Christian McCaffrey, Jahmyr Gibbs, and more best anytime TD scorers for NFC championship
The NFC championship game will feature two of the best offenses in the NFL this Sunday. The Detroit Lions finished the regular season fifth in points and third in yards per game. San Francisco was one of only two teams ahead of them in both points (third) and yards (second) per game.
That means there could be some fireworks on offense for the NFC title game. Even with some injury questions for stars like 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel, each team has the talent and scheme to put up points on demand. Here's a handful of the best anytime touchdown bets you can make for this game:
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2024 NFC championship game best anytime touchdown bets
All odds courtesy of DraftKings and current as of Saturday afternoon.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (-340)
This is little surprise given how much of a scoring machine McCaffrey's been this season. He tied for the NFL lead in combined rushing and receiving touchdowns during the regular season with 21. Last week he scored two touchdowns against Green Bay, including the go-ahead touchdown from six yards out.
The Lions' defense is very stout against the run and hasn't allowed more than 100 yards rushing in each of their last six games. Instead, Detroit's defense is more susceptible in the passing game. The unit's allowed at least 300 yards passing in the last five games. McCaffrey's a weapon in the passing game - look no further than his team-high seven catches last week - and he could get more attention again with Samuel's uncertain status for the NFC championship game.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (+130)
St. Brown earned his first All-Pro award in 2023 and he's playing like one in the playoffs. He's racked up nearly 200 yards and a touchdown on 15 receptions over two games. He's been targeted 23 times in the NFL playoffs so far and there's no sign he'll slow down this week.
San Francisco's defense hasn't been stellar against wide receivers lately. The unit's allowed six touchdowns in the last four games to wideouts. With multiple Lions offensive linemen missing practice with injuries this week, San Francisco could stymie Detroit's run game. The Lions may need to lean on the passing game and that means lots of attention for St. Brown.
San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle (+115)
Kittle notched his second career postseason touchdown last week against the Green Bay Packers. The 49ers offense is likely in for a better day thanks to a clear forecast for Sunday's NFC championship game. Detroit gave up a touchdown to Tampa Bay tight end Cade Otton last week, the first touchdown scored by a tight end on the Lions since Week 13. Kittle is the best tight end Detroit's faced since the season opener against Kansas City. He could be in for a big day.
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Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (+125)
Yes, the 49ers' defense has allowed just nine total touchdowns this season to running backs, the latest of which came in Week 16 of the regular season. This is more about Gibbs' heating up in the playoffs. The rookie running back has 25 total touches (rushing attempts and catches) for 182 yards and two touchdowns over his first two career postseason games.
The 49ers rank 26th in the league in expected points added (EPA) allowed per rush on defense, per nfelo data, compared to fifth in EPA per pass. Even with Arik Armstead back in the lineup, San Francisco let Green Bay's running backs average 5.6 yards per carry last week. Gibbs has been dynamic out of the backfield and could continue his scoring streak of eight touchdowns in his last seven games.
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings (+340)
Why Jennings instead of wide receivers Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk? Last week's performance was telling. Green Bay played physically against Aiyuk for most of the game and he managed just a 50% catch rate, tied for his second-lowest rate of the season. Detroit could employ a similar strategy this week.
Jennings finished last week's game with five receptions - second only to McCaffrey on the day. Four of those five catches went for first downs, including multiple crucial receptions on third down. Samuel and Aiyuk will rightfully get plenty of attention but Jennings could step up in a big way once again.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFC conference championship game: Top anytime TD scorer bets, props
