Football Betting: Young 8/1 to be top England Marksman

LONDON, May 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

After his winning heroics against Norway on Saturday evening, Ashley Young, has now been awarded odds of 8/1 with Sky Bet to be named as England's top goal-scorer at this summer's Euro 2012 competition, as the online betting company's Euro 2012 betting odds begin to take shape.

The Manchester United winger sealed a comfortable 1-0 win for Roy Hodgson's men in a friendly clash against Norway in Oslo.  

Young struck in the ninth minute to give Hodgson his first win as England manager and looked threatening throughout the tie, but it's his strike partner Andy Carroll who is 9/2 favourite to bag the most goals for the three lions at this summer's Euro 2012 championships in Poland and Ukraine.

Carroll, who has suddenly come into form ahead of the tournament, is likely to replace the suspended Wayne Rooney upfront for England's first two group stage matches against France and Sweden.

Rooney himself is 6/1 with the online betting company to top the scoring charts, while his striking partner at Manchester United, Danny Welbeck, is 7/1. England Captain Steven Gerrard is 10/1.

Although the performance was less than convincing, Hodgson would have been pleased with a win nevertheless and will now work with the players ahead of their next warm-up match against Belgium at Wembley on Saturday.

Unfortunately substitute Gareth Barry was forced off the pitch with a suspected groin injury in Oslo and is now 4/5 (from 5/6) to start England's first group game, while Scott Parker was also taken off as a precaution and is 1/2 to line-up against France on June 11.

Sky Bet's Live Football Manager Joe Petyt said: "In the absence of Rooney for the opening games, Carroll looks a decent price for top scorer as the team seems to be set up around him.

"Barry will be a concern for Hodgson because there doesn't seem to be many like-for-like alternatives for him to call up."

Although the performance was less than convincing, Hodgson would have been pleased with the win nevertheless and will now work with the players ahead of their next warm-up match against Belgium at Wembley on Saturday. Another 90-minute game of football will give some of the players a second chance to impress the manager, but it will also help determine their match odds ahead of Euro 2012.

Sky Bet Odds: http://www.skybet.com/football/euro-2012/event/14009185