The October international break is here, so it’s a great time to dish out some of the best soccer bets on scoring player props. We’ll cover the upcoming European World Cup qualifiers from Thursday (October 9) to Saturday (October 11).
So far, Norway have been the most dominant team in qualifiers. Led by the currently-injured Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland, Norway are 5-0 with a +21 goal difference. Haaland leads the qualifying field, with nine goals, while Odegaard is leading the way with seven assists.
Stay tuned for Haaland player props and others from this week’s slate of games.
Player Props: 1. Mikel Merino to Score vs Georgia (+160) at BetMGM
Mikel Merino may be a confusing player, but he performs at his best for the Spanish National Team, where he’s a regular starter. Merino recently scored a clutch headed goal against Newcastle that sparked Arsenal’s comeback victory.
The midfielder, and sometimes striker, has four goals in his last two games for Spain, including a hat trick last month against Turkey. He now leads UEFA Qualifiers, with two goals per 90 minutes. Take Merino to score on Saturday against a Georgia side that conceded three goals to Turkey last month, at +160 odds.
Player Props: Rasmus Hojlund to Score vs Belarus (-110) at BetMGM
Rasmus Hojlund has hit the ground running during his loan spell at Napoli. The Danish striker scored three goals for the Partenopei in his final two games before the international break. He even earned a comparison to Erling Haaland by Napoli teammate Kevin De Bruyne.
Last month, Hojlund only needed 42 minutes of international action to get on the scoresheet, as he found the net against Greece. He’s a -110 anytime goalscorer on Thursday against a Belarus side that conceded seven goals in two games last month.
3. Erling Haaland to Score 2+ Goals vs Israel (+210) at FanDuel
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe are currently the most in-form strikers in world football. Haaland is on a nine-game scoring streak for club and country and has found the net an absurd 16 times in those games. He’s scored multiple goals in four of those nine games as well.
Last month, Haaland scored five goals in a match for Norway against Moldova. He sits at +210 odds to score 2+ goals on Saturday against Israel, who conceded five goals to Italy last month. Haaland won’t have Martin Odegaard to feed him through balls this month, but he can still do a lot of damage.
4. Kylian Mbappe to Score 3+ Goals vs Azerbaijan (+400) at BetMGM
PKylian Mbappe has also scored in nine straight games for club and country. The Real Madrid man has scored 2+ goals in three of his last six games and netted a recent Champions League hat trick against Kairat.
Mbappe sits at +120 odds to score 2+ goals against Azerbaijan, who lost 5-0 to Iceland last month. Another hat trick could be on the cards for Mbappe on Friday against a team that France are much better than.
5. Cristiano Ronaldo to Score and Portugal to Win vs Ireland (-175) at BetMGM
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to defy father time, as international soccer’s all-time leading goalscorer has put his name on the scoresheet in five straight games for Portugal. He’s averaging 4.4 shots on target per 90 minutes, which leads the UEFA World Cup Qualifying field.
Ronaldo found the net three times in two games for Portugal last month and should be able to put one, or more, past Ireland on Saturday. Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal beat Ireland 3-0 in a friendly last year. So, take him to score and Portugal to win at -175 combined odds.
6. Memphis Depay to Score First vs Malta (+270) at BetMGM
Last month, Memphis Depay became the Netherlands’ all-time leading goalscorer with two goals in a 3-2 win over Lithuania. Depay scored the first goal of that game. He also scored the game’s first two goals as the Netherlands crushed Malta 8-0 back in June.
The odds (+270) are favorable for Depay to be the first name on the scoresheet in the reverse fixture against Malta.
7. Andrej Kramaric to score vs Czechia (+225) at BetMGM
Croatia forward Andrej Kramaric hasn’t typically been the most consistent for the national team, but he’s in the midst of his best-ever spell. The 34-year-old has scored six goals in his last four games for Croatia. Kramaric will look to extend his scoring streak to five when unbeaten Croatia head to Czechia on Thursday.
Kramaric scored two goals in a 5-1 win in the reverse fixture. So, I like his odds (+225) to get on the scoresheet here as well.
8. Edin Dzeko to Score vs Cyprus (+165) at BetMGM
Edin Dzeko is another one who is turning back the clock with his recent performances for Bosnia. The now-Fiorentina striker has scored in three straight competitive matches for Bosnia, who are in the running for World Cup qualification.
They’ll need him to have a big game on the road at Cyprus, who have conceded seven goals in their last four qualifiers. Take Dzeko to score, at +165 odds, on Thursday.
Player Props: 9. Nikola Krstovic to Score vs Faroe Islands (+225)
Somehow, Atalanta and Montenegro striker Nikola Krstovic hasn’t found the net yet in World Cup Qualifiers. Krstovic is averaging 5.8 shots per 90 minutes, but hasn’t yet gotten on the scoresheet. I think that could change against the Faroe Islands on Thursday.
Back Krstovic to get his first WCQ goal, at +225 odds.
Player Props: 10. Marcel Sabitzer to Score First vs San Marino (+333)
Marcel Sabitzer tends to be able to play further up the pitch when he dons an Austria kit. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder scored in both of Austria’s games last month and is averaging 3.5 shots on target per 90 minutes during World Cup Qualifiers.
He should have a fair few chances to get on the scoresheet against lowly San Marino on Thursday. So, I’m going with him to score the first goal of the match, at +333 odds.
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