The opening of the World Cup is hours away but still feels like an eternity before the first kick. We’re concluding our series on the best prop bets for the World Cup—with some props that don’t really involve the sports.
One prop that’s been getting a lot of attention is the Winning Shirt Brand. Adidas and Nike are the two overwhelming favorites, largely because these two companies hold 70 percent of the global shirt market, leaving little for everybody else. Adidas is the slight favorite at 4/5 odds, as they sponsor tournament powerhouses—Argentina, Germany, and Spain. On the flip side, Nike comes with decent 6/4 odds, which could prove to be a bargain considering tournament favorites Brazil will be wearing the swoosh. France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and United States are wearing Nike gear in the World Cup, a strong enough contingent to be worth the odds that are being offered. Puma is the only other public sponsor in the tournament with other teams being outfitted by private international companies. On that end, Puma has 7/1 odds; a number tied directly to the World Cup hopes of Italy, Uruguay, Chile, Switzerland, Cameroon and the Ivory Coast.
The Continent of Winner prop is also a two-horse race, this time between Europe and South America. Both continents have 10/11 odds, which translates to being a coin flip between the two regions. Should a team from Africa make an incredible run and win the World Cup, a 40/1 payout will come from that. Central/North America is close at 50/1 while Asia (including Australia) has been priced at 100/1.
If you’re the scouting type and you have your eyes on some of the 21-and-under players competing in the World Cup, Ladbrokes’ Top Under 21 Goalscorer prop is right up your alley. The favorite to cash with this prop is Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku at 13/8 odds. After him, the odds drop to Italy’s Paul Pogba and Switzerland’s Josip Drmic, both of whom are being offered at 6/1 odds. Nigeria’s Ahmed Musa has 10/1 odds, same as South Korea’s Son Heung-min while a trio of young European talents—Germany’s Julian Draxler, Belgium’s Adnan Januzaj and England’s Raheem Sterling—have all been priced at 14/1 odds.
Finally, a Top Under 21 Goalscorer wouldn’t be complete without its counterpart, the Top Over 30 Goalscorer prop. Leading the tournament’s resident elder statesmen is Brazil’s Fred at 3/1 odds, followed closely by the Netherlands’ Robin Van Persie at 9/2. A pair of 6/1 odds are next, featuring two of the most feared goal scorers of the past decade.
Stand up and be recognized, Fernando Torres (Spain) and MiroslavKlose (Germany)!
Rounding out the list of notable names include Spain’s David Villa at 8/1 odds, the Netherlands’ ArjenRobben at 14/1, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba at 16/1, and the 2010 World Cup’s Golden Boot winner, Uruguay’s Diego Forlan at 25/1 odds.
