Kane, Salah Lead the Way in Top Goalscorer Futures Odds

With Manchester City winning the Premier League by 19 points last season, the race for the title was certainly not the most thrilling. The race for the Premier League’s top goalscorer, however, provided a jolt of excitement to fans and bettors as Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah battled for the golden boot. Salah won the top goalscorer race 32-30 but it is Kane who tops the oddsboard to win that distinction in 2018-19.

The staggering thing here is that if you’d bet Salah ahead of the season to be the Premier League’s top goalscorer, one year ago to the day or thereabouts, you would have gotten him at the incredible price of 50/1.

Online shop Sportsbook lists Kane at +300 with Salah at +450 for the upcoming Premier League campaign. Tottenham’s Kane had won the top goalscorer race the two seasons previous and was very close to winning his third straight as the oddsmaker’s choice at +275 before the start of last season.

We all know about the exploits of Kane and Salah, but is there someone on the board who can trump these two? Is there someone on the list who can cash in at the steep price of 50/1 like Salah did last season?

Well, let’s take a look at some potential candidates.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (+700)

The former Borussia Dortmund and Saint-Etienne striker scored 10 goals in just 13 appearances for Arsenal after moving to North London in January, a clip of one goal per 106 minutes. For the sake of comparison, Kane bagged one goal every 103 minutes while Salah managed one goal every 91 minutes.

Aubameyang was incredibly prolific for the Gunners and fit in immediately. He scored in his first Premier League game and finished his campaign with four in his last three. Furthermore, he added four assists in his 13 league appearances so he looks to be a focal point in the Gunners’ attack.

There’s a new manager in town in Unai Emery but whether the new boss uses a 4-3-3 like he did at PSG or a 4-2-3-1 like he used at Sevilla, you can fully expect Aubameyang to have another prolific season and lead the line in what looks to be a very dangerous attack in North London.

Eden Hazard (+3300)

We all know just how good Eden Hazard is, but he really made a statement with some brilliant football for Belgium at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Chelsea playmaker was instrumental in helping lead Belgium to a third-place finish and has equally been integral to the Blues since coming over from Lille all the way back in 2012. He bagged a dozen goals in the league last season and scored a career-high 16 the season before.

What’s interesting about Hazard this year, other than the attractive 33/1 odds, is that now he’ll be playing under Maurizio Sarri, the ex-Napoli boss who looks to bring his incredibly attractive brand of football to London and Hazard could very well be a big beneficiary.

Sarri’s sides are known for intricate passing and heady off-the-ball runs and movement to find just a small amount of space. Midfield table-setter Jorginho has already come over and Hazard could find a lot of goals from his wide position. Look at what Sarri has done for the likes Dries Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon.

It might take time for players to adapt to Sarri’s system, but if it clicks, it’s going to be lovely to watch and Hazard could be in for some career-high goalscoring.

Marcus Rashford (+5000)

Looking for that +5000 value that Salah had entering last season? Look no further than Marcus Rashford at that same price.

The Manchester United youngster has just 17 goals in 78 appearances, but is poised for a breakout season for the Red Devils. He bagged a career-high seven last season and can play at either wing but is certainly best served as a center-forward.

Taking that position away from the hulking Romelu Lukaku might not be as difficult as you may think.

Lukaku, who is currently +850 to be the league’s top goalscorer, had 16 goals last year but he has a penchant for scoring against bottom-half clubs and hiding against bigger clubs. In fact, 13 of his 16 goals came against bottom-half teams with only goals against Chelsea (fifth), Everton (eighth) and Newcastle (10th) coming against the top half of the table.

United would expect more goals against bigger opponents from a center-forward and maybe more minutes at that position is in the cards for Rashford. He’s one of England’s brightest young talents and should see more meaningful minutes in 2018-19.

Here’s a look at the complete oddsboard:

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At the tender age of 24, Harry Kane has taken to scoring in the Premier League like a fish to water. The Tottenham man has bagged 78 goals in his first 102 matches played in Prem, won two straight Golden Boots and as the betting favorite to once again lead England’s top flight in goal scoring, Hurricane Harry could be well on his way to joining Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry as the only men to do so in three straight seasons.

