.
If it’s your first time reading the touchdown column, welcome aboard! You should know I will never shoot blindly and throw noodles at the wall to see if they stick just because a player’s odds are long to score. The research I’ve done will always back up the reasoning behind my anytime touchdown scorer picks.
I’ve narrowed the best options for anytime touchdown scorers for you here across Monday Night Football. Let’s get to the best anytime touchdown picks for the Carolina Panthers vs. New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns. Best of luck if you tail!
Panthers vs Saints Best Anytime TD Scorer Picks
- Jamaal Williams (NO) – +135
Jamaal Williams is about to have a big week
He dominated:
•snaps
•carries
•routesThe Titans were a brutal matchup last week, but now he gets one of the best
The Panthers just let up 130 yards, and 2 TDs to the Falcons
Both Bijan and Allgeier were over 5 YPC pic.twitter.com/HS0Y0aumDq
— Chris O’Brien (@17gamepace) September 15, 2023
If I were forced to pick one of these games with a lower total, it would easily be the battle in the NFC South. The Panthers had the second-slowest pace and rushed the ball a ton. On the other side, the Saints’ offense will look to move the ball quicker, but I expect the Panthers to try to slow down the pace once again for their rookie quarterback. I won’t be shocked if Jamaal Williams puts his stamp on this game early. I was shocked when I saw this at +135. I would NOT play this below +120, though.
The matchup isn’t perfect, but we can’t turn a blind eye to Williams’ usage. He had an elite 77% snap share in Week 1. The Panthers allowed the fourth-highest yards after contact per attempt and the second-highest yards per carry on gap runs.
Williams will have more than half of his carries on Monday night as gap runs. In Week 1, the Panthers allowed 3 touchdowns to Atlanta running backs. This isn’t exactly a difficult wager to make on your own but if you can ensure you get Williams at a good price like this, it’s a no-brainer here on Monday night!
- Michael Thomas (NO) +280
The Saints boast a trio of talented receivers and Michael Thomas led the bunch with an 80% snap share in Week 1. The veteran displayed a smooth connection with Derek Carr in Week 1, reeling in 5 of 8 targets. He finished behind Olave in targets, but he is the most physical receiver on the Saints.
The Panthers’ secondary will be without top corner Jaycee Horn but their strength comes in the fron -7. Thomas led Saints receivers with 3 red zone targets. I’m not convinced Carr will have time in the pocket to push the ball downfield to Olave and Shaheed. The Panthers defense allowed the third most catches to receivers a year ago. I think we get vintage Can’tGuardMike on Monday night.
Steelers vs Browns Best Anytime TD Scorer Picks
If the Steelers are going to score any points on Monday night, it’s not likely it will be from their receivers lighting it up. Not only does Kenny Pickett need to worry about the pass rush of Myles Garrett, but the Browns secondary has also been elite since the start of last season. Greg Newsome II and Denzel Ward are lockdown corners. I’m laying off the Steelers until we see some of the success we saw in the preseason.
- Elijah Moore (CLE) +375
Unfortunately for Steelers fans, I’m not expecting an immediate rebound performance here in Week 2 against a good Cleveland defense.
Even through the rain in Week 1, the Browns offense looked to throw the ball. They went empty set at the sixth-highest rate of any team in Week 1. Moore had an outstanding 87% route participation to go along with a 27% target share. He was second in first read share as well. He gets a solid matchup in the slot against Chandon Sullivan, who allowed a 78 percent catch rate last season.
Pittsburgh owned the highest QB pressure rate in Week 1, which leads me to believe Watson will get the ball out quickly to his speedy slot receiver. This has the makings of a smash spot for the Browns offense but with it being a divisional road game in primetime, I’m rolling with just the one Brown touchdown scorer.
Best Anytime TD Scorer Bets for MNF Week 2
- Jamaal Williams (NO) – +135
- Michael Thomas (NO) +280
- Elijah Moore (CLE) +375
