Football is an intricate, delicate game, and there are a lot of aspects that go into winning. A Champions League-winning team must be clean in all phases of the game, from goalkeeping to distribution to defending to attacking.
But at the end of the day, the most important skill is putting the ball in the back of the net, and legendary goals are even more widely remembered than legendary saves. With several of the world’s most prominent attackers participating in the Champions League Knockout Playoffs, there should be plenty of goals as part of Tuesday’s four-game slate, which begins at 12:45 p.m. ET.
Below, I’ll break down my two favorite goal scorer prop bets.
Best Goal Scorer Prop Bets on DraftKings Sportsbook
Jacob Murphy Anytime Goalscorer (+210)
Murphy came off the bench for Anthony Elanga in the first leg of Newcastle’s tie against Qarabağ and needed just four minutes to make an impact, receiving the ball near the right sideline and lacing home a left-footed screamer from well outside the box. With the Magpies set for a pair of Premier League matches in the next week and a half, plus an FA Cup match against Manchester City, they have no reason to start their strongest side, so Elanga, Anthony Gordon, and Nick Woltemade could all conceivably drop to the bench. That could benefit Murphy, who appears frequently as both a starter and a substitute and has the team’s fourth-best on/off plus-minus.
Playing against the Horsemen should give Murphy plenty of opportunities to slot one home. Qarabağ clearly doesn’t like to play English opponents, giving up six goals in back-to-back Champions League games, but its lackluster defense in the matches against Liverpool and Newcastle wasn’t entirely new. The Horsemen have allowed the second-most expected goals per match and the third-most expected goals per shot. While Murphy hasn’t been very clinical with his finishing so far this season, he led the team in goals per shot on target in 2024/25, so he should still be capable of thriving in a larger opportunity.
Francesco Esposito Anytime Goalscorer (+100)
Inter should come out aggressive in the second leg of its tie against Bodø/Glimt, given that it suffered a 3-1 defeat in Norway and faces the prospect of its earliest elimination since the 2020/21 season. The Nerazzurri produced enough solid chances even in the first leg that they should feel confident about turning around the deficit — they managed 15 total shots and ultimately produced more expected goals than Glimt — but the lone man to slot one home was the 20-year-old Esposito, who’s also netted in two of his last five Serie A appearances. He should start upfront alongside Marcus Thuram, especially since Lautaro Martínez has been ruled out with a calf injury.
Staked to the two-goal lead, Bodø might park the bus like it did late in the second half of the first leg, but that’s not Kjetil Knutsen’s preferred style or his roster’s strength. Assuming that Glimt chooses to be aggressive in the attack early on, it could leave Inter with the ability to strike on the counter, taking advantage of Bodø’s mistake-prone back line and its propensity to give up fast-break chances. That could benefit Esposito, who has good chemistry with Alessandro Bastoni, who’s arguably the Nerazzurri’s most talented distributor. The chances will be there: Glimt has given up the third-most expected goals of any team.