So, what’s stopping him? A little thing called Wembley Stadium. London’s premier sporting venue will host all 19 of Tottenham’s home fixtures in the 2017-18 EPL season and as an unabashed Spurs fan, I’m incredibly worried.

Tottenham called Wembley home for its brief Champions League campaign last year and in three matches there, Spurs managed to bend the twine just four times and they were shut out by Bayer Leverkusen. While I’m confident they’ll figure out how to nick some results at Wembley, the chances that the stadium becomes the fortress that White Hart Lane was for the club are slim.

Because of this, Kane’s world-class production could slip and his +275 odds at Sportsbook to take a third successive Golden Boot are not the most attractive on the board.

Beyond Harry, it’s Romelu Lukaku (+400), Sergio Aguero (+550), Gabriel Jesus (+800), Diego Costa (+1000), Alvaro Morata (+1000), Alexandre Lacazette (+1100) and Alexis Sanchez (+1200) rounding out the top eight.

Of that group, Manchester United’s new man could be the best candidate. Lukaku’s 25 goals last campaign were good enough to earn the Belgian a silver medal but with guys like Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan now seeking out the striker in the attacking third, it’s not unreasonable to think he’ll score 30.

New to the Prem, Morata is in interesting plays as well. If Costa does indeed turn his papers, Chelsea’s newest toy will be the main man at Stamford Bridge and he could have a big year assuming he adjusts well to the English style.

Arsene Wenger managed to temporarily quash the “Wenger Out” chants by breaking open the piggy bank and splurging on Lacazette but with Alexis still in the fold, there may be too many mouths to feed in North London for Alexandre to get a taste of the lead. Twenty is a realistic ceiling for the Frenchman.

Here’s the current list for goal-scoring futures up at Sportsbook:

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Scoring four goals in an English Premier League game will do one of at least two things. 1. It will get your team a win, 99.9 percent of the time. 2. It will rocket you up the goal-scoring futures. Well, that’s exactly what Romelu Lukaku did against Bournemouth in Everton’s Week 24 matchup with the Cherries and that four-goal outburst launched him into first place in the EPL goal-scoring race.

When we last checked in, the big Belgian striker was +2000 to win the Golden Boot at Sportsbook and I suggested that you’d be wise to hook on to that value. Fast-forward to February 10 and Lukaku is now +400 to pace the league in goals – a number that’s not far off Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s +300 line as the favorite. I’m not at all suggesting you should go all in on the Everton striker, however, as his goals usually come in huge bursts. He’s scored nine of his 16 domestic league goals in just three matches so it’s likely he goes through another slump. If he does, his value will be bumped way up again and that’s when you should pounce all over Lukaku like he would a bouncing ball in the box.

The theme of this update is value, as I think oddsmakers did a poor job putting this list together. Two guys who I believe should be targeted, heading into Week 25, are Alexis Sanchez (+800) and Jermain Defoe (+1600). Defoe has bent the twine five times in his last six EPL matches and will be used unsparingly down the stretch run as Sunderland manager David Moyes tries to lift his team out of the relegation zone. The former Spur has not missed a match all season and, if he’s able to avoid injury, should play and start in the Black Cats’ remaining 13. He has 14 league goals this season so why he’s offering this much value is well beyond me.

Alexis is an interesting case. He sits one goal behind Lukaku for the league lead with 15 and has been one of only two or three standout players for Arsenal this season. He’s been a little erratic and emotional of late, however, and could take away from the Gunners’ 2017-18 Champions League bid. Arsene Wenger will not hesitate to find a spot on the bench for the Chilean if this behavior keeps up as it’s almost a guarantee he’ll be shipped out of London during the summer transfer window. That said, he’ll want to boost his value as much as he can heading into the sunny season and will be looking for goal as often as he’s able. As long as Alexis continues to play at the top of the Arsenal formation – where he has 14 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions – he’ll continue to rack up the points.

