There’s much more to World Cup odds than just betting on who wins these matches – or betting on the Draw, as I like to do. Just as with events American bettors are more accustomed to, the prop bet markets are boundless in World Cup betting.
Two popular markets are Golden Boot odds and Golden Ball odds. The Golden Boot goes to the player who scores the most goals in the tournament, while the Golden Ball goes to, ostensibly, the tournament MVP.
This year, it might just be one player snagging both honors, as France star Kylian Mbappé is currently favored to win both of the coveted awards.
Can the young star accomplish what hasn’t been done since Salvatore Schillaci of Italy did it in the 1990 World Cup? Let’s jump into the odds.
Kylian’s Cred
Mbappé is tearing it up in the World Cup. Through five matches – three in the group stage and two knockout stage games – he has five goals. He notched two goals in France’s 3-1 victory over Poland to open the knockout stage.
Further, Mbappé has assisted on two more goals, and the combo of scores and assists demonstrates why the Frenchman just might win both awards.
FOX Bet offers props on both markets, but the Golden Boot is getting the bulk of the attention.
“Mbappé is our biggest liability by a mile for Golden Boot winner,” FOX Bet sports trader Tieme Wesselink said. “He opened around +300. After his goal in the first game, he shortened up a little (+250). After his brace (two goals) in the second group match, he moved to be the clear favorite (-175).”
Indeed, against Denmark, Mbappé netted both of France’s goals in a 2-1 victory, with his 86th-minute tally breaking a 1-1 tie.
After no goals in the Quarterfinal game, Mbappé still has the best odds to win the golden boot (now -200 at FOX Bet), Argentina’s Lionel Messi is reasonably close in Golden Boot ticket count, with Mbappé at 15% and Messi at 14%. But the money behind those bets is a different matter, with the French standout netting a whopping 58% of all cash on that prop.
By comparison, Messi is seeing about 4.5% of the money.
RELATED: Golden Boot Tracker
Two-Man Chase
At BetMGM, which only offered Golden Boot for most prolific World Cup goalscorer, it’s been a two-man chase in tickets and money. Mbappé, who opened at +700 (7-1) and is now the strong -190 favorite, is No. 1 in bets and dollars drawn, followed by Argentina superstar Lionel Messi.
Messi has four goals thus far, along with two assists. In the round of 16, Messi netted Argentina’s opening goal in a 2-1 victory over Australia. He then went on to assist the first goal and score the second on a penalty against the Netherlands in the Quarterfinals. Messi is currently the +270 second choice in Golden Boot odds.
“Our liability/handle on the Golden Boot isn’t anything crazy. Messi is the only loser for the book right now,” BetMGM sports trader Seamus Magee while noting Mbappé is a small winner for the book. “Olivier Giroud who is currently +500 with 4 goals is another big winner for us.”
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
England vs. France preview: Can Harry Kane lead England past France?
The “FIFA World Cup Tonight” crew previews the England vs. France quarterfinal matchup and if the English can beat France.
Top stories from FOX Sports:
Get more from FIFA World Cup 2022 Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
