Scoring came early and often in Sunday’s early 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.
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
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
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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.
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.