A man who would immediately benefit from an Alexis benching would be Frenchman Olivier Giroud. The French striker sits well back – not Welbeck – with eight goals but has been absolutely clinical in his limited appearances. He’s seen the pitch just 11 times through 24 EPL matches and has a point for every one of those apps. If he was to suddenly start getting capped, he could shoot up the leaderboard and is worth a poke at +8000.

Here’s the current list for goal-scoring futures up at Sportsbook:

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With 14 Premier League goals in 19 appearances, Chelsea’s Spanish striker Diego Costa continues to pace the field. The native of Brazil has been the beneficiary of the brilliant team play that’s been generated by the Blues this season and collected seven goals in nine appearances during his team’s record-tying win streak.

Oddsmakers are still favoring Costa to end the season with the highest goals tally and Sportsbook has pegged him with +165 odds to lift the Golden Boot. If everything stays status quo, Costa has a great chance to win the award. The problem is that it looks like Chelsea wants to shake things up by adding a striker during the transfer window. Antonio Conte’s prime target right now is Swansea goal scorer Fernando Llorente. The Spaniard has six goals in just 13 appearances and could steal some starts from his countryman if the transfer is completed.

Someone I’m surprised to not see on this list is a man who now goes by Dele. The 20-year-old Tottenham midfielder is looking like he could be the next David Beckham but actually reached 20 Premier League goals 38 appearances faster than the England legend did. He’s potted seven goals in Tottenham’s last four games and now sits even with his teammate Harry Kane at 10. The kid is heating up at a scary pace and if you can find a spot to bet on him, it probably couldn’t hurt to give him a sprinkle.

Old man Ibrah keeps on doing what he’s done his entire career – score when it looks like it's no longer possible. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has eight goals in his last seven EPL appearances and has claimed dominance over England in a recent interview. But Ibrah, I thought you had already planted that flag?

It took Zlatan about 20 games to adjust to the pace of the Prem but it looks like he’s figured it out. He’s +350 to be England’s top goal scorer at the end of the season and I might lay some money down just to make Man United games more interesting. Although an aggravating endeavor, putting action on Jose Mourinho-managed teams is the only thing I've found that spices up his snoozers. Well, that and drinking.

Sergio Aguero is never a bad bet but if he continues to do things that limit his ability to play, he won’t have a chance. He’s made just 12 EPL appearances this year as he’s had to deal with a four-game suspension as well as some minor injuries.

In my opinion, your money is better spent on a player like Romelu Lukaku (+2000) or Alexis Sanchez (+600) over Aguero. Sanchez has 20 points, including 13 goals, and has been in absolutely brilliant form for Arsenal. 

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At the beginning of the 2016-17 Premier League season, it looked like Zlatan Ibrahimovic could run away with the goal-scoring race. That is not the case anymore as Zlatan and the rest of the Manchester United Red Devils, who were red-hot out of the gates, have slowed to a crawl.

Ibrah has not scored in five straight EPL matches and his odds to win the Golden Boot have dropped from +350 to +900. It has become clear that the once-prolific goal scorer now lacks the ability to be a dynamic striker in a league that could be the toughest for guys at his position to succeed. Zlatan is not getting any younger and if he keeps going goalless, he might just lose his job.

Chelsea’s main man up front, Diego Costa, currently leads England’s top flight in goals scored and has leaped from +1000 to +400 since the time of our last update. I have to eat my hat on this one as my prediction was that Costa would be sold and that Michy Batshuayi would take over as the guy scoring goals for the Blue. Oddsmakers had given that possibility real thought as they once had the Belgian striker as the fourth-favorite to lead the league in goals. He now sits at a lofty +8000 at Sportsbook and would have to go on a tear to catch up to the leaders – assuming he’s ever awarded more minutes.

Perennial Golden Boot favorite Sergio Aguero has led the odds since the Premier League kicked off and is well within striking distance of Costa with five goals to his illustrious name. If the agile Argentinian can manage to stay fit, he will stay near the goal-scoring lead all season and is always a good bet at plus money.

