For Anytime TD bettors, nothing beats a showcase of two elite wide receivers in a high-stakes battle.
Fortunately, that's exactly what Vikings vs. Rams promises on Thursday night as Week 8 gets underway with an intriguing Thursday Night Football contest.
Yes, we're going to go over why bettors should -- or shouldn't? -- consider Minnesota's Justin Jefferson and L.A.'s Cooper Kupp. The cases for both of those players are obvious, but is there any reason to perhaps think twice about either one of them?
Jefferson and Kupp aren't the only quality ATTD options in this game, though.
Vikings WR Jalen Nailor, a sixth-round pick back in 2022, caught just 19 passes in 21 games over his first two seasons, but he's off to a hot start this year, making him a tempting ATTD longshot tonight.
Jalen Nailor Anytime TD (+450) bet365
You don't need to lay a heavy wager on Nailor to cash in if he gets in the end zone.
While Jefferson is the first player who fans think of on the Vikings offense, the next couple names after Jefferson that come to mind are second-year WR Jordan Addison, TE T.J. Hockenson, who could make his 2024 debut tonight, and RB Aaron Jones.
But while Jefferson has pulled in five of the 12 TDs that Sam Darnold has thrown this season, Darnold's second-favorite red zone target has been third-year WR Jalen Nailor.
The 6-foot slot receiver has just 12 catches in six games, but he leads the team in yards per catch at 17.8, and an impressive 75 percent of the targets that have come his way this season have resulted in receptions.
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Nailor started the year with TD catches of 21, 10 and 4 yards in back-to-back-to-back games in Weeka 1-3. He hasn't caught a TD since Week 3, but he's coming off his best performance of the season against Detroit last Sunday, when he had four catches for 76 yards.
The value at longer than 4-to-1 on an underrated option like Nailor is outstanding, whether Hockenson is back on the field or not. And even if Hockenson makes his season debut tonight, he'll likely be eased back in. That should mean there will still be plenty of targets available for Nailor in the middle of the field.
In a game where everyone besides Jefferson and Kupp is a longshot, why not go outside the box with a high-upside ATTD darkhorse?
Jalen Nailor Anytime TD (+450): 0.25 units
Cooper Kupp Anytime TD (+130) DraftKings
The question for most ATTD bettors in this game is whether to take Jefferson, Kupp or both.
Because of the prices available for these two, we're going with Kupp.
Jefferson is listed at as short as -138 at some sportsbooks (meaning you'd need to bet $138 to win $100 -- no thanks!).
The star L.A. WR, on the other hand, is available at odds as long as +130 (bet $100, win $130 if the bet cashes).
We're not arguing against Jefferson, who has been as unguardable as ever this year, with 33 catches for 531 yards and five TDs in just six games. But the Vikings have more complementary pieces in their passing game than this version of the Rams, who are still without Puka Nacua.
In his only 60-minute appearance this year, Kupp was targeted 21 times back in Week 1. No, that is not a misprint.
Kupp was lights-out against the Lions that night in a game the undermanned Rams sent to overtime, with 14 catches for 110 yards and a touchdown. With Nakua sidelined, Matthew Stafford just does not have many other red zone options. In fact, despite playing less than two full games this year, Kupp is tied with RB Kyren Williams and WR Demarcus Robinson for the team lead in TD catches with one.
Kupp's excellent route-running has always made him a force when his team gets near the goal line, and Stafford will be locked in on him tonight -- perhaps even more than usual given the possibility that this could be one of Kupp's final games as a Ram.
Kupp, who has 28 receiving TDs in his last 40 starts dating back to 2021, is the best play on the board tonight. We'd even go so far as to suggest that given the circumstances in L.A. right now, a small play on Kupp to score two touchdowns is also worth a flier at nearly 10-to-1 odds.
Cooper Kupp Anytime TD (+130 at DraftKings): 1 unit
Cooper Kupp 2+ TDs (+950 at FanDuel): 0.25 units
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