Betting an NFL Parlay with Anytime Touchdown scorers is incredibly fun — especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving! — even if they’re mostly a losing proposition that will drain your bankroll if you’re not careful. Most sportsbooks tend to clean up on this bet type, so how do we scratch the parlay itch without overextending ourselves?
Allow me to introduce “The 180 Challenge” — here’s how it works in case you're not familiar with the concept:
Each week, I bet on a three-leg Anytime TD parlay that equates to somewhere around +1800 or more. $10 per parlay ticket, $180 total for the season.
The goal is to win as much as possible. But the safety net is that you only need to hit one parlay all season to make your money back.
If you go 0-18 (which is unfortunate), the positive spin is it's only $180. This way, we can still participate in fun touchdown parlays while managing our bankroll and not going overboard on bad spending habits.
Here’s my Anytime Touchdown Parlay for NFL Thanksgiving day
NFL Parlay — Thanksgiving Anytime TD Picks
- Christian Watson Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+175)
- George Pickens Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+145)
- Isaiah Likely Anytime Touchdown Scorer (+225)
Parlay Odds: +2072 via DraftKings
Packers vs Lions TD Pick: Christian Watson
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson has been limited to five games this season due to injuries, but he's been a focal point when he plays with two red-zone targets and two end-zone targets.
Watson has a higher targets per route run rate against man coverage than zone since the start of last season, which is notable because the Lions play man coverage at the third-highest rate in the NFL. Watson feasted against a man-heavy Giants team a couple weeks ago and scored twice.
The Lions have given up the second-most touchdowns to wide receivers in the NFL (15).
Chiefs vs Cowboys TD Pick: George Pickens
After a three-game stretch in which he didn't score a touchdown, George Pickens has been a machine over his last two games.
He has 18 receptions off 20 targets for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Pickens leads the Cowboys with 15 end-zone targets and he is fifth the league in deep targets (17). The Chiefs are bottom 10 in defensive DVOA against the deep ball.
CeeDee Lamb's return from injury was a bit of a concern a couple weeks ago, but Pickens has at least nine targets in 4-of-5 games since Lamb's return. Pickens should continue to see plenty of volume from Dak Prescott.
Bengals vs Ravens TD Pick: Isaiah Likely
Touchdown props against the Bengals means you're automatically looking at the tight ends. The Bengals have allowed the most touchdowns to tight ends this season with a TE scoring in five of their last six games.
Mark Andrews is the obvious target, but I think Isaiah Likely is who I want to back tonight.
Likely has scored five or more touchdowns in the last two seasons, but he hasn’t scored yet this season through eight games. With him running the third-most routes on the Ravens, I think this is the matchup where he gets his first touchdown.
Disclaimer: 18-1 parlays have less than 5% chance of hitting, and that percentage only shrinks as you increase the parlay odds. Keep your expectations in check and bet on these for recreation.
