NFL Week 8: Anytime touchdown bets

• Kyren Williams faces a vulnerable Chargers run defense: Los Angeles has allowed nine rushing touchdowns through seven games, while Williams has scored five rushing touchdowns this season.

• Chase Brown draws a favorable goal-line matchup: Brown has handled all four of Cincinnati's carries inside the 5-yard line, and Tennessee ranks 24th in EPA allowed per rush.

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba has multiple paths to a touchdown: The Seahawks receiver has eight receiving touchdowns through seven weeks and averages 3.34 yards per route run against man coverage.

RB Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams

Williams remains as reliable as ever, and in Week 8, he draws a Los Angeles Chargers run defense that has allowed nine rushing touchdowns through seven games, tied for the second most in the NFL. The Chargers also rank 19th in EPA allowed per rush.

Williams has handled six of the Rams’ 10 carries inside the 5-yard line this season, converting two into touchdowns. He has five rushing touchdowns through seven weeks, ranking 10th among 68 players with at least 20 rushing attempts, and he has even added one receiving score.

Blake Corum has scored on both of his carries inside the 5-yard line, so there is some risk of him vulturing a touchdown. However, with the Rams favored by 6.5 points in a game with a 45.5-point total, there should be plenty of scoring opportunities to go around. There’s little reason to overthink Williams in this matchup, as he is well-positioned to find the end zone again.

RB Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals

The Tennessee Titans have allowed nine rushing touchdowns through seven games, tied for the second most in the NFL. They have also struggled to stop the run in general, ranking 24th in EPA allowed per rush.

Brown has handled four of Cincinnati’s four carries inside the 5-yard line this season. And despite his role as the Bengals’ primary goal-line back, Brown somehow has only one rushing touchdown on 82 carries.

However, the touchdowns should start coming soon enough. With Cincinnati favored by 12.5 points, this is an ideal spot to capitalize on Brown’s usage before his production catches up and the price rises.

WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks

Smith-Njigba has been one of the NFL’s most dominant wide receivers over the past year and change, doing much of his damage against man coverage. He ranks second in targets per route run and has averaged an impressive 3.34 yards per route run against man coverage. Now, he faces a Chicago Bears defense that plays man coverage at one of the highest rates in the NFL.

Smith-Njigba has also been a touchdown machine, with eight receiving scores through seven weeks, the most among 132 pass-catchers with at least 20 targets. Twelve of his targets have come inside the 20-yard line, ranking sixth among that group, and five have resulted in touchdowns. That gives him a significant role in Seattle’s red-zone offense.

In what figures to be a back-and-forth prime-time matchup, look for Sam Darnold to lean on his most reliable target. The Bears’ coverage tendencies play directly to Smith-Njigba’s strengths, and his established red-zone role gives him another strong opportunity to find the end zone.