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It’s time for another edition of Thursday Night Football, and we might be in store for yet another mid-week dud. This week, the 7-0 Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the 1-5-1 Houston Texans as 14-point favorites, which is the largest point spread we’ve seen for a game this season.

We’re not worried about the point spread right now, though. Let’s aim for a juicier payout and try to nail the first touchdown scorer on Thursday Night Football between the Eagles and Texans.

Jalen Hurts +550

Jalen Hurts scrambles against the Steelers.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers | Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Square don’t care with this pick.

Jalen Hurts is the favorite at +550 (FanDuel) to score the first touchdown on Thursday Night Football, but I think he should be priced even lower. The MVP contender currently leads the NFL in rushing attempts inside the red zone (25), and he’s scored five touchdowns on the ground in seven games.

The Eagles love to use Hurts as a rusher down by the goal line, and I think they’ll be able to get there early in the first quarter against a bottom-tier Texans defense. This is also a homecoming game for the Houston native, so he’ll want to make a statement out of the gates.

Dameon Pierce +900

The Texans have scored just four touchdowns over their last three games, and rookie running back Dameon Pierce has been responsible for two of them. I don’t see Houston putting up many points against a strong Philadelphia defense, but if it does manage to score first, it’ll have to be Pierce.

If there’s one weakness with this Eagles defense, it’s stopping the run. Philly is allowing 5.1 yards per rush this year, which ranks 29th in the NFL through eight weeks. Their best run-stopper, Jordan Davis, is also inactive for Thursday Night Football. Pierce needs to have a big game if the Texans plan on keeping this one close, so they’ll look to get him going early and often.

Boston Scott +2300

I can’t make it through a first touchdown scorer piece without talking about a backup running back, so let’s welcome Boston Scott to the party.

Miles Sanders is the clear No. 1 in Philadelphia’s backfield, but Nick Sirianni isn’t afraid to mix in his second-string weapons in the red zone. After missing two games early in the season, Scott returned in Week 6 and has out-touched Kenneth Gainwell in each of the last two games. He logged a season-high seven rushing attempts last Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Scott has the third-longest odds of the Eagles running backs to score first on TNF, so I’ll take a shot on his 23/1 price.

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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.