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After a few indifferent Thursday Night Football matchups in a row, we finally have some star power this week with the Baltimore Ravens traveling south to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs have taken money all week and flipped from a short underdog to a 1.5-point favorite as a result.

But we’re not worried about the spread here. Let’s aim for a bigger payout by trying to nail the first touchdown scorer on Thursday Night Football.

Mike Evans +750

Mike Evans warms up before a game.
Mike Evans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers warms up prior to a game against the Atlanta Falcons | Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Mike Evans was one of the biggest stories from last week’s embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers. He dropped what would’ve been an easy touchdown pass on the first drive of the game, and the Buccaneers didn’t find the end zone in the 20-3 loss.

I think Evans will bounce back from that uncharacteristic mistake this week and find the end zone for the fourth time this season. The wide receiver leads Tampa Bay in targets (48) through seven games, and Brady trusts him in the red zone more than any other weapon on the offense.

Cade Otton +1800

Cade Otton has become more involved in Tampa Bay’s passing offense as the season has gone along. The tight end racked up a season-high 64 receiving yards on four catches last week, and he should see a similar workload on Thursday Night Football.

In two games without Cameron Brate in the lineup, Otton has played 94% and 81% of the offensive snaps, respectively. Brate has been ruled out for Thursday night’s game against the Ravens, so Otton should see another 5-7 targets as the starting tight end. Let’s hope he can find the end zone for the first time this year.

Josh Oliver +3000

Heading into the season, Ravens fans expected talented rookie Isaiah Likely to serve as the No. 2 tight end behind Mark Andrews. That hasn’t actually been the case. Instead, it’s been blocking specialist Josh Oliver.

Oliver played a season-high 48% of the team’s offensive snaps last week against the Cleveland Browns. If Andrews isn’t able to suit up on Thursday night, Oliver should jump in as the starter and see his biggest workload of the season. At 30/1, I’ll take a chance on Oliver with a high upside.

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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.