Romelu Lukaku has ping-ponged back and forth in odds tables but now sits at a very comfortable betting number at +800. Although Everton has had one of the softest schedules of any team, the big Belgian has proved he can still score in bunches as he has six of his seven goals in his last five games.

Here’s the current list of top goal-scorer odds at Sportsbook:

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Just two games into the Premier League season we are starting to get a better picture of who will be the goal scorers for their respective teams. Sergio Aguero of Manchester City and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United are currently pacing the league with three goals apiece.  

Aguero was the favorite to win the Golden Boot before the season and it looks like he’s going to face some stiff competition from his crosstown rival Ibrahimovic. They have both been clinical when chances have fallen to them and now sit at +225 and +350 respectively in goal scoring futures at Sportsbook.

One of my favorite new players in the EPL this season is Michy Batshuayi. He was my dark horse to take the Golden Boot this year and has made the absolute most of his opportunities so far. The Belgian striker has played just 22 minutes this year but already has two points, a goal and an assist. If Diego Costa continues to be a knob – which I’m betting he will – Batshuayi will be the recipient of the minutes Costa gives up if he gets sold or suspended.  

Last year’s Golden Boot Sportsbook Harry Kane has yet to find the back of the net but that could change this weekend when he and his North London club pay a visit to Liverpool. The floodgates to the Reds’ goal have been wide open so far so Harry could get right back into the mix and still makes for a good value play at +1000.

Jamie Vardy has also failed to bulge the twine through Leicester’s first two games. The defending Premier League champs look like they want no part in repeating as they’ve earned just one point so far out of a possible six. Their lack of possession is a problem for goal scoring prospects if their counterattack is not sharp – and so far, it has not been.

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The Premier League season is just around the corner and with that comes futures, lovely, lovely futures. A flurry of them have been released by online sportsbooks and OddsShark will be breaking them all down in the run-up to this season's kickoff.

Top goal scorer is one of the most fun futures as some real long shots have a chance to top the charts. Last season, the Sportsbook Harry Kane, scored 25 in his Golden Boot campaign and was +1450 to win the award before the season. He is currently +500 to win the award for the second year in a row on Sportsbook.

Since 1992, only three players – Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie – have ever won back-to-back Golden Boots. With the number of high-level scorers in the Premier League and the development of players like Dele Alli on Tottenham, it is unlikely Kane will repeat as the league’s top goal scorer this year.

Sergio "Kun" Agüero is the +350 favorite to win the award for the second time in his career and it’s hard to argue against that. Man City are the favorites to win the EPL after spending a ton of money between seasons and top goal scorers almost always come from teams at the top of the table.

If Romelu Lukaku stays at Everton this season, +1200 is insane value. He is one of the most dangerous goal scorers in the world let alone the Premier League and will be leaned on heavily to provide Everton’s offense. Last season, the Belgian had 18 goals in 37 EPL appearances. His 18 goals were good for fourth in the league scoring race.

Vardy (+1200) was tied for second last season with 24 goals but is expected to regress right along with Leicester City who can’t possibly replicate what they produced last season – can they?

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Tottenham thumped Manchester United 3-0 over the weekend but Premier League leading scorer Harry Kane failed to hit the back of the net while Leicester’s Jamie Vardy scored both in the Foxes’ 2-0 win over Sunderland. Vardy was able to close the gap in the race to be the leading scorer in England’s top flight and the odds have been adjusted accordingly with just a handful of games remaining.

Both Tottenham and Leicester have five games remaining and Kane enters the weekend with 22 goals while Vardy has 21. The Tottenham striker entered last weekend as the -225 favorite to finish the season as the league’s top scorer at online shop Sportsbook while Vardy was +500. Vardy’s brace has now moved him to +225.

The remaining schedule for both clubs includes some tough fixtures but the race is essentially down to the two English strikers. Leicester has home games versus West Ham, Swansea and Everton and is on the road to Manchester United and Chelsea. Tottenham has West Brom and Southampton visiting White Hart Lane and is away versus Stoke, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board:

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane began the season with zero goals in his first six Premier League games and had many calling him a “one-season wonder” following his stellar 2014-15 campaign.

