College Football Anytime Touchdown Scorers: Bowl Games (Tuesday)
The holiday season isn't quite over yet, which means neither are bowl games. Even with all of the injuries and opt-outs, Tuesday offers a potentially really fun slate of games, pitting Power Four conference foes against each other with Illinois squaring off against Tennessee and USC taking on TCU after getting warmed up with a Group of Five matchup between Louisiana Tech and Coastal Carolina in the early afternoon.
While the first game might be more of a slow burn, the latter two games should feature plenty of fireworks, offering up potential anytime touchdown scorer options all over the board. I've got a nice variety today, spanning all offensive positions and ranging from even odds up to and around 2/1. Let's keep things rolling and cash a few college football anytime touchdown scorers tickets heading into the College Football Playoff (CFP) games on New Year's Eve and New Year’s Day.
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Tuesday’s Best College Football Anytime Touchdown Scorers
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl Anytime Touchdown Scorers: Louisiana Tech vs. Coastal Carolina
Ja'Vin Simpkins (RB – Coastal Carolina) | +150
Coastal Carolina quarterback Samari Collier missed the final few games of the season due to a knee injury, leaving running back Ja'Vin Simpkins as the clear leader in the clubhouse in terms of ball-carriers for this squad. While the Chanticleers certainly adopted a more heavy passing attack on offense with Tad Hudson under center, Simpkins is the only player on this roster with 100+ carries and 500+ rushing yards.
While Simplins only mustered two rushing touchdowns on the season, that was in large part due to the injured Collier being responsible for seven rushing scores of his own. Simpkins also ranked sixth on the offense in receptions, which usually wouldn't be all that impressive except for the fact that no Coastal Carolina receiver hit the 30-reception mark on the season. While Louisiana Tech’s defense was among the best in Conference USA, it still allowed just shy of 400 yards of offense and 142 rushing yards per game.
In an offense that doesn't offer much in terms of receiving threats, I'll take Simpkins as the clear top backfield option to score at some pretty palatable odds.
Eli Finley (TE – Louisiana Tech) | +190
The Bulldogs’ passing attack certainly isn't one to write home about either, as they had five players record over 70 rushes, with only one player on the roster with over 30 receptions on the season. That player happens to be tight end Eli Finley, who leads the squad by a wide margin in both receptions and yards.
Finley came up short in the touchdown department, though, as he failed to find the end zone at all this season. Combining all of these factors with the fact that Coastal Carolina has one of the better all-around defenses in the Sun Belt Conference is giving us some really nice odds on Finley to score. Finley is overdue to find the end zone after a really solid season as the Bulldogs’ leading receiver, and I think he finally breaks the seal on Tuesday.
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl Anytime Touchdown Scorers: Illinois vs.Tennessee
Braylon Staley (WR – Tennessee) | -105
Top Tennessee wide receiver Chris Brazzell II is set to miss this game due to opting out, which leaves ample opportunity for Braylon Staley in this offense. Staley actually outpaced Brazzell in terms of receptions on the season, racking up an impressive six touchdowns on 806 receiving yards.
The Illinois defense that he’ll face off against is certainly not one to be afraid of, as they ranked in the bottom half of the Big 10 in terms of points allowed per game. They were especially vulnerable against the pass, ranking third-worst in the conference in terms of passing yards allowed per game.
This game features a sky-high total of 61.5 with defensive opt-outs on both sides of the ball, meaning plenty of possessions for both teams. Staley should see a lion's share of the targets in this offense without Brazzell. Anything close to even-odds is a good price against a porous Illini defense.
Collin Dixon (WR – Illinois) | +105
Illinois boasts a very capable receiver room of its own, with three receivers hauling in 33+ receptions and 400+ yards on the season. No. 2 WR Collin Dixon leads the squad with five receiving touchdowns, outpacing No. 1 WR Hank Beatty despite recording nearly half of his receptions this year.
Dixon is also clearly the most explosive receiver on the roster, as his 16.3 yards per catch are significantly higher than any other Iliini receiver with at least double-digit receptions. The Volunteers’ defense is not immune to giving up points, ranking second-worst in the SEC in terms of passing defense and third-worst in the conference, conceding nearly 30 points per game. Add in quarterback Luke Altmyer's stellar 21:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio and the aforementioned high total in this game, and I love Dixon to score at these odds as the touchdown leader in the Illini receiving room.
Valero Alamo Bowl Anytime Touchdown Scorers: TCU vs. No. 16 USC
Trent Battle (RB – TCU) | +170
Despite quarterback Josh Hoover being regarded as one of the best in college football, the Horned Frogs deployed a pretty diverse rushing attack with five players garnering 30+ carries. While Trent Battle ranked third in the running back room in terms of carries and yards, he ended up leading the squad in rushing touchdowns with six. He was also competent enough as a receiver out of the backfield, with more receiving yards on one fewer reception than No. 2 RB Kevorian Barnes.
The USC defense, while improved compared to its previous iterations, still ranks in the bottom half of the Big 10 in terms of points allowed per game, and has been much more vulnerable against the run than the pass, allowing nearly 150 rushing yards per game. Hoover will sit this game out, which should lead to increased opportunities for the TCU ball-carriers. While he may not get the most carries, Battle has been the most productive back at pushing the ball across the goal line. Anything close to 2/1 odds is a nice price on him to pound one in against a susceptible USC defense.
Jayden Maiava (QB – USC) | +195
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava announced he'll return to USC next season, and it also looks like he'll suit up for this bowl game. Due to the midseason injury of running back Waymond Jordan, Maiava actually ranks second on the Trojans in terms of carries on the season. Though he hasn't been all that efficient carrying the ball, Maiava trails King Miller by just one touchdown for the team lead in rushing touchdowns.
The USC offense figures to have a pretty advantageous matchup against a TCU defense ranked in the bottom half of a really poor defensive Big 12 conference in both total yards and points allowed per game. The TCU defense also has some injuries and opt-outs, and the absence of quarterback Josh Hoover should lead to increased offensive opportunities for the Trojans. As such, this game also figures to have plenty of points and possessions with a total sitting in the high-50s. I expected to see Maiava's odds much closer to even; anything at +150 or better is a gift for Maiava to score as the Torjan's second-most frequent touchdown scorer.