NFL First TD Scorer: Who Will Score The First Touchdown on Monday Night Football? (Dec 16)

We're getting set for what should be an excellent Monday Night Football doubleheader this week as the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons hunt down some crucial wins for playoff positioning, and that calls for a look at the most exciting bet in football.

(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

We'll look towards a trio of players as we answer the question of who will score the first touchdown on Monday Night Football this December 16th, beginning with Bears vs Vikings and continuing with Falcons vs Raiders.

Let's talk about a good bet even at short odds, and get into two intriguing longshots -- but before we do, remember that this is a highly-volatile market and odds are always long for good reason.

NFL First Touchdown Scorer Predictions for Monday Night Football (Week 15)

Aaron Jones (+500, FanDuel)

Aaron Jones has scored just six touchdowns all season, but three have come in the last three weeks. In what should be an overwhelmingly positive matchup, I'm willing to bet he makes it four straight games finding paydirt.

• Chicago enters this game ranked 26th in the NFL in rushing touchdowns allowed per game, though it's been one of the best in limiting passing touchdowns.

That should put the onus on Jones to score with his legs here, something that shouldn't be an issue against a Bears defense which sits 31st in EPA allowed per rush in the last five weeks.

The speedster went for 106 yards and a touchdown against Chicago a few weeks ago, and he's also scored the first touchdown of the game twice in six total trips to the end zone.

Sincere McCormick (+950, FanDuel)

If you've never heard of Sincere McCormick before, you should become acquainted prior to this game on Monday night. He's risen from the Raiders' practice squad in recent weeks to torch a few excellent defenses for almost six yards per carry, and now he faces a Falcons defense down near the bottom of the league against the run.

McCormick has yet to find the end zone, but that should change in this one given the generous matchup. I think that could very well come at the beginning of this game, too, given the Raiders have scored the first touchdown a surprising five times in 13 games.

Four of those came from Alexander Mattison, and now McCormick is the undisputed top dog in the backfield for the Raiders. He should have no issues moving the ball with his legs, and his long-awaited first touchdown could be the first one we see in Las Vegas.

Travis Homer (+3200, FanDuel)

Finally, we're going to need to call out one longshot here, and Travis Homer is ironically my home run bet on Monday.

Chicago will be without Roschon Johnson in this one, which is a very notable absence considering he not only scored the first touchdown the last time these two teams met but has led the team in terms of scoring first.

Johnson, of course, is the backup to D'Andre Swift in the backfield -- but with Swift experiencing one of the worst seasons of his career it's anything but a guarantee that the veteran plays even 80% of the snaps here.

Minnesota has allowed the seventh-most targets per game to opposing running backs, which should give the pass-catching Homer plenty of work in this game. Generally speaking, he's a great bet to score -- so why not be brave and call your shot on him to score first?