UEFA Europa League: Quench your betting appetite with these player props
by Bradley Gibbs | by Tyler Doty
Where are the juicy player props ahead of UEL gameday six?
As is always the case at this time of year, Thursday is packed full of interesting UEFA Europa League fixtures, so you’re not exactly going to be short of betting options, as the list of games below suggests:
Having run the rule over the fixtures and dug into the data, there are four player props that I simply cannot resist ahead of Thursday’s action, and this time around, I’m heading down the shot-on-target road.
Midtjylland vs Genk: Konstantinos Karetsas 1+ Shots on Target
At odds of +105, I am absolutely all over Konstantinos Karetsas to test the Midtjylland keeper on Thursday. The Greek teenager has been far from shy to shoot this season, firing off Genk’s second-highest number of shots in all competitions, averaging 2.40 shots per 90 minutes. This pick falls directly in line with our prediction for Midtjylland vs Genk, where goals are expected.
Playing on the UEFA Europa League's big stage hasn’t exactly worried the 18-year-old either, with Karetsas recently scoring against Basel, registering two shots on target. He’s registered four shots on target in his last four Europa League appearances and is now averaging 1.31 shots on target per 90 minutes in this competition. Numbers that are not easy to ignore, not when odds of +105 are floating around.
Ludogorets vs PAOK: Peter Stanic 1+ Shots on Target
As Ludogorets and PAOK clash in Bulgaria, at odds of +100, it’s also well worth betting on home-team player Peter Stanic to nail a shot on target.
This season, the Serbian has had a crystal clear connection with the Europa League as noted in our Ludogorets vs PAOK prediction, scoring no less than five goals in five games, notching a superbly taken hat-trick against Celta Vigo during the previous round of games.
Only one Ludogorets player has taken more Europa League shots than Stanic this season, with the 24-year-old registering four shots on target in his last three appearances in the competition.
Stanic will surely be hungry for more, and a game against a PAOK team that has surrendered loads on the road, provides him with the perfect opportunity to satisfy that hunger.
Freiburg vs Salzburg: Yorbe Vertessen 1+ Shots on Target
Another player who has shone over the first five games in the Europa League is Salzburg’s Yorbe Vertessen, who has really found his feet in Austria following a summer move from Union Berlin.
At odds of +110, Vertessen, like those mentioned above, is just impossible to ignore. The Belgian has scored three goals so far, averaging the second-most expected goals per 90 minutes in the entire competition. It's going to be a tough match for both teams, according to our Freiburg vs Salzburg prediction, but the Belgian is in fine form.
After the previous round of games, during which he scored against Bologna, Vertessen boasts a hugely impressive average of 3.47 shots per 90 minutes, averaging also 1.39 shots per 90 minutes. Such stats really are music to my ears.
Young Boys vs Lille: Joel Monteiro 1+ Shots on Target
Finally, we head to Switzerland for our Young Boys vs Lille pick, and it’s all about explosive forward/winger Joel Monteiro, who should relish the chance to play on the break against Ligue 1 opponents.
Priced at a potentially generous price of +100, Monteiro has been very keen to show what he’s made of on the continent this season, shooting much more frequently than he does domestically.
In the Europa League, no Young Boys player has taken more shots than the 26-year-old speedster, who averages 2.75 shots per 90 minutes. Last time out in the competition, he scored away against Aston Villa, thriving against big-name opponents, registering four shots on target in his last four Europa League appearances.
