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EFL Championship Top Goalscorer Odds Favor Aleksandar Mitrovic at +550

Gary Gowers

by Gary Gowers in Soccer News

Updated Aug 5, 2021 · 5:39 AM PDT

Aleksandar Mitrovic
Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Craven Cottage stadium in London, England, Friday, April 9, 2021.(Andrew Couldridge/Pool via AP)
  • The new EFL Championship season kicks off on Friday,  August 6th at 2:45 pm EST with Bournemouth vs West Brom
  • With Fulham among the favorites for promotion, Aleksandar Mitrovic has been installed as a favorite for the Golden Boot
  • We look at possible winners of the Golden Boot, take a look at the odds, and offer a best bet below

The 2021-22 EFL Championship season kicks off on Friday,  August 6th at 2:45 pm EST with Bournemouth vs West Brom, and so what better time to look at the runners and riders in the battle for the division’s Golden Boot.

Leading the field at the moment, according to the bookies, is Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic as the Cottagers, along with West Brom and Sheffield United, look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Blackburn’s Adam Armstrong, the reported target for some Premier League clubs over the summer, is also highly fancied.

We list the odds, look at the other players who are in the frame, and offer below our best bet.

EFL Championship 2021-22 Leading Scorer Odds

Player Odds
Aleksandar Mitrovic +550
Adam Armstrong +750
Karlan Ahearne-Grant +1400
Kieffer Moore +1400
Dominic Solanke +1400
Rhian Brewster +1600
Charlie Austin +2000
Lucas Joao +2000
Jonson Clarke-Harris +2200
Oliver McBurnie +2200
Lewis Grabban +2200
Callum Robinson +2500
David McGoldrick +2800
James Collins +3500
Jamal Lowe +3500
Carlton Morris +3500
Matheus Pereira +3500
Lyndon Dykes +3500
Jerry Yates +4000
Kenneth Zohore +4000

Odds as of August 4, and more available at DraftKings

Mitrovic to Lead Fulham Charge

The three relegated teams – Fulham, West Brom and Sheffield United – are favorites to go straight back up to the EPL, so it is no surprise to see Fulham’s Mitrovic leading the betting for the Championship’s Golden Boot for 2021-22. The Serb has been the main man in each of the Cottagers’ recent promotions from the Championship and, while he has found goals hard to come by in the PL, he has proven himself to be a prolific scorer in the second tier.

With  Marco Silva replacing Scott Parker in the Craven Cottage hot seat, Fulham is expected to be in the hunt for automatic promotion and so will be among the goals. If he stays fit, it is almost certain that Mitrovic will be leading that charge. At +550 he is hard to ignore.

Armstrong Off to Premier League?

Second favorite, Blackburn’s Adam Armstrong, is an interesting one. Rovers are not expected to be among the teams vying for the automatic promotion places and, at best, can be regarded as an outside bet for a top-six place, but Armstrong is still expected to be among the leading scorers in the league. This speaks volumes for the striker’s quality and is why he has been linked with a few Premier League teams over the summer. On that basis, I would advise waiting until the transfer window closes (August 31) before betting on Armstrong, but if he stays or joins another Championship team he is a genuine contender.

Solanke in With a Shout With the Cherries?

On the same basis as Fulham, West Brom should be there in the end-of-season shake-up, and so Karlan Ahearne-Grant is among the joint third favorites for a logical reason, but other than one exceptional season in the Championship for Huddersfield, he has never hinted at being a prolific scorer at this level. A more interesting bet at the same price (+1400) is Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke, who is finally starting to show the potential that he showed as a youngster at Liverpool. With Scott Parker now in charge of the Cherries, this could be a big season for the south coast team and I expect Solanke to be at the heart of it.

The other +1400 shot is Cardiff City’s Kieffer Moore, who recently led the Welsh line with some distinction in the European Championships. While the giant striker has never been close to being a 20-goal-a-season man, he is playing in a side managed by Mick McCarthy who always makes a big striker the focal point of his teams. This could be a big season for Moore but at +1400 he is not great value compared to Solanke.

Collins the Outsider

One of the +2000 shots worth keeping an eye on is Reading’s Lucas Joao, who had a fine first half of last season but well away in the second. If the big Portuguese striker can maintain his form over the whole campaign, he too could be edging the 20-goal mark, especially if the Royals are able to make the playoffs this time around. One worth watching.

Finally, for a big outsider, I suggest looking no further than new Cardiff City signing James Collins – on offer at a juicy +3500. The former Luton striker has had a difficult couple of seasons but has been a 20+ goals-a-season man in the past and his new surroundings may just help him rediscover that form.

Best bet: Dominic Solanke (+1400). Best outside bet: James Collins (+3500)

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