49ers vs Colts Anytime Touchdown Scorer Predictions: NFL Best Bets for Monday, December 22

NFL week 16 will wrap up tonight, and we have a Monday night showdown featuring the 49ers and Colts.

(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

This week's NFL matchups have been pure cinema. From the LA Rams' overtime victory over the Seattle Seahawks—to the Chicago Bears' improbable comeback win over the Green Bay Packers—it's been an exciting week of football! Not to mention, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots' stunning victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

Week 16 will finish with a matchup between the San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 6-2 away) and the Indianapolis Colts (8-6, 6-1 home). Once top dogs in the AFC, the Colts are all but eliminated after Daniel Jones suffered an Achilles injury. Can 44-year-old Phillip Rivers lead the Colts to victory? According to the NFL, they have just an 11% chance of making the playoffs if they win tonight.

Monday Night Football: San Francisco 49ers vs Indianapolis Colts

The 49ers clinched a playoff spot following the Detroit Lions' loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Brock Purdy at the helm, they currently sit No.6 in the NFC.

In this betting article, we'll cover touchdown scorer predictions. Through all the doubt and injuries, the 49ers even have a path to the No.1 seed.

The Colts have been a top offensive machine, ranking No. 2 in offensive DVOA and totaling the eighth-most touchdowns this season (45). No. 6 in offensive DVOA, the 49ers have scored the 18th-most touchdowns this year with 37.

The sportsbooks are predicting somewhat of a high-scoring matchup with the current over/under total set at 46.5 on FanDuel. If that's the case, plenty of touchdowns should happen. Something tells me this could be the opposite and end up as a low-scoring affair.

Another primetime matchup, here are my three best bets and anytime touchdown scorers for the Monday, Dec. 22, NFL showdown featuring the 49ers and Colts! My touchdown bets feature popular wide receivers and tight ends. I've placed all of my bets within Fanatics and DraftKings Sportsbook.  Touchdown bets can be extra risky, so please bet with caution.

Are you in search of further NFL and sports betting promotions? We have compiled a list of the best sports betting offers here. 

NFL Week 16 Best Bets: 49ers vs Colts Anytime Touchdown Scorer Predictions for Monday, December 22

Jauan Jennings Anytime TD Odds: +140 (Fanatics)

2025-2026 NFL Stats

GP: 12  | Receptions: 44 | Targets: 74 | Receiving Yards: 495 | Avg: 11.3 | Rec TD:  |7 Long Rec: 42 | First Down: 28

My first best bet for Monday night, I placed one unit on 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings to score a touchdown.

Jennings has emerged as a scoring threat ever since he scored two touchdowns in Super Bowl 58 against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

The 49ers have been banged-up all season, and the injury bug bit Jennings. Back in action, Jennings should operate as the 49ers' No.1. wideout for Brock Purdy. With Ricky Pearsall ruled out for this one, his production should see a significant increase.

With Deebo Samuel gone (Commanders), it seems the 49ers wideout Brandon Aiyuk may be headed for a divorce after he was seen driving 90 mph past Levi Stadium. That leaves Jennings as the top dog.

Believe it or not, it's running back Christian McCaffrey who leads the way with 820 receiving yards for the 49ers, followed by Kendrick Bourne (499) and Jennings, 495. I'll admit, I didn't take McCaffrey to score a touchdown, given the value is too high, so I'm rolling with Jennings.

Through just 12 games, Jennings has compiled 495 receiving yards, for a time-high seven touchdowns. Even with injuries, he's second on the team with 74 targets and third with 44 receptions.

Jauan Jennings, 49ers' WR1?

Overall, Jennings has been underwhelming as of late, being held to under 60 receiving yards in four straight games. But please, don't let that fool you. Yardage isn't everything when it comes to football.

Over those last four games, Jennings has scored four touchdowns, including six over the last six matchups. Back in action, he's averaging 6.6 targets and 4.4 receptions over the last five games. While it's the Titans, he did explode for two touchdowns on 37 receiving yards last week.

The yardage may not be there, but he's clearly Purdy's trusted red zone guy. With a bulk of his touchdowns coming since the second half of the season, he's caught 3-of-5 targets inside the 20 for three touchdowns since week 13. Through 12 games, Jennings leads all 49ers receivers with 8-of-16 targets, 67 receiving yards, and six touchdowns in the red zone.

Jennings will look to keep it rolling against a Colts defense that allows the second-most yards to wide receivers, and middle-of-the-pack (15th) when it comes to scoring. We may see the defense on the field more often, especially if Rivers isn't able to produce much offense. We are talking about a Colts defense that has allowed six touchdowns to WR1s and 12 overall to receivers this season.

Final NFL Anytime Touchdown 49ers vs Colts Betting Prediction: Jauan Jennings ATS Odds: +140 (Fanatics)

We have to remember Indy's defense is banged-up. Cornerback Sauce Gardner is once again ruled out, along with Charvarius Ward.  Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner is activated off IR and is questionable for tonight's game.

If he gets his way, Jennings should feast against Johnathan Edwards, and I'm simply not fading a player who has four touchdowns over the last three games.

• I'm taking Jauan Jennings to score a touchdown on Monday night football. With Ricky Pearsall out, he surely can find the end zone against a hurt Colts secondary.

