World Cup Betting Guide And Preview
6 min read
Preview of the World Cup The World Cup is drawing near, and in anticipation of the finals taking place this winter in Qatar 2022, we have put together a preview of the tournament as well as a betting guide.
It will be the first time that a winter tournament of this magnitude has ever been played in the Middle East, and the fact that it will take place during the off-season will provide an unusual flavor to the most important competition in international football.
Golden Boot Winner
The Golden Boot is a significant individual honor at the World Cup, and some of the best forwards in the world will compete for it in Qatar. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Harry Kane was the recipient of the trophy for the tournament’s top scorer in Russia four years ago, and the England captain is currently the favorite to win the award again this year (7/1). If Kane scores three goals during the finals, he will surpass Wayne Rooney as England’s all-time leading goalscorer. However, no player has ever won the Golden Boot more than once in the FIFA World Cup.
As France looks to retain their title, Kylian Mbappe (8/1) is the second favorite to win the award, while Cristiano Ronaldo (14/1), who won the Golden Boot at Euro 2020, is tied with Lionel Messi for third place. Robert Lewandowski (33/1), along with Lautaro Martinez (25/1), could be good bets for those looking for lengthier odds. The latter has scored 21 goals for Argentina in 40 total appearances and has a chance to lead the line for the South Americans in Qatar due to his track record.
- Cristiano Ronaldo – 14/1
- Lionel Messi – 14/1
- Neymar – 12/1
- Karim Benzema – 12/1
- Kylian Mbappe – 8/1
- Harry Kane – 7/1
Winner of the Tournament’s Best Player
The Golden Ball is an award that is given to the Player of the Tournament at the World Cup. Luka Modric is the current holder of this award because of his contribution to Croatia’s march to the final in 2018.
Neymar will be counted on to deliver for Brazil, who will begin the competition as the championship favorites. The 30-year-old has been in incredible form so far this season for Paris Saint-Germain, contributing to 15 goals in only eight league starts. He is swiftly closing in on Pele’s all-time goal record for the national team and is currently in second place.
Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema are anticipated to lead France’s charge as they compete for the title, while Lionel Messi may have his final opportunity to win a World Cup in Qatar. France is projected to be a contender in this tournament. In 2014, despite Argentina’s loss to Germany in the championship game, Lionel Messi was awarded the Golden Ball.
It is odd that a player from the winning side has not taken home the Golden Ball since 1994, when Romario of Brazil earned it after their victory in the United States. Romario was the last player from a winning squad to win the award. Five of the last six winners have been members of the team that came in second place, with the exception of Uruguay’s Diego Forlan, who won the award in 2010. Uruguay reached the semifinals of the tournament.
Possible Long Shots or Dark Horses
A “dark horse” is a team that defies all odds and advances to the later stages of a competition. These teams typically exist in every event. In the year 2002, South Korea and Turkey both made it to the semi-finals, but in 2018 very few people predicted that Croatia would come in second place.
At 12/1, Portugal is a team that could have too much talent to be considered a dark horse, but it could intrigue bettors as a possible victor nonetheless. Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and Cristiano Ronaldo are all excellent players in the Premier League. Nuno Mendes and Joao Cancelo are perhaps the greatest fullback tandem in the competition. The Portuguese also have a number of other excellent players.
Denmark (30/1) advanced to the semifinals of Euro 2020 and qualified for the tournament with relative ease, while Uruguay (40/1) possesses an exciting core of talent that includes Ronald Arajo of Barcelona, Fede Valverde of Real Madrid, and Liverpool attacker Darwin Nunez.
Senegal, the reigning winners of the African Cup of Nations, are currently priced at 90/1, while Serbia, who are currently 100/1, have the ability to defy the odds and advance. Duan Vlahovi, Duan Tadi, and Sergej Milinkovi-Savi are just few of the excellent players that are a part of Dragan Stojkovi’s team, which qualified for the next round undefeated and won their group, which also included Portugal. Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic finished as the joint-leading scorer in the 2022/23 Nations League. He has scored 48 goals in his last 58 appearances for the national team. Mitrovic finished as the joint-leading scorer in the 2022/23 Nations League.
Potential Dark Horses (Odds to win the World Cup)
- Portugal – 12/1
- Denmark – 30/1
- Croatia – 45/1
- Uruguay – 45/1
- Senegal – 90/1
- Serbia – 100/1
Winners of the World Cup
As the Selecao attempt to end a wait of 20 years for a World Cup victory, Brazil are presently the favorites to win the competition according to the betting markets at Betways World Cup, where they have a current odds of 4/1. Tite’s team breezed through South America’s famously challenging qualification process like it was nothing, finishing undefeated in 17 games with 40 goals scored and just five surrendered.
Argentina (13-2) also qualified without suffering a loss in the process, despite finishing six points behind their major competitors. The victory at the Copa America last summer, though, ended a drought of 28 years for a major title and boosted the team’s confidence. The Albiceleste have not tasted defeat in any of their 35 matches across all competitions since the year 2019. It leaves Italy needing just two more to break their all-time record, and it has boosted optimism for a great campaign in Qatar.
France (6/1) is the second favorite to win the tournament, and Les Bleus will be hoping to put up a better defense than the previous tournament they entered as the defending world champions, which was in 2002. France was eliminated in the group round of that competition. The odds for England to win the event are 13/2, despite the fact that they had competed in the semifinals and finals of their most recent two major competitions.
Spain – 15/2
England – 13/2
Argentina – 13/2
France – 6/1 Brazil – 4/1
Where will England go from here?
After advancing to the final of Euro 2020 and the semi-finals of the World Cup four years ago, England will go into the tournament with the intention of contending for the championship and winning the trophy.
The Three Lions qualified for the tournament without suffering a single loss, despite the fact that this has been a common occurrence for England in previous competitions before they have flattered to deceive on the main stage.
The team coached by Gareth Southgate is likewise winless after a run of six games, but they are in a group with Iran, the United States, and Wales, all of which are expected to be overcome. Should England finish in first place in that group, Southgate’s team will begin a probable clash in the round of 16 as the favorite against either Qatar, Ecuador, or Senegal.
Since they won the World Cup in 1996, England has only made it to the semifinals twice (1990 and 2018), and they have not advanced to the championship game since they won the tournament in their own country. Only once since 1958 have England’s Three Lions been eliminated in the group stage, and it was due to a disastrous performance in 2014.
Group Stage: 6/1 Round of 16: 11/5 Quarterfinals: 12/5 Semifinals: 9/2 Winners: 13/2 Runners-up: 15/2 Winners: 13/2 Group Stage: 6/1 Round of 16: 11/5 Quarterfinals: 12/5.
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