MLS Betting: Wayne Rooney second-favourite to win Golden Boot
The ex-Manchester United man scored the first treble of the 2019 season but remains behind last term's winner Josef Martinez in the top scorer stakes
Wayne Rooney staked his claim for the MLS Golden Boot with the first hat-trick of the new season as DC United blew away Real Salt Lake 5-0 on Saturday.
The former Manchester United forward took to life in the United States like a duck to water, scoring 12 times in 18 starts during his debut season after joining the capital club in June 2018.
Now one of a host of players on three goals for the 2019 season, Rooney 5/1 (6.0) to become the second Englishman - after Bradley Wright-Phillips - to win the MLS Golden Boot.
However, Rooney still trails last season’s winner Josef Martinez in the betting. The Atlanta United forward scored 31 times to lead his side to MLS Cup glory and is 15/4 (4.75) to repeat the trick here.
Martinez has already scored six hat-tricks in his two-year MLS career, the most by any player in history, although he has made a slow start to 2019 with just one goal in three games as the champions adjust to life without Miguel Almiron.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced himself in style last season when he scored two goals - including a 90th-minute winner - on his Los Angeles Galaxy debut and can be backed at 6/1 (7.0) in this market.
The 37-year-old Swede scored 22 times in just 27 outings during his maiden season and fans could be in for more of the same as the Galaxy look to end a two-year play-off drought.
Seattle Sounders have made an impressive start to the season with 10 goals and star forward Raul Ruidiaz (13/2) has three of those, carrying on from where he left off last season when he scored five times in his last three games.
LAFC’s Carlos Vela is available at 10/1 (11.0) after netting three times so far this campaign, whilst Gyasi Zardes of Columbus Crew has two goals and offers excellent value at 13/1 (14.0) as he looks to improve upon last season's 19-goal haul.
Twice winner of the Golden Boot, New York Red Bulls forward Wright-Phillips has 106 goals in just 171 MLS games - the eighth-most of all-time - and can be backed at 14/1 (15.0) to be the first player to win the award three times.
Source: Goal.com