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8th Oct 2016 | International

A Walcott Revival

England v Malta First Goalscorer Tip: Theo Walcott

Has started the season in fine form. Is taking plenty of shots (3.4 per90) and from good locations.

England continue to plumb new depths but failure to beat Malta might just be stretching matters. They were thrashed by Scotland in the first round of fixtures and have only scored 3 goals in 13 away fixtures since the start of 2014.

We can therefore expect a one-sided affair at Wembley but how can we profit from a seemingly forgone conclusion.

Gareth Southgate is an unknown quantity at this stage of his career and we have no idea how he will set up his team. Looking at the betting there are six England names expected to open the scoring. The strikers are grouped in the 3/1 to 9/2 price range however there are some wrinkles we can exploit.

Daniel Sturridge and Theo Walcott are not definite starters but on their league form this season they are the strikers to side with. Both are averaging over 3 shots per 90min, with the majority coming from inside the box (at this stage we can throw out trigger happy Townsend).

The Liverpool striker is shorter in the betting but it’s Walcott that has started the season more brightly. He already has three goals to his name and there seems to be a renewed focus in his game.

By backing Walcott to open the scoring at 19/4 (BetVictor), we also get our money back if he doesn’t start and comes on after a goal has been scored. With the downside mitigated, the Arsenal forward is the smart bet.

1pt Theo Walcott to score first 19/4 with BetVictor
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Odds correct at time of publishing: 02:06 8th Oct, 2016 but subject to change

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