Banking on the World Cup’s Leading Goalscorer

Here at World Cup Blog, the only kind of money we ever gamble is the kind found in a game of Monopoly. But just because we aren’t throwing our money around like Paris Hilton on a shopping spree doesn’t mean we don’t keep an eye on what the oddsmakers are saying.

Today we hopped around a few sites to take a look at the early betting lines to see who the experts think will end up as the leading goalscorer at the World Cup.

Not surprisingly, Ronaldo is the consensus favorite with 10-1 odds. His teammates Adriano and Ronaldinho also figure into most linemakers’ top ten lists. The question I have about Brazil is with so many players able to score will there be enough of an opportunity for one player to score the number of goals it will take to lead the pack?

Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney also are teammates given good odds of winning the Golden Boot with Hernan Crespo, Luca Toni, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Thierry Henry all figuring into the mix.

It is fairly easy to see a scenario where any of those players, if on form and if they play enough games, could lead the field.

The one player I think presents the best odds, if you choose to use your Monopoly money, is Ukraine’s Andriy Shevchenko at 21-1. A proven goal scorer, I think Shevchenko will have his way with his first round opponents: Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Spain. The only question is whether Ukraine will advance far enough for Shevchenko to stay on top.

Further down the list is Cote d’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba at 66-1. Watching Drogba play at the African Nations Cup it is hard to imagine him not finishing near the top at the World Cup. If his team wasn’t in the Group of Death he would certainly have to be more heavily favored.

If you had to make a bet today, who would be your Golden Boot? Remember, Park Place is riding on your answer…