When Spain faces Argentina in the World Cup Final at 3 p.m. this afternoon, there will be plenty of stars on and off the pitch. Celebrities will line the crowd, and the teams feature the likes of Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, Rodri, Julián Álvarez, Emiliano Martínez, Pedri, Pau Cubarsí, and Lautaro Martínez. But only Messi has made as much of an impact on his team’s fortunes as Mikel Oyarzabal, La Roja’s striker.
Oyarzabal is by no means a household name, as he plays for Real Sociedad, which finished just 10th in La Liga. However, Spain wouldn’t be anywhere near this position without him, and he’ll have a chance to deliver his country its first World Cup since 2010.
Below, I’ve broken down my favorite Oyarzabal prop for the final.
Spain vs. Argentina odds
La Roja are +125 favorites to win in regular time (-150 to win the World Cup) at DraftKings Sportsbook, and the Albiceleste are +255 (+130 to advance). There are +200 odds that the teams will require extra time.
Mikel Oyarzabal Best Prop Bet
Mikel Oyarzabal First Goalscorer (+500): Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the Round of 32 against Austria and again in the semifinals against France when he took the penalty ahead of Yamal. His positioning is elite, and so much of Spain’s attack relies on Yamal or Álex Baena to beat wing-backs and center it to Oyarzabal.
Best Mikel Oyarzabal Prop Bet
Mikel Oyarzabal 1st Goal Scorer (+500)
Oyarzabal has been the first goal scorer in two different matches this tournament and opened up the scoring in another by registering an assist to Lamine Yamal, though given how close Yamal was to the goal when he tapped it in, that also could’ve simply been a shot gone awry. His positioning has been especially brilliant, and as Yamal gets healthier, Oyarzabal should get more opportunities. Both Yamal and Álex Baena have demonstrated both the ability and the unselfishness to find Oyarzabal waiting in the center of the box.
Spain has the personnel to exploit Argentina’s weaknesses. Although center-backs Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martínez have both had strong tournaments, wing-backs Nicolás Tagliafico and Nahuel Molina have both struggled at times. Tagliafico was directly at fault in Egypt’s second goal, as he was unable to contain Haissem Hassan, and Molina lost both Anthony Gordon and Dan Ndoye for their respective goals. They can’t afford to make such mistakes against Yamal and Baena, who both rank in the top 25 in expected assists. Additionally, the Albiceleste play into the game as it goes along, scoring just two goals prior to the 75th minute throughout the knockout stage and nine goals thereafter.
