Weekend wagers: Nine bets to make including two college football props

“Anytime touchdown” proposition bets have taken over the NFL, and now they’re coming for college football.

Every sports book in town will probably have prices on players to score a touchdown next weekend when the NFL begins. At least three shops — BetMGM, Boyd Sports and Caesars/William Hill — have augmented those menus with extensive offerings for today’s Week 1 college football slate in the biggest games.

I already mentioned one anytime touchdown scorer to bet in a story from earlier in the week, USC receiver Zachariah Branch — he’s +110 at Caesars — and will add a couple more as the centerpiece of the final Weekend Wagers of the year.

Don’t worry; I’m not going anywhere with the betting column. This will just transition to the more NFL-centric Sunday Sweats next week where props like anytime touchdowns are commonplace.

Today’s pair of anytime touchdown bets should be good practice for what’s to come.

Read below to find them along with seven other bets, which are listed in order of game time. Odds are the best currently available in Las Vegas at publication time with the sports book noted. Plays outside of the column will be linked and tracked in the record at the bottom of the page.

Premier League (1-0, $200): Parlay — Manchester City and Barcelona (La Liga) to win on three-way market at -134 (BetMGM)

$268 to win $200

Apologies for what feels like the squarest play in the history of the Weekend Wagers column. But, hey, both these games have midmorning start times that fit better for the column and, most importantly, BetMGM has the price on both sides. Manchester City is only -250 against West Ham, while Barcelona is -400 against Valladolid. The two teams are as high as -300 and -425, respectively, at other sports books that are taking much larger weapons. You don’t have to be a soccer savant — I’m surely not — to realize that means there’s value here. Both teams should overwhelm their opponents. I’m not ignorant to the fact that moneyline parlays are an incredibly popular way to bet. Heck, they get their own section in the Sunday Sweats so it’s a perfect time to prepare with the first one of the year in this space.

Golf (8-11, $2,720): Keegan Bradley +115 head-to-head vs. Billy Horschel in third round of Tour Championship (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)

$200 to win $230

Bradley rolled through the penultimate round of the FedEx Cup playoffs to win the BMW Championship a week ago in Colorado. Now he’s a significant underdog to a player who’s had an up-and-down year and barely squeezed into the top 30 to make the Tour Championship field? Something doesn’t compute. Bradley had the worst round of the day on Friday at East Lake in Atlanta, finishing 3-over par, but that was far below his baseline. He should be able to bounce back today. I’d make Bradley a small favorite in this matchup, so this price looks quite generous.

College Football (0-1, -$220): Georgia wide receiver Dominic Lovett anytime touchdown at +150 (Caesars/William Hill)

$150 to win $225

Georgia’s injuries and potential absences seem to be getting a lot more discussion ahead of this morning’s big game with Clemson, but the Tigers aren’t in the clear either. Clemson could be down its top two cornerbacks, though Dabo Swinney has stayed characteristically tight-lipped on their status. If either Shelton Lewis or Jeadyn Lukus is out, Clemson is bound to have an even tougher time with Lovett, who will likely be Georgia’s top receiver for the second straight year. With the Bulldogs potentially being down their top two running backs, they might be throwing more than they usually do to start the season — especially if the Tigers lead or keep it close as the line is starting to indicate. That’s just more chances for Lovett to score.

WNBA (5-3, $230): Washington Mystics +8 vs. Connecticut Sun (Boyd Sports)

$165 to win $150

I’m usually underemphasizing recent performance in favor of a larger sample from the season, but this year’s WNBA season is a unique proposition. The near-monthlong Olympic break complicates evaluation. Because of the pause in action, I think weighting recent performance a little more than usual is the correct approach. The Sun have been much less efficient since reuniting, going 4-2 straight-up but with a couple close wins to make them only 2-4 against the spread. The Mystics have been at on the opposite end of the spectrum, no longer looking like the league’s worst team with a 3-3 straight-up, 4-2 against the mark post-break. Connecticut is still much better overall, but especially on the road, it shouldn’t be higher than a 6-point favorite against an improved Mystics’ side.  

MLB (7-10, -$978): Washington Nationals +114 vs. Chicago Cubs (Boyd Sports)

$228 to win $200

Let’s stick in the nation’s capital except unlike the WNBA game, it’s not that I think the home team should be a smaller underdog in this game; it’s that I don’t think they should be an underdog at all. With many of their big-time prospects now on the roster including James Wood and Dylan Crews, the Nationals are looking dangerous. The Cubs are trending in the right direction too but pitcher Javier Assad hasn’t been reliable this season. Nationals starter DJ Herz’s numbers are similar, but he’s younger and has a higher upside. The Nationals have eclipsed expectations all season long, and that shouldn’t stop today.  

College Football (0-1, -$220): Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard anytime touchdown at +162 (Boyd Sports)

$150 to win $243

This wasn’t set out to be a hedge or cover-yourself bet, but it kind of works like one. I’m already on Texas A&M -2.5 from last week's column, and if the Aggies don’t get it done, I think it’s only because Notre Dame’s new quarterback has a superhuman performance. He doesn’t even need a superhuman performance to score a touchdown. Leonard’s legs are his greatest asset, and he’ll need to use them against Texas A&M. Some have questioned his health coming off ankle surgery, but practice reports have been encouraging. I expected Leonard to be closer to +125 to score a touchdown.

