Best First Touchdown Scorer Bets for NFL Conference Championship Games (2026)

Placing first touchdown scorer bets is one of the most fun ways to kick off a game. Before we get into my picks for the NFL Conference Championship Games, it's important to note that first TD scorer predictions are a high-risk, high-reward option. They are best in small, responsible wagers. It's hard enough to figure out who scores over a full game – predicting the first TD is even more volatile.  

With that out of the way, let's get into my first touchdown scorer predictions for the AFC and NFC Championship. 

Best DraftKings First Touchdown Scorer Bets: AFC Championship

DraftKings Sportsbook provides all odds in this section. Use a DraftKings promo code to maximize your player props. 

Hunter Henry First Touchdown Scorer: +1000

Both of the New England Patriots' first playoff touchdowns have been passing TDs. If you think that trend continues, Hunter Henry is the best value among all Pats' pass-catchers. Henry was on the receiving end of the Pats' first TD in the Wild Card Round, catching a 28-yard strike from Drake Maye. 

The matchup with the Denver Broncos' dominant defense doesn't scare me. It actually sets up nicely for Henry. The Broncos surrendered the seventh-fewest passing yards this season (3,182). But tight ends accounted for 1,015 of those yards, which was the ninth most in the NFL. The Broncos' CBs have a matchup advantage on the Patriots' WRs. That could funnel targets to TEs. 

Take this with a grain of salt, but when Henry finds the end zone, it tends to come early. Henry has scored in seven of his 19 appearances this season. He has accounted for the Patriots' first TD in five of those seven games and been the overall first TD scorer once (in the Wild Card Round). 

⭐️ TLDR – Why Hunter Henry is my First TD Scorer Prediction: 

• ✅ When Henry scores, he tends to do it early, scoring the Pats' first TD five times 
• ✅ Denver has been much better at containing WRs than TEs this season
• ✅ Drake Maye is a TD machine – and Henry leads all Pats with seven receiving TDs

Rhamondre Stevenson First Touchdown Scorer: +600 

I have no idea what to make of the Jarrett Stidham-led Broncos. So I'll double-down on the Patriots instead. Rhamondre Stevenson has been on fire in his last seven appearances, including two playoff games. He has six touchdowns in that span – way up from the three TDs he had over his first nine. 

As mentioned above, I'm not overly concerned about a matchup with the Broncos. Their defense has fallen off in the second half of the season. The Broncos' run D had the 14th-best EPA per play from Week 11-17. That's a steep decline from the first 10 games of the year, when they ranked eighth in that same metric. They didn't put those concerns to rest in their playoff debut, as James Cook ran all over them, putting up 117 yards on 24 carries. 

Stevenson is not the All-Pro RB that Cook is, but he's red-hot and has shined in an increased role. If New England opens with a run-heavy script, Stevenson is the best bet to find the end zone. At 6-to-1 odds, he's a great flyer. 

⭐️ TLDR – Why Rhamondre Stevenson is my First TD Scorer Prediction: 

• ✅ Broncos run defense declined in the second half of the year
• ✅ Rhamondre Stevenson has six TDs in his last seven games 
• ✅ Stevenson has seen an increased role as both a receiver and rusher recently 

Best DraftKings First Touchdown Scorer Bets: NFC Championship

DraftKings Sportsbook provides all odds in this section. Use a DraftKings promo code to maximize your player props. 

Kenneth Walker First Touchdown Scorer: +425 

Betting the player with the best odds to score the first TD might not be the sharpest play. Generally, you want to shoot for a bigger payout with such a high-risk bet. Even so, I think Walker offers the best value in this game. 

Walker's usage has been frustratingly inconsistent this season. Despite being the clear-cut most talented RB in Seattle, the Seahawks stuck him in a 50/50 timeshare with Zach Charbonnet for most of the year. But Charbonnet went down with a torn ACL last week. Walker wasted no time capitalizing. He scored three touchdowns – all three came after Charbonnet was sidelined.

Walker is almost certainly going to be the primary ball-carrier early and in the red zone on Sunday. If the Seahawks get in scoring range early, Walker is Seattle's best bet to finish the drive. That's not something we could've said when Charbonnet was healthy. Charbonnet dominated Seattle's red-zone work this season – a role Walker now inherits.

The absence of Charbonnet should open up a ton of opportunities for K9. But even with a healthy Charbonnet, Walker was starting to break out at the end of the year. He put up at least 97 rushing yards in three of his last four games – something he did just once in his 14 prior outings. 

Simply put, Walker is the most expensive value on the board for good reason. 

⭐️ TLDR – Why Kenneth Walker is my First TD Scorer Prediction: 

• ✅ Zach Charbonnet is out for the year with a torn ACL
• ✅ Kenneth Walker scored three TDs last week – all after Charbonnet left the game
• ✅ Even before Charbonnet went down, Walker was breaking out over his last four games

Rashid Shaheed First Touchdown Scorer: +2000 

Again, with first TD scorer bets, you generally want to shoot for high payouts. Of all the long-shot options, Rashid Shaheed is my favorite of the bunch. 

Shaheed opened up last weeks' game with an electric 95-yard kickoff return. Lightning doesn't strike twice, and it usually doesn't strike in back-to-back weeks. But I love the value of Rashid Shaheed at +2000. He also took a punt to the house against the Rams' shaky special-teams unit back in Week 16. 

His involvement lack of consistent involvement on offense is likely why this number is so high. Shahid hasn't drawn more than two targets with the Seahawks in any of his last four games. But he has been mixing in as a rusher pretty consistently, seeing at least one carry in seven of his 10 appearances since being traded to the Seahawks. With Charbonnet out, he could get a couple extra looks as a runner. 

Shaheed is nothing more than a long-shot play, but he's one of the most explosive athletes on the Seahawks. I think he's a good flyer at a 20-to-1 odds. 

⭐️ TLDR – Why Rashid Shaheed is my First TD Scorer Prediction: 

• ✅ Dynamic threat in as a returner – could house a kick or punt early 
• ✅ Consistent involvement as a rusher – could get extra looks with Charbonnet injured
• ✅ Great long-shot value at +2000 – at least double the potential payout of all my other picks 

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Where to Bet on First TD Odds in NFL Playoffs

Below, I've listed the top sportsbooks that offer first touchdown markets on these games. I've also included their welcome offers, so you can kickstart your account with some bonus bets.