Women's World Cup Betting: Will Alex Morgan Come Through as the Golden Boot Favorite?

The Women's World Cup kicks off on July 20th, and that will give us plenty of betting opportunities. One such market is the odds for the Golden Boot.

The Golden Boot is awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the entire tournament. In the event of a tie, the first tiebreaker will be assists.

Here are the top five in odds for the Golden Boot, according to the Women's World Cup odds at FanDuel Sportsbook:

Let's break down those five players and their chances.

Alex Morgan, Forward, USA

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +500

A name that is likely the most familiar to Americans watching the tournament, Alex Morgan comes in as the favorite to win this award. She narrowly missed out on it in 2019, finishing in second place only because of a minutes-played tiebreaker.

Morgan is having a down season with her club team, scoring just five goals in 11 appearances with the San Diego Wave. She hasn't exactly been on top of her game for the National Team, either, netting only two goals in seven games for the US in 2023.

Things will be a bit different for her at the World Cup, though. She likely won't be subbed off at half-time like she was in two of those USWNT matches. The competition will also be a bit weaker in the group-stage games, and that's where she can really rack up goals.

In 2019, the US beat Thailand, 13-0, in a group game. Morgan scored five of her six tournament goals in that game alone. The US will face a similar team in the group stage this year in Vietnam, who will be making their debut in the World Cup.

If Morgan can score a bunch of goals in that game and the US goes on a deep run in the tourney, she could take down the Golden Boot.

Sophia Smith, Forward, USA

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +650

Morgan's biggest competition may come from a teammate. Newcomer Sophia Smith looks to be playing as a right forward/winger in a three-forward system for the United States, and she may be able to lead the tournament in goals from that position.

Smith has scored 10 goals in 13 games for the Portland Thorns in the NWSL. She's just 23 years old and is appearing in her first World Cup, but she has already played 30 times for the USWNT.

Obviously, Smith has the same advantages of playing for the USA as Morgan does. They are on the team favored to win the tournament and will likely play a lot of games -- something that is big in this market.

Where Smith may have an advantage over Morgan is age. Smith being 23 and Morgan being 34 may mean that Smith stays on the pitch longer while Morgan gets rested. The counter to that would be manager Vlatko Andonovski trusting Morgan more in close games and subbing Smith off if needed.

If you want to take a shot on a US player but want to pass on the favorite, Smith makes a lot of sense.

Rachel Daly, Forward, England

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1100

England are the second-favorites to win the tournament, and they are riding high after winning last year's European Championship.

Daly played every game in that tournament but didn't score any goals. That's because she was playing full-back, with England having a logjam at forward. Now with Ellen White's retirement, Daly has moved to forward and is definitely a goal threat.

For Aston Villa in the Women's Super League, Daly scored 22 goals in 22 games, good enough to lead the league. It's safe to say that she likely won't be spending much time at full-back anymore.

England's group consists of Denmark, China and Haiti. Haiti is one of the lowest-ranked teams in the tournament, and Daly should have the chance to bag a few goals in that match.

If you bet on Daly, you get the chance to bet on one of the most in-form strikers playing in a major league on one of the best teams in the tournament. In short, Daly checks a lot of boxes.

Sam Kerr, Forward, Australia

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1100

Sam Kerr finished one behind the goal leaders at the last World Cup and has not stopped scoring for her club since then.

Kerr joined Chelsea in the 2019-20 season and has scored 90 times in 116 games for the Blues across all competitions. She's won the Golden Boot once in the Women's Super League and will be looking to do the same here.

Having the benefit of playing all games on home soil, Australia comes in as the fifth-favorites in the tournament. They are in a group with Canada, the Republic of Ireland and Nigeria. Kerr should be able to score goals against the latter.

Historically, host nations tend to overperform in World Cups. If that's the case this time, Kerr could play a lot of games and will have appealing goal odds in most of them.

Esther Gonzalez, Forward, Spain

FanDuel Sportsbook Odds: +1100

Spain is listed as the third-favorites to win the tournament, so Esther Gonzalez deserves some love as a potential Golden Boot winner.

Gonzalez is a bit of a late bloomer but has been deadly in front of goal when given her chance. She has played just 35 times for Spain at the age of 30 but has scored 23 goals in those matches.

Her club career can be described in a similar way. She didn't get a ton of playing time for Atletico Madrid from 2013 to 2019 but made a name for herself at Levante. She then joined Real Madrid in 2021 and totaled 16 goals in 19 league starts for the club.

Spain will face off against Zambia in a group match. Zambia is the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. In the last World Cup, six goals were enough to win the Golden Boot, so if Gonzalez can do a lot of damage against Zambia, it could go a long way toward her winning the Golden Boot.

Gonzalez played as the lone center-forward in the last match she started for Spain. Betting on a center-forward from one of the favorites always makes sense, so Gonzalez at +1100 is an enticing wager.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.