NASCAR (6-17, -$620): Alex Bowman top 10 in Southern 500 at +220 (Boyd Sports)

$150 to win $330

Bowman has probably underachieved overall since joining powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, but not on high tire-wear tracks. He flies when managing tires is part of the challenge, and that’s going to be the case Sunday evening at Darlington Raceway. He finished eighth in the first Cup Series race this year at Darlington and also had two other teammates, William Byron and Chase Elliott, in the top 10. Kyle Larson was also plenty fast enough to be in the top 10 but crashed out. Hendrick will have speed again, and Bowman is far more likely for a strong finish than this line indicates.  

NASCAR (6-17, -$620): Chris Buescher top Ford in Southern 500 at 5-to-1 (Caesars/William Hill)

$100 to win $500

It’s the last race of the regular season and one of the sport’s Crown Jewels — which NASCAR is thankfully pushing again — so why not throw in a second bet? Buescher is just as reliable on high tire-wear tracks as Bowman. His teammate, Brad Keselowski, won the Darlington race earlier this year. Ford’s top priority this weekend will be giving Buescher a fast car considering he needs a strong finish to stay in the playoff race. Don’t be surprised if Keselowski, and maybe even other Ford drivers, look to push him to victory if given the opportunity at the end of the race. This would be an appropriate price in most other situations, but Buescher deserves a slight boost this weekend.

NFL (0-0, $0): San Francisco 49ers -3.5 vs. New York Jets (South Point)

$330 to win $300

Brandon Aiyuk’s deal is done. Trent Williams’ is next. Maybe I’m wrong but I’d bet the defending NFC champions and their left tackle end their contract dispute before the first Monday Night Football game of the season in nine days. Maybe then everyone will stop freaking out about the 49ers, which are still in position to be one of the top teams in the NFL despite the dreaded — if not overblown — Super Bowl runner-up hangover. I’m much less certain the Jets are the automatic contenders many are crowning them. The coaching staff has left much to be desired through their first three years in New York, and Aaron Rodgers is now 40 years old coming off an Achilles injury. A year ago, even assuming a healthy Rodgers, this number would have been a couple points higher at minimum. It still should be.

2024 Weekend betting column: 83-88, $8,675.87

Weekend betting column all-time: 743-800, $40,076.87 

Previous pending wagers: Oregon -1.5 -102 vs. Ohio State in Week 7 ($306 to win $300); New York Yankees to win World Series ($300 to win $3,000); Christopher Bell to win NASCAR Cup championship at 12-to-1 ($200 to win $2,400); Patrick Mahomes to win 2024-2025 NFL MVP at +750 ($350 to win $2,625); Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl 59 at 9-to-1 ($300 to win $2,700); New York Liberty to win WNBA Championship at +250 ($500 to win $1,250); Inter Miami to win MLS Cup at +300 ($500 to win $1,500); Tarik Skubal to win American League Cy Young at 20-to-1 ($120 to win $2,400); Cole Ragans to win American League Cy Young at 35-to-1 ($70 to win $2,450); Los Angeles Chargers -3 -120 vs. Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1 ($220 to win $200); New Jersey Devils to win Stanley Cup Final at 16-to-1 ($250 to win $4,000); Reed Sheppard to win NBA Rookie of the Year at 11-to-1 ($200 to win $2,200); Dillon Gabriel to win the Heisman Trophy at 14-to-1 ($200 to win $2,800); Dave Canales to win NFL Coach of the Year at 20-to-1 ($100 to win $2,000); Carolina Hurricanes to win President's Trophy at 15-to-1 ($150 to win $2,250); Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win NBA MVP ($300 to win $1,800); UNLV football to win the Mountain West at 8-to-1 ($200 to win $1,600); LSU vs. USC under 62.5 in Week 1 ($330 to win $300); Carolina Panthers +5 at Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 ($220 to win $200); Florida State to win the ACC at 3-to-1 ($315 to win $945); SMU to win the ACC at 16-to-1 ($75 to win $1,200); New Orleans Saints to win the NFC South at +425 ($200 to win $950); CeeDeee Lamb to win Offensive Player of the Year at 10-to-1 ($300 to win $3,000); Aidan Hutchinson to win Defensive Player of the Year at 16-to-1 ($200 to win $3,200); Justin Madubuike to win Defensive Player of the Year at 100-to-1 ($25 to win $2,500); Derrick Henry to lead the NFL in rushing at 20-to-1 ($100 to win $2,000); James Cook to lead the NFL in rushing yards at 35-to-1 ($65 to win $2,275); Bo Nix to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at 18-to-1 ($100 to win $1,800); JJ McCarthy to win Offensive Rookie of the Year at 25-to-1 ($75 to win $1,875); Jared Verse to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at 11-to-1 ($200 to win $2,200); Chop Robinson to win Defensive Rookie of the Year at 20-to-1 ($110 to win $2,200); Penn State to make the College Football Playoff at -125 ($250 to win $200); Dallas Cowboys to win the NFC East at +175 ($300 to win $525);  Florida State -11 vs. Georgia Tech in Dublin, Ireland ($220 to win $200), Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs over 46.5 ($220 to win $200); Texas A&M -2.5 vs. Notre Dame ($220 to win $200); Houston Texans -1.5 -115 at Indianapolis Colts ($230 to win $200); USC +6 vs. LSU ($220 to win $200); Zachariah Branch anytime touchdown at +110 ($200 to win $220)

 

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or