Each day, one of our experts will offer up a best bet (or two or three) that mobile sportsbooks are offering. It might be a traditional spread bet, a player prop or one of the various odds boosts that books offer.
Here are our best bets for Friday, July 21:
TOP PLAY
The play: FIFA Women’s World Cup, Denmark money line over China
The odds: -120
Time/TV: 8 a.m. (Fox)
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Our take: As teams like Canada have found out the hard way already in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, heavy underdogs tend to sit back in the early matches. It’s incredibly difficult to break down a compact defense that packs all 11 players into the final third. This is exactly what we expect China to do in its opening match against Denmark.
There is a lot of quality on both sides, especially on the Red and White’s sideline. The Danes have players from many of Europe’s top women’s sides, such as Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid. However, when attacking a low block, there is no greater asset than a consistent goalscorer.
Canada found that out the difficult way against Nigeria in their 0-0 draw as the lack of a world-class No. 9 contributed to Les Rouges’ failure to find the back of the net. Denmark doesn’t have that issue.
New Bayern Munich signing Pernille Harder is one of the world’s best. Although the forward missed most of last season with Chelsea, she still managed eight goals in just seven starts. Harder has Denmark back on the world’s biggest stage for the first time since 2007, expect her to come through in a big way against China in Australia.
WOMEN’S WORLD CUP GOALSCORER WAGER
The play: FIFA Women’s World Cup, Signe Bruun anytime goalscorer vs. China
The odds: +165
The book: FanDuel Sportsbook
Our take: It’s been a little bit since new Real Madrid signing Signe Bruun and Harder have been able to play together for Denmark due to each suffering injuries recently. However, the last time they started together, they both found the back of the net in a 5-1 win over Montenegro.
Either one or both of the Danish forwards have scored in three of the last four games they’ve started together. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that if they’re both in the starting XI against China, one is destined to score.
We’re going to pick Bruun to find the back of the net as she’s got slightly better odds (+165) in the market. Bruun scored eight domestic goals for Lyon in the same number of appearances. There isn’t as much pressure on the 25-year-old as there is on Harder, considering the latter is the face of her country’s football team. Give us the out-and-out No. 9 with plus juice next to her name.
HOW WE’VE FARED
• FIFA Women’s World Cup: USA-Vietnam OVER 6.5 goals (LOST)
• FIFA Women’s World Cup: USA to score in each half and USA 4+ corners each half (WON)
Friday’s record: 1-1
Total for the week: 3-4, 2 pending
Total for July: 15-19, 2 pending
Total for 2023: 165-182, 2 pending
NOTE: If a line or odds are minus, it considers the juice one must lay to place the bet. Ex: Team A is -160 on the money line, one would have to bet $160 to win $100 (or $16 to win $10). OR Team B is a 5-point favorite at -110, one would have to bet $110 to win $100 (or $11 to win $10.)
Conversely, on positive lines, if Team C is +140 on the money line, $100 would bring in $140 (or $10 to win $14).
