First Touchdown Scorer Predictions for Monday Night Football: Chiefs vs. Jaguars

Our first touchdown scorer predictions for Chiefs vs. Jaguars on Monday Night Football are looking to capitalize on the weaknesses of both defenses.

On one side, that means locking in on Travis Etienne Jr. for one of our NFL picks, and he's fresh off an outing with 124 rushing yards and a touchdown last week. On the other, we target a Chiefs wideout getting more appealing odds than his fellow Kansas City pass-catchers while going against a feeble Jacksonville pass defense.

My first touchdown scorer predictions complement Gary Pearson's Chiefs vs. Jaguars prediction ahead of kickoff tonight at 8:15 p.m. ET (ESPN) from EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla, with the Chiefs entering as the -3.5 betting favorite.

🏈 First touchdown scorer predictions for Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Monday Night Football

NFL touchdown scorer picks for Monday Night Football; odds subject to change.

• Chiefs pick: Marquise Brown, WR (+1400 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
• Jaguars pick: Travis Etienne Jr., RB (+700 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Best long shot: Travis Hunter, WR (+1800 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

💰 Best Chiefs vs. Jaguars first touchdown scorer bets: Monday Night Football

Our NFL player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.

🔴 Chiefs first touchdown scorer prediction: Marquise Brown, WR (+1400) ⭐⭐⭐

Xavier Worthy will understandably draw much of the attention among bettors, including our Phil Wood in his Chiefs vs. Jaguars player props. But although he's expected to play, shoulder and ankle issues could limit him at least somewhat.

Marquise Brown could receive more attention in that scenario then, just as he did during Worthy's injury absence earlier in the season, which translated to him easily leading the team in targets. His 32 looks are well ahead of Travis Kelce at 22. More importantly, he leads the team in red-zone targets with four.

Any of the Chiefs' primary targets are easily in play against a pass-funnel defense that excels against the run (third at 82.8 yards per game) but seems bewildered any time the ball is in the air (21st at 233.5 yards per game). But despite getting targeted on a team-leading 24% of his routes even with Worthy healthy, Brown is getting far more appealing betting odds than his fellow wideout (+900) and Kelce (+950). 

If Brown scores his second touchdown of the season and cashes this first touchdown scorer prediction, a $10 wager at these +1400 odds from FanDuel would lead to a $140 profit, with an implied probability of 6.67%.

If you're locked in on Worthy though, our Esten McLaren has found the best odds in his anytime touchdown scorer predictions for Monday Night Football. 

🐆 Jaguars first touchdown scorer prediction: Travis Etienne, RB (+700) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Admittedly, the betting odds here are comparably unappealing in a market that often features long shots rising up, or at least catching the eye more due to the element of luck involved. Etienne is the favorite to score first at the best sports betting sites, with a sizable gap between him at +700 and the next Jaguars player: wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., at +1200.

But that of course reflects the increased confidence you should have in this bet given the matchup. The Chiefs have been struggling to defend the run while giving up 127 yards per game to rank 22nd. Meanwhile, their secondary is stout while sitting seventh at 185.8 yards allowed per game.

The path to moving the ball is clear, and the Jaguars will do it with a bruising rusher who has already scored three times over four games, which is also the number of touchdowns Kansas City has surrendered to running backs so far. Etienne has logged two 120-plus-yard rushing games as well, including 143 in Week 1.

If Etienne scores first, a $10 wager using these +700 betting odds from DraftKings would result in a $70 payout, with an implied probability of 12.50%.

🎯 Best long shot to score first touchdown: Travis Hunter, WR, Jaguars (+1800) ⭐⭐⭐

The Jaguars are still in the early stages of trying to find a comfortable balance with their two-way dynamo after investing significant draft capital in Travis Hunter.

But after there was a slight lean toward defense and him being on the field as a defensive back earlier in the season, the pendulum swung hard in the other direction last week. Hunter played 38 offensive snaps and just nine defensively, which came after 43 snaps as a defender in each of the previous two weeks.

The Jaguars' tinkering and experimenting is one of the more significant hurdles in the way of Hunter truly making his mark as an NFL rookie. But a sudden lean toward offense hints at the team getting ready to loosen the leash on that side. He's shown flashes of the deep-ball brilliance we saw in college, including a 28-yard reception just last week.

If Hunter opens the scoring tonight and tallies the first NFL touchdown of his career to cash this first touchdown scorer prediction, a $10 bet at these +1800 odds from FanDuel would lead to a $180 payout, with an implied probability of 5.26%.

📈 First touchdown scorer odds: Monday Night Football

Latest NFL odds updated live in real time.

📺 How to watch Chiefs vs. Jaguars: Monday Night Football

• Matchup: Chiefs vs. Jaguars
• When: Monday, Oct. 6
• Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
• Where: EverBank Stadium (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• TV: ESPN