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The 2022-23 NFL regular season will conclude on Sunday Night Football when the Green Bay Packers host the Detroit Lions in a battle for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. If the Packers win, they’re in the playoffs no matter what happens elsewhere around the league. The Lions, though, need to pull off the upset and have the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks to punch their ticket to the postseason.

Detroit may have nothing to play for by the time we get to kickoff, but it should still be a fun finale between two NFC North rivals. So, let’s make it even more entertaining by trying to nail a first touchdown scorer bet for the final Sunday Night Football game of the year.

AJ Dillon +800

AJ Dillon runs against the Vikings.
AJ Dillon of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against the Minnesota Vikings | Kayla Wolf/Getty Images

This price is the first one that jumped out to me. AJ Dillon has scored at least one touchdown in five straight games, while Aaron Jones has found the end zone just twice over that same span. Yet, Jones has a lower price (+650) than Dillon (+800) to score the first touchdown on Sunday night.

Dillon has become the primary goal-line option for the Packers down the stretch, and I don’t see that changing in Week 18. I think he should be the betting favorite to score first in this game, so I’ll take the value on +800 (FanDuel).

D’Andre Swift +1300

D’Andre Swift has had a confusing 2022-23 season, to say the least. The running back exploded for 175 total yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1, then he went seven straight games without carrying the ball more than seven times due to various injuries.

Swift is finally starting to look like his old self again after 15 touches for 117 yards and two touchdowns against the Chicago Bears last week, so I’m expecting him to big a major part of the game plan against the Packers. This +1300 price seems a bit inflated.

Marcedes Lewis +3100

There aren’t many enticing longshots available in the first touchdown scorer market for Sunday Night Football, but I think Marcedes Lewis provides some value at +3100. The tight end has caught six of his seven targets this season, and two of those went for touchdowns.

Lewis scored his second touchdown of the season against the Miami Dolphins two weeks ago, and I think there’s a good chance he gets a red-zone target on Sunday Night Football. He’s worth a stab at 31-1.

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Staff Writer

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.