The end of the regular season in the MLS is on the horizon and the battle to secure playoff positions in the Eastern and Western Conference is starting to intensify.
Running alongside the race for the playoff line, the battle for Audi Golden Boot provides a compelling subplot to proceedings and the skirmish to be crowned as the top scorer in the MLS for 2021 looks like it will go to the wire.
Below, we’ve taken a closer look at some of the contenders for that gong in our Audi Golden Boot 2021 picks, predictions and MLS betting tips.
MLS Audi Golden Boot 2021 winner odds
- Ola Kamara +275
- Raul Ruidiaz +300
- Daniel Salloi +400
- Hany Mukhtar +800
- Javier Hernandez +1000
- Valentin Castellanos +1000
- Gustavo Bou +1100
- Adam Buksa +1200
- Ricardo Pepi +1200
- Damir Kreilach +1400
Odds taken from DraftKings. Prices correct as of 06:00 AM October 12. Odds subject to fluctuation.
MLS Audi Golden Boot: favourite
Ola Kamara (DC United) +275
31-year-old Norwegian striker Ola Kamara is enjoying a stellar campaign in Washington and the seasoned campaigner tops the MLS goalscoring charts with 17 goals.
Kamara’s haul for 2021 is even more impressive when you consider that he has played fewer minutes than all his major Golden Boot rivals, indeed, the forward has scored once every 79.8 minutes in the MLS this term.
Kamara’s chances of securing the Golden Boot could be hampered by the collective ability of the rest of his teammates however. While DC are currently 5th in the Eastern Conference, their place in the playoffs is far from secured and few expect United to make a splash even if they do land a post-season berth. With that considered, bettors are advised to look elsewhere for Golden Boot wagering options.
MLS Audi Golden Boot: our pick
Daniel Salloi (Sporting Kansas City) +400
At a juicier +400, prolific Hungarian Daniel Salloi could be a better value option in the Audi Golden Boot market. The wide attacker is just a single strike behind Kamara near the summit of the current scoring charts with 16 goals, though Salloi’s chances of padding his haul for the campaign seem higher.
Salloi is a regular fixture in Sporting KC’s frontline – and Peter Vermes’ Kansas City are second-most lethal attacking team in the MLS, where they have scored a whopping 51 goals in 28 games, a total bettered only by New England Patriots (57).
Sporting are listed as one of the favourites to be crowned MLS champions in 2021, so Salloi should have plenty of fixtures and numerous opportunities to add weight to his already impressive numbers.
MLS Audi Golden Boot: One to watch
Adam Buska (New England Revolution) +1200
Bettors on the lookout for an even meatier price could satisfy their cravings with a stake on New England Rev’s Polish frontman Adam Buska, who is available at a sizeable +1200 with DraftKings.
The 25-year-old was scoring in patches in the early exchanges of the 2021 campaign, though Buska has exploded to prominence more recently and he has notched nine times in his last ten appearances for club and country.
In the MLS, Buska rattled the net three times in his last three runouts, taking his total up to 13 for the season in the process and the Polish international notched again for his country earlier this week.
Perhaps most importantly, Buska is the spearhead for the highest-scoring team in the MLS this season and the bookmakers’ favorites to win the title in 2021.
New England Revolution have plundered an eye-watering 57 goals in 29 regular-season games and they looked primed for an assault on silverware.
Buska will be the man leading that charge from the front and when you consider that he sits just four goals behind current leader Kamara in the goalscoring charts, his +1200 price to pip the Norwegian to the Golden Boot suddenly looks extremely generous.
