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It was a fantastic Sunday for me in my NFL bets for Week 8. I went a mediocre 3-3 in my best bets column, but I finished the day with a bang by nailing Dawson Knox at +1200 to score the first touchdown on Sunday Night Football.

Can we make it back-to-back winners on Monday Night Football? Here are my three first touchdown scorer bets for tonight’s AFC North matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tee Higgins +600

Tee Higgins should be in for a monster next few weeks with Ja’Marr Chase expected to miss at least a month with his hip injury. I think that starts on Monday night against a Browns team that ranks 30th in the NFL in points allowed per game (26.6).

We’ve never seen Higgins play a game without Chase on the field, but it’s safe to assume he’ll see his largest workload of the season on MNF. Higgins can score from anywhere on the field, and he should be the No. 1 option in the passing game once the Bengals reach the red zone. The +600 price (FanDuel) isn’t great, but I think Higgins has a better chance to score first than the market indicates.

Kareem Hunt +1400

Kareem Hunt warms up before a game.
Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt warms up prior to a game against the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns| Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

If you’ve been following my first TD picks all season, you know I love my backup running backs. Enter Kareem Hunt, who might just be the best backup RB in the NFL.

Hunt has already scored four touchdowns in seven games this season, and he’s found the end zone twice in the last three weeks. Nick Chubb is obviously more likely to score first, but his +500 price is too low for my liking. Give me the 14/1 bonus on Hunt all day long.

Harrison Bryant +1600

Here’s another injury-related pick for the people. Browns starting tight end David Njoku, who ranks fourth in the NFL in receiving yards among TEs (418), will be inactive for Monday night’s game. That opens the door for Harrison Bryant, who has racked up 114 receiving yards this season in a backup role.

With Bryant taking over as the No. 1 tight end, he should see somewhere between 4-8 targets against the Bengals. Let’s hope Jacoby Brissett continues to feed his tight ends on Monday Night Football.

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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.