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We’re back for another edition of Thursday Night Football. This week, the scorching hot San Francisco 49ers, led by rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, will face off against the rival Seattle Seahawks in a crucial NFC West battle.

This matchup is already entertaining enough, but we can make it even more so by targeting some first touchdown scorer picks in search of a big payout. So, here are the three first touchdown scorer bets I like for Thursday Night Football between the 49ers and Seahawks.

George Kittle +1100

George Kittle celebrates after a touchdown.
George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

You might not want to touch George Kittle in any betting market, let alone the first touchdown market, based on his recent performances. Over San Francisco’s last three games, the star tight end has recorded just nine catches for 76 total yards and no touchdowns.

But Kittle’s receiving production has always been a roller coaster throughout his career. He’ll go a few weeks with minimal targets and no touchdowns then break out for 150 yards and two scores in one game. I think that breakout game could come on Thursday Night Football.

Kittle didn’t play in the 49ers’ first game against the Seahawks back in Week 2, but the last time he went to Seattle he exploded for nine catches, 181 yards, and two touchdowns. He can put up a similar stat line this week.

Tyler Lockett +1100

This price doesn’t make much sense to me. Tyler Lockett leads the Seahawks in receiving yards (896) and receiving touchdowns (eight), yet he’s +1100 to score the first touchdown while DK Metcalf is +950.

Metcalf hasn’t been more likely than Lockett to score a touchdown all season, so why is he priced that way in the first touchdown scorer market? At the very least, these two wide receivers are equally likely to score the first touchdown on Thursday night, so I’ll take the one with the juicier price.

Travis Homer +2400

With Kenneth Walker III and DeeJay Dallas sidelined in Week 14, Travis Homer took over as the No. 1 running back for Seattle. He wasn’t especially efficient with just 34 yards on 11 touches, but he was on the field for a majority of the offensive snaps.

I expect Homer to serve as the backup to Walker against the 49ers, and he should play most of the third-down snaps with Walker coming back from an ankle injury. We just need to hope he’s on the field if the Seahawks get to the red zone early in the game. Homer is my favorite longshot to score the first touchdown on Thursday night.

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Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.