It’s certainly not a winning long-term sports betting strategy, but what bettor doesn’t dream of turning a minimal stake into a sizable payout? In that vein, here are five long shot bets for NFC and AFC Championship Sunday which I feel have a better chance of cashing than their long odds imply. Tag along by taking advantage of our top online sportsbook promo offers, which currently are extending up to a combined $6,550 in new customer welcome bonuses (see below).     To qualify for our long shot list, we’ll go with bets possessing 10-to-1 (+1000) odds or longer. That means you’ll see a parlay or two included, but the legs will be correlated and/or kept to a minimum.   Best long shot NFL bets: Zach Ertz touchdown props In quiet, under-the-radar fashion, veteran tight end Zach Ertz has been the second-most popular and productive target for Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels this season. Ertz is second on the team in targets (100), receptions (66) and touchdown catches (8) in 19 games this season, including a pair of playoff contests. During the regular season, Ertz ranked ninth in the league with 21 red zone targets, reeling in 13 of them for 92 yards and seven TDs. Coordinator Vic Fangio’s Philadelphia Eagles defense ranks among the league’s best in most statistical categories, but Philly did surrender a season-high 36 points in their most recent meeting with the Commanders — a 3-point road loss in Week 16. Ertz is in the +300 range to score a TD Sunday, but his long shot odds to score the game’s first (+2200 DraftKings) or multiple TDs (+2800 DK) are definitely worth a look. Best long shot NFL bets: Saquon Barkley big day same game parlay In the two meetings against the Commanders this season, Barkley rushed for 146 and 150 yards with a pair of touchdowns in each contest. The Washington defense, meanwhile, surrendered the league’s fourth-most rushing yards (1,935) to opposing running backs during the regular season. And the opposition’s  RBs also have tallied 20 TDs against the Commanders, including three in two games this postseason. Overall this season, Barkley has rushed for at least 140 yards in eight of 19 games and has had 26-or-more rushing attempts in six of them. The Eagles are 7-1 in those eight contests. The league’s leading rusher has scored a TD in 10 of 19 games, tallying multiple scores in seven of those 10 outings. So with those numbers in mind, the following same game parlay (+1100 DraftKings) might not seem so outlandish: > Barkley anytime TD scorer > Barkley 200+ rushing yards > Barkley 25+ rushing attempts > Eagles -6 Best long shot NFL bets: TD scorer parlay FanDuel has an intriguing variety of “Weekly Specials” posted for Championship Sunday, including a touchdown-scorer parlay featuring five players: Barkley, Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Buffalo Bills running back James Cook and wideout Keon Coleman. The condition is that any four of the five score a touchdown Sunday (+1000 FanDuel). The quintet has scored a combined 59 TDs in 87 total games this season, including six combined scores so far this postseason. Weather conditions aren’t expected to be much of a factor Sunday, and this prop special has a shot if high-scoring shootouts develop in either or both matchups. Best long shot NFL bets: Octopus sighting? Yes, the ever-popular player Octopus prop odds can be found this weekend (+1400 DraftKings) on both games. Barkley and Ertz have accounted for two of this season's nine octopi — occurring when the same player scores a TD and the ensuing successful two-point conversion (rushing or receiving). Eagles QB Jalen Hurts has two career octopi, and Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has one. Meanwhile Bills QB Josh Allen is still waiting on his first octopus — a surprise given his elite rushing skills (72 career rushing TDs and four successful 2-point conversion runs). Daniels, of course, is wrapping up Year 1 but is certainly an octopus candidate as well given his dual-threat prowess. Bet a nominal amount on the octopus “yes” props in both games and make a hefty profit if there’s one in either.