Club World Cup Preview – Top Goalscorers:
Before any major tournament or competition, one of the most popular futures markets to bet on is who will be the Top Goalscorer. With the Club World Cup expanding to a 32-team competition, there is more choice than ever before as we get to see some of the most prolific marksmen on the planet do battle.
I am looking to take on market leader Kylian Mbappé (+450), but with whom?
First, I will break down what I look for to make a shortlist. This format is very similar to the international teams World Cup, and I will lean on many years of experience from betting that tournament to establish what criteria I am looking for.
As the competition progresses, the teams become more evenly matched, games are often tighter, and defenders are better. Therefore, it is quite often the case the top scorer has done most of his heavy lifting in the group stage, normally hitting two or three goals ahead of the knockout stages. It does no harm if he also happens to be on penalty-taking duty, even more so in the days of VAR.
Mbappe was the top scorer at the last World Cup and ended the season well for Madrid, scoring nine goals across his last five appearances. He also scored in both outings for France in the recent international break against Spain and Germany.
There should be plenty of goals for Los Blancos, but plenty of the squad wanting a piece of the action, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to name but two. Will new boss Xabi Alonso be tempted to give Mbappé a little breather during the group stage if the opportunity arises, given his busy schedule in recent weeks?
Erling Haaland (+600) has a stubborn Juventus side to overcome in Group G and will need his Man City side to rediscover some of their form if they are to progress to at least the last eight. It is a similar story for Harry Kane (+700), who could get off to a flyer against Auckland or be rested should Vincent Kompany think his side can do without their star striker, given he played 150 minutes for England last week. That would leave two games against a tight Boca side and Benfica.
If you have read my piece about who is the best bet to win the FIFA Club World Cup, you will know I have put Borussia Dortmund forward at a juicy-looking +2500. A key part of that thought process is they have been placed in what looks like one of the easier groups. If things go to plan, they should have a very winnable fixture in the last 16.
Dortmund won their last six games of the season and scored at least three times in all of them. Serhou Guirassy hit the back of the net in each game, contributing a total of nine goals. I also mentioned the boost new head coach Niko Kovac had given BVB, and Guirassy has played in 19 of the 20 fixtures since the Croatian joined the club and scored a total of 16 goals.
The 29-year-old striker also fired in a competition-high 13 Champions League goals this season despite his side exiting at the quarter-final stage. Progress to at least that stage here (and hopefully beyond) should see the Guinea international once again amongst the top scorers and at a +1200 nearly three times the price of the market leader.
Other Club World Cup Preview Stories:
Tournament Betting Preview
Groups Preview
Best Props
Best Bets for Opening Weekend
