It’s all on the line on Thursday in the UEFA World Cup play-offs. Ukraine and Sweden are going to be locked in a dogfight for advancing one step closer to the Cup. We’ve got plenty of talent here; who is going to get on the board first?
Sweden is a +135 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a draw available at +225. Ukraine is the underdog at +215. Let’s get into a first goalscorer prop bet for this one.
Ukraine vs. Sweden First Goalscorer Pick
There’s so much talent on the board here. Viktor Gyokeres, the talented Arsenal striker, leads the field with +500 odds. Top Ukrainian danger man Roman Yaremchuk sits just behind him, alongside Vladyslav Vanat. Let’s take a look at the top of the leaderboard:
A big question here is what Swedish manager Graham Potter decides to do with his wing group. He sure has options: Anthony Elanga, Roony Bardghji, Gustav Lundgren, and Williot Swedberg are all promising candidates on the outside. And that’s without Mattias Svanberg, who is doubtful to play with a muscle injury. That has created some chaos in the odds. But, as Petyr Baelish from Game of Thrones taught us, chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder.
Elanga is arguably the most talented of the group. Results have not been there in the EPL, where the former Manchester United man is scoreless in 27 appearances. But there are two factors working in his favor, assuming he starts.
One, this is going to be a more open field than your typical English Premier League contest. More space for his speed to play a role works in his favor. Two, Elanga is likely to be deployed on the left side of the pitch, facing off against Oleksandr Tymchyk. The Dynamo Kyiv right back is no slouch, but he’s not as strong as Ukraine’s left back, Vitaliy Mykolenko. If you want to throw in a long shot, Elanga is the best value on the board here.
