While gamblers took a hit wagering on teams in NFL Week 10, some bettors enjoyed a couple of highlights by backing little-known players to score the first touchdowns of their games. This prop bet has proven to be quite lucrative over the season and was especially profitable on Sunday.
The player who paid off the biggest was Carolina Panthers tight end, Colin Thompson. The third-stringer grabbed a seven-yard TD pass from Teddy Bridgewater with 8:19 remaining in the first quarter.
Thompson was at 100/1 to score the first touchdown, and someone at DraftKings put down $15 on the prop. The bettor was rewarded with a $1,500 profit. He was probably the only person happier than Thompson, whose teammates mobbed the former XFL player after his first NFL catch.
From Street to End Zone
Running back Alex Collins was another player that came from nowhere to reward any bettor who wagered on him Sunday. The 26-year-old wasn’t on an NFL roster two weeks ago, but Seattle gave him a chance and signed the former Baltimore Raven to the practice squad.
On Sunday he was signed to the game roster because of injuries. He was rewarded with a 13-yard touchdown run against the Los Angeles Rams.
That score was worth 80/1. One gambler at PointsBet put down an unidentified amount of money on Collins, earning himself a nice payday.
Jones Shows His Wheels
A better-known player also had a nice payout on the first touchdown prop bet. New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was at 15/1 to have the first score in the Giants Philadelphia Eagles game.
Jones isn’t known for his legs, but showed off speed and moves in the 34-yard score. The Giants were 4.5-point underdogs to the Eagles, but won outright, 27-17 for a +200 moneyline pay off.
Allen Shows Good Hands
Another quarterback showed on Sunday that he’s a pretty good receiver. Buffalo signal-caller Josh Allen turned a trick play on Arizona, which is known for a deceptive play call or two of its own.
Allen has now scored touchdowns throwing, running, and catching the ball after receiving the 12-yard pass thrown by wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. The first score of the game also paid 10/1 odds.
Hail Mary Answered
Allen’s joy didn’t carry over to the end of the game, however. The Bills were a victim of a Hail Mary that gave Arizona a 32-30 victory over Buffalo.
The Bills were a three-point underdog and were poised to win outright before Kyler Murray heaved a bomb into the end zone, finding DeAndre Hopkins. The miracle catch was a bad beat for Bills backers.
From a Three to the Three
Teams often attempt fake field goals to try and get first downs and keep their drives alive. On Sunday, the Houston Texans did something different, using the fake FG formation to punt. It worked, as kicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn lined up for a 48-yard field goal, but instead, pooch punted the ball.
The Texans downed the ball at the Cleveland three-yard line. Houston still lost the game, however, 10-7.