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The Los Angeles Chargers are beginning to look a lot like a playoff football team.
And a primetime smash spot against Nick Foles and the Colts awaits them tonight. This a chance for Justin Herbert and coach Brandon Staley to showcase their team’s improvement this season.
Typically, this would be a scary spot to trust Staley. But Indianapolis shelved Jonathan Taylor and Matt Ryan for the season. It should be rough showing for the Colts tonight if the Chargers are prepared to be a legitimate contender in the AFC.
Below we preview our two favorite anytime TD scorer picks for Chargers vs. Colts on “Monday Night Football,” which will kickoff at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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Austin Ekeler #30 of the Los Angeles Chargers scores a touchdown in the second quarter during a game against the Miami Dolphins Getty ImagesChargers vs. Colts ‘Monday Night Football’ player prop picks and predictions
Austin Ekeler anytime touchdown scorer -118 (Caesars)
This is a rare chalk spot, as Ekeler has the highest odds of any player heading into “Monday Night Football” tonight. But at -118 on Caesars, it is surely a play against a Colts defense that has allowed the second-most total touchdowns to opposing running backs over the past eight weeks. This is being priced as high as -200 on BetMGM, so there’s a fair edge here.
Ekeler is your prototypical dual-threat running back that typically gets unbelievable amounts of volume. Over the past four weeks, Ekeler is second on the team in redzone targets as a receiver and averages 3.6 touches inside the 20 per game – most in the NFL. He is a workhorse that the Chargers constantly look toward. If there was ever a player worth paying the price on, it’s Ekeler in this plus-matchup.
Keenan Allen #13 of the Los Angeles Chargers scores a touchdown in the second quarter of a game against the Arizona Cardinals Getty ImagesKeenan Allen anytime touchdown scorer +160 (PointsBet)
Early on, the Colts’ secondary was actually one of the better units in the NFL. But since Week 12, Indianapolis has allowed the second-most touchdowns to opposing wide receivers (six) in just three games. The only team that has allowed more is the Dallas Cowboys, who have allowed eight in four games.
The argument for Keenan Allen is two-fold: the absence of Kenny Moore, and Allen’s clear volume in the redzone. We know Ekeler had the second-most redzone targets, but Allen actually has the most targets inside the 20 in the NFL over the past four weeks (nine). Attack the plus-odds here.
Colts running back Deon Jackson (35) catches a pass for a touchdown during the NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and Minnesota Vikings on December 17th, 2022 Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesColts running backs are a bet – but which?
Make a note, FanDuel and PointsBet allow bets on live TD scorer props during the game. The Chargers’ defense is one of the worst in the NFL against opposing running backs. I lean toward Deon Jackson at +300 (FanDuel) to score a touchdown pregame, but would love to get some more information early on to see who is favored in the pecking order between Jackson and Zack Moss.