Kane has since proven all of the naysayers wrong as he leads the Premier League with 22 goals heading into the weekend and has a firm grip on the top goalscorer race. He is finishing the campaign in top form as he has scored six goals in his last four four Premier League games and has moved to -225 at online shop Sportsbook in goalscorer futures with six games remaining on Tottenham’s schedule.

Leicester’s Jamie Vardy is second in goalscoring with 19 and is tied for second on the odds board with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku at +500. Lukaku is one goal behind Vardy at 18, but the Toffees have played two less games (30) than Tottenham and Leicester.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board:

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Tottenham Hotspur probably played their best 90 minutes of football in a 3-0 masterclass versus Bournemouth last weekend. Striker Harry Kane registered a pair of goals in the win, upping his season tally to 21 in the process. He may have started the season slowly, but the England international is firing on all cylinders when the North London club need him the most.

Kane has five goals in his last three Premier League games and is two up on Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy. The 22-year-old is now the favorite to be the league’s top scorer at online shop Sportsbook at -200 on the odds board.

Vardy, who has led the way for large swaths of the season, is behind Kane and even with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku at +450. The Leicester hitman has not scored in five-straight matches with his last goal coming in the Foxes’ 2-1 defeat versus Arsenal back on February 14.

Lukaku, Everton’s leading scorer with 18 goals, was held off the scoresheet in the Toffees’ 2-0 loss to Arsenal, but does have six goals in his previous seven matches in all competitions.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board:

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Both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have closed the gap on table-toppers Leicester City in the Premier League, but goalscoring-machine Jamie Vardy keeps distancing himself from the rest of the field, providing potentially a little more value in Top Goalscorer futures than backing the Foxes in title futures.

Vardy leads the Premier League with 19 goals through 26 games played, three up on the likes of Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku and five up on a handful of other forwards. He's presently tabbed at +138 to finish as top scorer at online shop Sportsbook.

Vardy has bagged four goals in his last four games after a dry spell where he went without one in late December and early January.

Perhaps the most crucial element to consider here is the fact that Leicester is only playing Premier League games from here on out. The likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City are still playing in Europe and have domestic cup fixtures left as well.

Vardy will be well rested in between Premier League matches without the added games.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board:

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A two-goal performance versus Liverpool, including a goal-of-the-year candidate, now has Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy at the top of the Premier League goalscorer’s leaderboard. Much like his club that sits atop the Premier League table, however, Vardy still doesn’t seem to get the respect he so deserves as he is not the favorite to be top scorer by season’s end.

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero is presently four goals behind Vardy but is the favorite at online shop Sportsbook at +200 to be the Premier League’s top goalscorer. Vardy, who trails Aguero in the futures board at +225, leads the Premier League with 18 goals heading into the next matchday – two goals ahead of Everton’s Romelu Lukakau and three goals ahead of Tottenham’s Harry Kane. Tied with Aguero at 14 goals are Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and Watford’s Odion Ighalo.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board:

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We are over the midway point of the 2015-16 Barclays Premier League season and the race to become the league’s top goalscorer is as tight as the race to win the league.

Online shop Sportsbook has updated their Premier League Top Goalscorer futures board and it’s Everton’s Romelu Lukaku that is tabbed as the favorite at +210.

The Toffees’ hitman is tied for the lead with Leicester’s Jamie Vardy at 15 goals. Lukaku has gone quiet recently, however, as he has failed to find the back of the net in his previous three Premier League contests.

Speaking of Vardy, the Leicester striker is fourth on the board at +575 despite being tied for the league lead with Lukaku. The Foxes are second in the league with 44 points (behind Arsenal on goal differential) and Vardy has been one of the main reason's why. But like Lukaku, Vardy has gone quiet and hasn’t scored in the previous six games as the Premier League heads into the weekend.

Here is a list of what online shop Sportsbook is offering on the Top Goalscorer futures board: