Mario Balotelli Making a Comeback

Mario Balotelli's career has been an up and down one to say the least, from his setting up one of the most iconic goals in the history of the sport to a drop out of Italy and England. Balotelli has had a great start to this season in France's Ligue 1, as his goal scoring pace has nearly set a record, and his new club Nice has reaped the benefits. Can Super Mario defy the odds and continue his climb back to relevance?

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Mario

Always considered a mercurial player, Balotelli rose to the highest levels of the game, playing for Manchester City and making a huge impact there, even setting up the Sergio Aguero stoppage time goal that gave City their first Premier League title in 44 years. But after issues with discipline both on and off the pitch, his stints at City, Liverpool, and AC Milan all ended ignominiously, which is why he is in the less prestigious Ligue 1 now, where he has taken advantage of his opportunity.

Balotelli has scored six goals in his first five games in Ligue 1 play, the second best total in the first five games of a player's career in that league. The only player to do better during their first five games in France's top flight was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who knocked in seven goals in his first five Ligue 1 games. While Balotelli is getting a lot of rest in between those five games, he appears to be getting back into shape to play more often, and that is a great sign that he may be on his way back up as he has changed live betting odds quickly and often with his scoring prowess this year.

Nice Europa League Futures Betting

Balotelli's club, Nice, is still in Europa League play, and is currently listed as a +6600 longshot to list the trophy. Given that Balotelli isn't currently able to play every match for them, and that the rest of the club isn't great to begin with, it cannot be advised to place a futures wager on Nice to win that tournament or Ligue 1 given how good some of the other teams in both competitions are.