World Cup 2018 Odds: Six Best Prop Bets For FIFA Soccer Championship
The 2018 FIFA World Cup wouldn’t be such a gambling frenzy without all those prop bets.
Individual games and tournament-futures betting offers some fans a chance to wager at the surface level, but other viewers will dig deeper into the action through prop betting. Game-score props, order of group finishes, Golden Boot for top goal scorer and Golden Ball for best player at the are the most popular World Cup prop bets, as are bets on how far each team will advance in the knockout phase of the tournament.
Click for the full list of World Cup prop bets and be sure to check out our World Cup predictions.
Now let’s look at some of the best World Cup 2018 prop bets. All lines are via oddsshark.com.
Golden Ball
1. Neymar (Brazil) +700
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) +900
3. Antoine Griezmann (France) +1800
3. Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) +1800
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) +2000
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) +2000
5. David Silva (Spain) +2000
Oddsmakers predict a changing of the guard, with Neymar dethroning Messi as Golden Ball winner. They’re good picks, as Brazil, and to a lesser extent Argentina, both have a great opportunity to reach at least the semifinal. Ronaldo’s odds are long, but he’s capable of raising his game at key moments and dragging his team further than anyone previously expected.
Golden Boot
1. Neymar (Brazil) +900
2. Lionel Messi (Argentina) +1100
3. Antoine Griezmann (France) +1200
4. Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) +1400
5. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) +1600
5. Harry Kane (England) +1600
5. Timo Werner (Germany) +1600
5. Romelu Lukaku (Belgium) +1600
14. Thomas Muller (Germany) +3300
Messi and Neymar once again headline this list, as their goals are expected to fuel their respective team’s pursuit of glory. Werner is intriguing since he might spearhead the attack of a Germany team that should enjoy a deep run in an effort to defend its title. But don’t count out Muller, who scored five goals in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
World Cup finalists
1. Germany vs. Brazil +1000
2. Germany vs. France +1400
2. Brazil vs. Spain +1400
4. France vs. Spain +1800
5. Brazil vs. Argentina +1800
Many are filling out World Cup brackets to profit off this prop. Among these favorites, we like Germany vs. Brazil and Brazil vs. Argentina most due to Spain’s de-stabilizing coaching upheaval and our controversially dampened opinion of France.
Highest-scoring team
1. Brazil +350
2. Germany +500
3. France +600
3. Spain +600
5. Argentina +800
5. Belgium +800
Everybody loves goals, right? Traditional powers rightfully take their place among the favorites, but we like Belgium because of its array of attacking talent, the ease of its Group G opponents and chances of reaching the quarterfinals or beyond.
Goal scorer matchup: Cristiano Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi
Ronaldo +120
Messi -155
It wouldn’t be a World Cup with a Messi vs. Ronaldo subplot. Many fans will pit the two best soccer players in a head-to-head shootout. Messi looks like the right pick, as his Argentina team has more attacking options, thus creating space for him, while Portugal’s opponents can attempt to suffocate Ronaldo without the same threat they’d face against Argentina.
Top Team Goal goal scorer – Liverpool
1. Roberto Firmino (Brazil) +200
2. Mohamed Salah (Egypt) +225
2. Sadio Mane (Senegal) +225
Liverpool’s front three terrorized English and European defenses last season but how will they fare as separate forces at the World Cup? Salah’s shoulder injury and Egypt’s muted prospects makes us avoid him in this prop. Firmino might not start for Brazil, leaving Mane as the best pick to represent the Reds with goals.
