Scoring came early and often in Sunday’s NFL slate, creating many successful betting angles.
There were 61 touchdowns recorded in the NFL’s first set of Sunday contests, highlighted by 14 end zone trips combined in Bears-Panthers, giving the eight-game window an average of 7.6 touchdowns. Last year, there were 4.4 touchdowns per game in all of Week 1.
Many of these scores came from high-profile players, setting up liabilities for sports betting operators in the anytime touchdown market. The point total soared over in six of the eight early games on Sunday.
"The first NFL Sunday of the season was a champagne-popping day for bettors, while the book was left cleaning up the corks," Caesars' head of football Joey Feazel said prior to the Sunday night game.
Caesars Sportsbook reported that Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson were among the top five most-bet players to reach the end zone, and all of them cashed tickets.
The five most bet players to score today:
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) September 13, 2026
• Jahmy Gibbs
• Derrick Henry
• James Cook
• Jonathon Taylor
• Bijan Robinson
4 of them have already scored 🤑 pic.twitter.com/NcAJKnvtae
In fact, eight of the 10 most popular anytime touchdown selections at Caesars cashed for bettors.
"There was a time when the book only had to sweat the six main markets. With the evolution of the product and increased market depth, anytime touchdown scorers are now firmly front and center," Feazel said. "Given the popularity, the liabilities can pile up fast."
Big-name scorers
At BetMGM, Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (+100) was the most-bet anytime touchdown scorer by tickets, and he found the end zone twice in Detroit’s thrilling 31-30 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints.
Henry (-185) and Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+110) were also among early TD scorers in BetMGM’s top five picks in the market. Gibbs was the most-bet first touchdown scorer, and he cashed those tickets in the first quarter with odds of +230.
Gibbs and St. Brown scored two touchdowns each. Houston’s David Montgomery scored three touchdowns in his Texans debut.
The Superstars are scoring in Week 1:
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) September 13, 2026
Jahymr Gibbs TD ✅
Jonathon Taylor TD ✅
Bijan Robinson TD ✅
Jonathon Taylor TD ✅
Josh Allen TD ✅ pic.twitter.com/nP8l8E6FGt
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Two big ones
Bears-Panthers over 47 was BetMGM’s third most-bet total by tickets. That game easily surpassed the betting line before halftime, as Chicago won 59-37. Over 50% of the bets and 63% of the handle were on the over at BetMGM on Sunday morning.
Bears duo D’Andre Swift and Caleb Williams scored multiple touchdowns each in the victory, while Panthers rusher Chuba Hubbard and wideout Jalen Coker both scored twice in the loss. Quarterback Bryce Young also found the end zone for Carolina.
59 points for the @ChicagoBears!
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
CHIvsCAR on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8ZOJUfZf91
The majority of the tickets and money were on the over in Saints-Lions, which got there after New Orleans rallied from a 21-0 deficit and tied the game 24-all at the end of regulation. The game surpassed 50.5 on St. Brown’s OT touchdown catch.
When all was said and done, seven favorites were victorious and six games went over the total in the early window.
"Favorites, overs, and touchdown scorers combined to create a bettor-friendly trifecta on opening Sunday," Feazel said.
Unexpected fireworks show
BetMGM customers, though, were not expecting the kind of fireworks the early games provided. While Browns-Jaguars, Bucs-Bengals, and Bills-Texans also all went over the point total, the majority of bets and handle favored the under in those games.
The ticket percentage favored under 48 in Ravens-Colts, but 56% of the money was on the over in Baltimore’s 41-23 win.
Bills-Texans under 44.5 was getting 68% of the bets and 71% of the money, but the two teams combined for nine touchdowns in Buffalo’s 36-31 victory. Bucs-Bengals under 50.5 saw 80% of the handle, but eight touchdowns were scored as Cincinnati held on for a 33-27 win.
The most-bet total of the week at BetMGM was Jets-Titans under 38.5, which received 71% of the money and landed easily in New York’s 23-10 victory.
The only negative for bettors was the Los Angeles Chargers' upset loss to the Arizona Cardinals as a heavy favorite.
