Benteke and Sturridge shrewd punts for Premier League top scorer

The end-of-season form of both Christian Benteke and Daniel Sturridge make them worthy adversaries to those at the head of the betting in the race to be crowned the Premier League’s top scorer this season.

The pair are both available to back at 20/1 with Ladbrokes and after notching 19 and 11 goals, respectively, last term, both are set to build upon these tallies when the music restarts.

Aston Villa’s maintaining of their ever-present Premier League status was in no small part down to the incredible haul of their Belgian hitman on his maiden voyage through England’s top flight.

He has, however, since requested a move away from Villa Park and with Tottenham strongly rumoured to be his next destination, there’s a genuine case to argue that he’ll score even more playing in a team that creates opportunities at a higher frequency.

With Spurs desperate to bolster their frontline, there’s no doubting that Benteke would be their first choice frontman were he to make the reported £25m switch to White Hart Lane. So, with no threat of limited game time and an improved quality of service, a sub 20-goal campaign from the 22-year-old has to be considered a disappointment.

Sturridge’s prospects to finish the season as king of the forwards are not as bright as Benteke’s and many would be looking for a larger price before wading in with their hard earned, yet there’s reason to believe he’s in for a goal-rich 2013/14.

With Luis Suarez’s Anfield exit pending, Sturridge is sure to step into his shoes as Liverpool’s main goal threat, with Iago Aspas playing a similar role to the one the England international did when the Reds’ Uruguayan star was leading the line.

He bagged six of his 11 goals in the closing four matches of the previous campaign – three of which matches were played without Suarez in the team – and Brendan Rodgers will be looking for a bigger contribution from him in the coming season.

Obviously, it’ll take a lot for either player to outscore Robin van Persie (4/1 fav) and Sergio Aguero (8/1) whose finishing prowess is bettered by only a handful on the planet, but they represent far better value than Gareth Bale (14/1) who plays too deep to really threaten the favourites and Suarez (16/1) who, despite ‘interest’ from Arsenal, is all but certain to move abroad this summer.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date