First To Score - Articles contributes by Sportsbetting.com

First To Score In yesterday's column (January 24th) we looked at the early action on the Super Bowl MVP prop. That is always one of the most popular proposition wagers for the big game. Another prop that always receives a considerable amount of attention from bettors in the days leading up to kick-off is "Who will score the first touchdown of the game?". This week is no exception, as money has been coming in on it since the lines went up.

Let's take a closer look:

- As you might expect, with one team (the Patriots) favored by double digits, they are heavily represented at the top end of the list. Four of the first five players are from the New England roster, with Randy Moss slotted in as the clear favorite at odds of 9-2. The only Giant to join them in the top five is Plaxico Burress, with odds of 8-1. Moss money accounts for 21% of the wagering volume for this prop, which is more than double what Burress has received so far (9%).

But those putting their money on a receiver are on the right side of recent trends, as they have scored the first TD of the Super Bowl in 8 of the past 13 years (9 if you include Devon Hester from the Bears last year).

- What about the running backs? Only twice in the last 13 Super Bowls has a running back been the first player to cross the goal line (Mike Alstott for Tampa Bay and Howard Griffith for Denver). The Patriots Laurence Maroney is listed at 7-1 and has received 9% of the action so far. His counterpart, New York's Brandon Jacobs has longer odds, sitting at 10-1, receiving 4% of the volume. Interestingly, the second back on the Giant roster, Ahmad Bradshaw, who is a 15-1 choice, is getting more action than Jacobs. Bradshaw's impressive showing late in the season has been hard to ignore, and he has 6% of bettors hoping he scores a major early in this tilt.

- Where do the QBs rate? They basically don't factor in for this prop. Tom Brady is at 20-1 and seeing only 1% of the volume, while Eli Manning is a 25-1 shot and also has 1% of the action on him. If you are thinking of betting on either Brady or Manning, keep in mind that over the last 20 years only one QB has scored the game's first TD, and that happened two seasons ago when Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger ran one in.

- Speaking of Brady, anyone who is betting on the Super Bowl MVP award should take note: over the last 20 years no player who scored the first touchdown went on to win the MVP. So if you are getting a bet down on the Super Bowl MVP prop and the Player to Score First award, you might not want the two names on those tickets to match up.

- What about special teams? Twice in the last 20 years the first player to score a TD did so by returning a kick-off (last year Devon Hester ran the opening kick-off back for six points, and the other was in Super Bowl XXIII, when the Bengals scored on a kick-return). Have a look at Wes Welker, who gives you a shot with his touches on special teams, along with his receiving duties. He's listed at 7-1, and slots right behind Moss in terms of who bettors like, with 21% of the action. Otherwise, the "Field" bet will cover you for a special teams TD.

- You'll notice the above mentioned "Field" option is one of the favorites up at the top of the list (7-1 odds). So a bet on the "Field" will give you a winner on a special teams TD, or a defensive touchdown. The defense has been the first to score once in the last 20 years, when Ty Law ran back an interception for a major when the Patriots beat the Eagles three years ago. The "Field" has attracted 3% of the volume so far.

- You can also wager on the option that there won't be a touchdown scored in the Super Bowl (200-1), but why waste your money, this has never happened before and we highly doubt that changes this year.

- There has also been no correlation between the team that scores first and the team that wins the game, so if that is an angle you were factoring in to help you narrow down a decision, you might not want to give it much weight.

- Longshot with a shot: Bettors have taken a shine to the Patriots Kevin Faulk at 20-1. he's seeing 6% of the wagering volume on this prop. After making a few big plays in the AFC Championship game, it might be a good choice, as the defense keys in on the big names, giving Faulk room to make things happen.

Here are the current odds:

Player To Score First TD
No TD scored on the game  200 - 1
Madison Hedgecock (Giants)  40 - 1
David Tyree (Giants)  40 - 1
Eli Manning (Giants)  25 - 1
Kevin Boss (Giants)  20 - 1
Steve Smith (Giants)  20 - 1
Kevin Faulk (Patriots)  20 - 1
Tom Brady (Patriots)  20 - 1
Heath Evans (Patriots)  20 - 1
Donte Stallworth (Patriots)  15 - 1
Ahmad Bradshaw (Giants)  15 - 1
Amani Toomer (Giants)  12 - 1
Jabar Gaffney (Patriots)  12 - 1
Brandon Jacobs (Giants)  10 - 1
Benjamin Watson (Patriots)  10 - 1
Plaxico Burress (Giants)  8 - 1
Wes Welker (Patriots)  7 - 1
Laurence Maroney (Patriots)  7 - 1
Field (Any Other Player)  7 - 1
Randy Moss (Patriots)  9 - 2

Stop by SPORTSBETTING.COM to check out all the Super Bowl activity. The long list of prop bets, the free $1 million contest, the special bonuses and 5% juice Fridays.

Sports Calendars	Sports Memorabilia	Sports Posters
Sports T-Shirts	Sports Hats	Sports Banners