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The war of words between Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster seems unlikely to end any time soon. What might be the only thing to finish it? When the ultra-talented, ultra-confident wide receivers take the field in 2019, finally getting the opportunity to let their play do the talking.
In that vein, online sportsbook BetOnline.ag released a series of props relating to Brown and Smith-Schuster. Who will score more touchdowns between the two next season? Brown is currently the favorite at -150, while Smith-Schuster comes in at +120.
The smart money here is probably on Smith-Schuster. He broke out in a big way as a sophomore, building on a promising rookie season by becoming one of the most productive playmakers in all of football, finishing with 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven scores. Now entrenched as Ben Roethlisberger's top target, it's reasonable to expect Smith-Schuster to become an even bigger focal point of the Pittsburgh Steelers' offense, especially in the red zone, where the team must account for the absence of Brown, a player who led all receivers in touchdowns last season with 15.
Betting on Smith-Schuster isn't necessarily an indication of a lack of confidence in Brown. The six-time Pro Bowler was near the top of his game last season, and will be even more motivated than normal in his debut with the Oakland Raiders after a controversial offseason. But quarterback Derek Carr threw for just 19 scores last season, posting the third-worst touchdown percentage of the 26 quarterbacks who had at least 400 attempts.
Will Brown make Carr's life easier in the red zone, not to mention produce multiple explosive plays that result in touchdowns? Certainly. But with Roethlisberger playing at a near-MVP level in 2018, Smith-Schuster still seems the more prudent bet.
