Best anytime touchdown scorer bets for Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers in Week 9

A pair of wide receivers and a tight end comprise our top anytime touchdown bets for this NFC North matchup

It may only be the halfway point of the NFL season, but the Week 9 matchup between the Detroit Lions (6-1) and the Green Bay Packers (6-2) could have major playoff implications. These teams are both vying for the NFC North crown and potentially for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The NFC North is the only division with all four teams currently above .500 and it could be a race that comes down to the final week. The Packers have already lost one game in the division, as the Vikings beat them at Lambeau Field in Week 4. Losing two home games in such a competitive division could put the Packers in a hole they can’t climb out of.

To avoid that, they will need to beat a Lions team that is No. 1 in DVOA right now, and they might need to do it without franchise quarterback Jordan Love, who is questionable to play after suffering a groin injury last week. Love is still expected to play, but there is no telling whether that injury could limit him during the game or potentially force him to exit early and turn the ball over to backup Malik Willis.

While Willis has played well in Love’s absence this season, the uncertainty surrounding Love is part of the reason the Lions are 2.5-point road favorites against the spread. This game has one of the highest over/under totals in Week 9 with a line set at 48.5, which means there should be several good options for anytime touchdown prop bets. 

This article dives into the best anytime TD bets in this NFC North showdown. It includes the best betting odds for each pick after comparing odds from all of the best online sportsbooks. Of course, it’s always worth double-checking the odds across the industry before placing any bets.

Amon-Ra St. Brown (+135, FanDuel)

Forgive the pun, but the lion’s share of the touchdowns in the Lions’ offense goes to running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, who are tied for the team lead with seven scores a piece. Both players are good bets to score a touchdown in any particular game, but they typically don’t have the most favorable odds. This week, Montgomery is priced at -125 and Gibbs is at -115 at FanDuel.

The challenge with picking one of them is that it’s hard to know which one to pick in a given week. One of them has scored a touchdown in every game this season, and they have both scored in the same game in four out of seven games. Still, with low odds and the uncertainty over which player to pick, bettors can either try to guess right or simply look for other options.

Outside of those two talented backs, the next best option on the Lions is star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and there are good reasons to like St. Brown as the best anytime TD bet in this game. St. Brown is third on the team with five touchdowns and has a team-high 27.8% target share inside the red zone. He was also third with 10 TDs last season and had only a slightly higher target share at 30.8%. That is very consistent usage and red zone production.

St. Brown also should benefit from facing a banged-up Green Bay secondary. The Packers’ top cornerback Jaire Alexander is dealing with a knee injury and is questionable for this game. Starting safety Evan Williams is already ruled out, and reserve cornerback Corey Ballentine is also questionable. 

Green Bay has already allowed eight touchdowns to opposing wide receivers this season, tied for 9th-most in the league. St. Brown has caught touchdowns in five straight games, and with a good matchup in what is expected to be a high-scoring game, he is a good bet to make it six straight games this week. 

Sam LaPorta (+220, FanDuel)

After a slow start to his sophomore campaign, Sam LaPorta is starting to look like the elite tight end he was in his rookie season when he averaged 5.1 catches for 52.3 receiving yards per game and caught 10 touchdowns. LaPorta has caught two touchdowns in his last three games and had a season-high six catches on six targets last week.

LaPorta’s increased usage in the Detroit offense last week coincided with wide receiver Jameson Williams being out with a suspension. Williams’ increased role in the offense this year had been part of the reason for LaPorta’s declining production.

Last season, LaPorta was targeted on 28.2% of his routes when Williams was not on the field and just 19.8% of his routes when Williams was on the field. This season he has received targets on 25.9% of routes without Williams and just 12.4% with him. Williams remains out this week, and that trend is likely to continue.

This should also be a very good matchup for LaPorta. The Packers have allowed the fifth-most catches and the sixth-most receiving yards per game to opposing tight ends. They have already allowed eight touchdowns to the position, tied for eighth-most in the league. LaPorta had nine catches for 103 yards and a touchdown in two games against the Packers last season.

With an increasing role in the offense and a great matchup in a potentially high-scoring game, LaPorta is another good bet to find the end zone this week.

Jayden Reed (+160, FanDuel)

Picking the best TD scorer bet on the Packers is tricky for a few reasons. First, running back Josh Jacobs would normally be a good option, but he is dealing with an ankle injury sustained late in last week’s week game. While he should play this week, it’s hard to know whether he will be affected by that injury. 

The Lions are also a very tough matchup for Jacobs. Not only are they the fifth-best run defense overall (101.9 yards per game allowed), but they are especially good against zone runs. Jacobs has run a zone concept on 62.2% of his carries this year, and the Lions are allowing the fewest yards per carry and the lowest success rate in the league against zone runs.

When it comes to the passing offense, not only does Jordan Love’s injury create some uncertainty, but the Packers also spread the ball around more than almost any other team in the league. Five different pass catchers have multiple receiving touchdowns this season, and predicting which one will be the best target in a particular matchup is a difficult task.

In this game, the smart money is on Jayden Reed, mainly because he operates primarily out of the slot. The Lions have struggled against slot receivers this year, allowing the most receiving yards per game to the position. Reed has run 71% of his routes out of the slot this season, which is one of the main reasons to like his chances this week over the Packers’ other wide receivers who operate primarily on the outside. 

In the event that Malik Willis ends up playing, he has also shown some good rapport with Reed. The two connected for a 51-yard bomb late in last week’s game that led to the game-winning field goal. Reed has the most catches (7), targets (9), and receiving yards (110) from Willis this season. 

Reed has the shortest anytime TD odds of any Packers pass catcher this week, but his +160 odds at FanDuel still make for a very solid bet.