Eagles vs. Texans Best Anytime Touchdown Scorer Picks for Thursday Night Football (Buy Philly's RBs OVER Hurts)

We've got good news and bad news as Week 9 of the NFL season kicks off this Thursday night.

The good news is the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles are on in primetime, as arguably the most balanced team in the NFL looks to shine under the lights with an MVP-caliber quarterback at the helm.

The bad news? They're up against the putrid Houston Texans, who have one win to their name and could be in position to lock up the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft in 2023.

Oddsmakers expect plenty of touchdowns to kick off the NFL week when the Houston Texans host the Philadelphia Eagles, but one of them won't come from Houston's lead receiver in Brandin Cooks, ruled out this week via an ESPN report.

Before diving into which players could find their way into the end zone for six, let'sfirst take a look at the latest odds for tonight:

Eagles vs. Texans Odds, Spread and Total for Thursday Night Football Week 9

My approach to taking anytime touchdown bets is purely on the value being offered. Very rarely will I take a player at minus-odds to score, even if the matchup sets up well. With the Eagles being massive favorites on the road, I'm adjusting some of my projections slightly.

Here are my three favorite options on the board, along with the best available odds to find the end zone tonight.

Best Thursday Night Football Anytime Touchdown Picks for Eagles vs. Texans

Miles Sanders +105

Jalen Hurts has been an automatic play for the bulk of the year, as he leads the NFL in rushing attempts both inside the 20, as well as inside the five yard line with NFL rushing leader Nick Chubb. However, with the short turnaround for the Eagles from Sunday to Thursday, I'm fading Hurts' rushing yards this evening, knowing they must do everything to keep him healthy the rest of the season. He'a also a pricey betting option, as high as -130 at several books.

Instead, I'll take a slight discount with Miles Sanders, who still is tied for 12th in the NFL amongst rushing stats inside the 20, and seventh in the league in rushes from inside the 10. He only has one less rushing touchdown than Hurts this year (5) and is averaging more than 80 rushing yards per game with five more attempts than Hurts.

More volume with a lower price against a bottom rushing defense in the NFL? SIgn me up, please and thank you.

Kenneth Gainwell +420

The Eagles are the top scoring team by a mile in the first half, and that leads me down a different road away from both Hurts and Sanders as the game goes on.

From a game script perspective, they're likely to run the ball a ton in the second half, and if they're up big, that means we'll see more Kenneth Gainwell in the matchup.

The Eagles' pass-catching back will have plenty of opportunities in the screen game vs. a Texans' defense that has been gashed by quality running backs through the ground and air, and a few broken tackles later, he's in for six.

He's also gotten plenty of carries in bigger wins as well, so don't be surprised if Gainwell gains you some money this evening.

Rex Burkhead +600

Burkhead's role in the passing game was already fairly prominent, but it could be much bigger now with Brandin Cooks ruled out for tonight.

He's seen five-plus passing targets in three of his last five games, and the Texans are near two-touchdown underdogs at home. Unless it's close, I expect Houston to abandon the running game midway through the second half and use Burkhead quite often.

The Eagles have had some issues stopping teams in the second half when they take their foot off the gas pedal, and Burkhead could make them pay with a score late in the game.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.