Jonathan Taylor Anytime TD Odds: 2+ Touchdowns (+235 DraftKings)

2025-2026 NFL Stats

GP: 14  | Carries: 272 | Rushing Yards: 1,443 | Avg.: 5.3 | Rushing TD: 16 | Rush long: 8| Receiving Yards: 318 | Receiving TD: 2 | Receiving Long: 43

My second-best bet for Monday night was to place one unit on Colts running back Jonathan Taylor to score two touchdowns. Given his stats and history, this has great value at +235 odds.

Back and healthy in action, Taylor has recorded back-to-back 1400+ rushing yard seasons and remains one of the most elite running backs in the NFL. We are talking about a player who ranks in the top three in rushes (272), total EPA (21.5), EPA per rush, rush yards (1,443), yards after contact (1,061), among several other stats.

Leading all NFL running backs with 16 rushing touchdowns, why would I fade him here?  One of the most explosive running backs in the NFL, Taylor has five mult-touchdown games this season: He's tallied three tuddies in four games against the Raiders, Chargers, Titans, and Falcons. Will tonight be another multi-score game for JT?

Is Jonathan Taylor The Best Running Back In The NFL?

The Colts are fresh off an 18-16 loss against a stingy Seahawks defense, so it's hard to get a magnified look at Phillip Rivers. While Rivers threw for 120 yards and a touchdown, are we really expecting the Colts to throw for 300 to 400 yards? Taylor was a massive part of the offense, recording 87 rushing yards on 25 carries last week. I'd like to think he has an easier matchup tonight.

It pains me to say this because I am facing Taylor in my fantasy football semifinals, but I do think the Colts will rely heavily on the run game tonight. Rivers has been active for one game following a five-year retirement, and Taylor has remained the team's focal point on offense.

Indianapolis isn't eliminated from the playoffs yet, so look for Taylor to be relied on heavily. Playing 91% of snaps last week, he's the clear No.1 workhorse back for the Colts.  After all, we are talking about a player who boasts nearly a 6% rushing touchdown rate and is getting over 22 touches per game. One of the best in broken tackle percentages, Taylor isn't just a short goal-line threat.

It will be a tall task for Taylor, who will face a 49ers defense that allows the 10th-fewest touchdowns to running backs this season. However, there may be hope given that the 49ers lost defensive stars Nick Bosa (Knee) and Fred Warner (Ankle) for the season. Plus, San Francisco has a laundry list of various injuries on the defensive front.

Final NFL Anytime Touchdown 49ers vs Colts Betting Prediction: Jonathan Taylor 2+ Touchdowns Scored: +235 (DraftKings)

Taylor may have just one touchdown in four games, but he's a viable threat in the passing game (backfield) as well. Tony Pollard exploded for 104 rushing yards and a touchdown last week against the 49ers. The week prior, Quinshon Judkins rushed for 91 yards.

• Last scoring a touchdown against the 49ers in October 2021, I'm taking Jonathan Taylor to score two touchdowns tonight. Both Kyren Williams (Rams) and Travis Etienne Jr. (Jaguars) rushed for two touchdowns each this season against the 49ers. It's a possibility, and the value is exceptional.  I also chose Taylor as my King of the Endzone pick on DraftKings. 

George Kittle Anytime TD Odds: +125 (Fanatics)

2025-2026 NFL Stats

GP: 9 | Receptions: 45 | Targets: 54 | Receiving Yards: 484 | Avg: 10.8| Rec TD: 6 | Long Rec: 33 | First Down: 28

My third-best bet for today, I placed one unit on 49ers tight end George Kittle to score a touchdown.

Kittle has been riddled with injuries, limited to just nine games. However, he's recorded 484 receiving yards, 45 receptions, and six touchdowns over that span. Considered one of the best tight ends in football, Kittle remains a reliable scoring option for Purdy.

As mentioned previously, the 49ers have dealt with receiver injuries all season, and Kittle has been one of them. Even so, he ranks second on the team in total touchdowns (6) and second in receptions (45). Ever since November, Kittle has been cooking and has been quite consistent!

Why George Kittle Can Score A Touchdown Monday Night

Recording 67+ receiving yards in five straight games played, Kittle has scored three touchdowns over that span, including two against the Cardinals. Not only has the target volume been there over the last five outings (7.8 targets per game), but Kittle is averaging 6.6 receptions and 76.8 receiving yards over that span.

Kittle should have seen an uptick in production with Pearsall out, which makes this a strong play for tonight. In fact, Kittle erupted for 88 yards for eight receptions and one touchdown in the 49ers' 37-24 victory over the Titans last week.

Even playing limited games, Kittle ranks sixth among NFL tight ends with six touchdowns this season! In the red zone, he's taught 11 receptions on 11 targets, for five touchdowns. Since week 10, Kittle and Jennings have combined for eight total red zone touchdowns.

Final NFL Anytime Touchdown 49ers vs Colts Betting Prediction: George Kittle ATD Odds: +125 (Fanatics)

It's a fair matchup for Kittle, who faces a defense that allows the second-most yards to tight ends. Having given up just five touchdowns to tight ends this season, not one has scored a touchdown against the Colts in six weeks. For three weeks straight prior, Indy allowed touchdowns, all to tight ends.

• Kittle may have missed five games, but his production is extremely critical and important when on the field. Given that he played 96 % of snaps last week, I'm taking George Kittle to score a touchdown.