Monday's World Cup qualifying predictions, betting odds and tips: Gyokeres can help Sweden cruise past Kosovo

Monday's best bets

Sweden -1 goal handicap
Kosovo vs Sweden, 7.45pm
2pts 2-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

​Viktor Gyokeres anytime goalscorer
Kosovo vs Sweden, 7.45pm
2pts 11-10 Betfair, Paddy Power

Croatia & over 2.5 goals
Croatia vs Montenegro, 7.45pm 
2pts 4-5 bet365

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

£50 In Free Acca Bets When You Place A £10 Acca (5+ legs)

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. Football Accas only. 5 legs or more. Odds 1/1 or greater. 5 x £10 bet tokens. Free Bet stakes not included in returns. Free Bets for Football Accas (5+ legs) only. Free Bets non withdrawable. Free Bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Monday's World Cup qualifying preview

Alexander Isak’s refusal to play for Newcastle sealed him the move to Liverpool he desired but it also means he is severely lacking match fitness. 

The Anfield new boy watched on as his national teammates drew 2-2 with Slovenia in their opening World Cup qualifier last Friday but with the Swedes placed in a tough section, Jon Dahl Tomasson will likely look to use his best player in some capacity to ensure three points against Kosovo. 

The reality is Sweden are unlikely to be reliant on Isak’s brilliance to see off a Kosovo side who were routed 4-0 by Switzerland in their opener. 

Tomasson’s men are unbeaten in eight competitive games and with all but one of the six wins in that run coming by at least two clear goals, taking them to clear a one-goal handicap in Kosovo is a smart move. 

Isak’s absence means the goal-scoring burden in Pristina will fall on another big-money Swede, Viktor Gyokeres. 

The Arsenal star has struggled at times in the early weeks of the Premier League but he did score a brace against Leeds and can torment a similarly shaky Kosovo backline and add to the nine goals he has bagged in his last seven appearances for his country. 

An odds-against price for a player who scored 54 goals in 52 games last season to hit the net will not arrive too many times once he finds his feet with the Gunners. 

Croatia's first game of the international break was an uninspiring 1-0 win at the Faroe Islands but they remain a talented side and should play with more freedom when hosting Montenegro. 

Zlatko Dalic’s side beat Gibraltar 7-0 and Czech Republic 5-1 in their two June fixtures and their free-scoring tendencies are likely to resurface when facing a Montenegro side who have lost nine of their last 13 games. 

Recommended Offer

4/5

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

£50 In Free Acca Bets When You Place A £10 Acca (5+ legs)

NEW CUSTOMER OFFER

• Freeze a winning score and win a leg of your acca early with AccaFreeze

CLAIM OFFER

18+ T&Cs apply

New customers only. Football Accas only. 5 legs or more. Odds 1/1 or greater. 5 x £10 bet tokens. Free Bet stakes not included in returns. Free Bets for Football Accas (5+ legs) only. Free Bets non withdrawable. Free Bets expire after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T&Cs apply.

Read more from the Racing Post:

England 3-4 to extend perfect start to World Cup qualifying with victory in Serbia 

Racing Post Ringside: Boxing results & betting insights – Crawford can conquer Canelo 

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.