2018 World Cup Betting Preview & Predictions

On June 14, host nation Russia and Saudi Arabia will square off in the first game of this year’s edition of the World Cup. Thirty-two teams are descending on Russia to compete for soccer’s grandest trophy, and this year some of the usual suspects — most notably Italy and the United States — did not qualify, so there are some new teams competing for the trophy. We have some general World Cup betting insights for you to consider in your futures wagers as the tournament approaches. So be sure to check out our online sportsbook before placing your picks.

2018 World Cup Betting Preview & Predictions

Germany is the 9/2 favorite to win the World Cup again. Here’s why.

Joachin Loew has led Die Mannschaft to five major tournaments: World Cups in 2010 and 2014 and UEFA EURO in 2008, 2012 and 2016. In each of those tournaments, Germany have advanced to at least the semifinals. They won the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and came in second to Spain in 2008. In 2010, at the World Cup, Germany beat England and Argentina before falling in the semis to Spain. So Loew brings a stellar tournament resume. Also, Germany will feature as many as eight starters from their 2014 championship team. Their bench isn’t so bad either — a second-team group represented Germany at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2017, and they won the whole thing as well.

Spain has 6/1 odds to win the whole thing. Should you bet on them?

Spain won the World Cup in 2010 thanks to a goal in extra time from Andres Iniesta, down in South Africa. However, the roster has turned significantly since then, with David De Gea from Manchester United leading the attack — which does not have the firepower that it did in 2010. Even so, they won nine of 10 qualification matches, tallying 36 goals along the way. Alvaro Morata needs to do more up front with the attack; their defense and their midfield are among the best in the world, but without a more assertive offense, they will not do much in the knockout rounds — unless De Gea can deliver.

You can bet on Argentina NOT to advance from Group D at 9/2 odds. Should you take it?

This is Lionel Messi’s team — but remember that their form has not been all that consistent in big tournaments. Yes, they made it to the World Cup finals in Brazil in 2014 before losing to Germany, but then they lost Copa America finals in 2015 and 2016, both to Chile. Argentina will face Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria. However, in addition to Messi, they also have Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria and Sergio Aguero, who combine to bring a relentless offense. However, they almost missed the World Cup altogether; if they had drawn Chile on March 23, Chile would have gone and Argentina would have stayed home. Iceland can deliver big results, as they showed in EURO 2016, and Croatia can be sneaky good on offense, but should you really pick them to make the knockout rounds while Messi flies home? Stranger things have happened, but Argentina have shown that they can wake up and play solid ball when their backs are against the wall.

Australia has 10/3 odds to come out of Group C. Can they really do it?

Australia have France, Peru and Denmark in their group. Australia has the benefit of qualifying in Oceania, which, to be kind, doesn’t have a lot of strong soccer. So they’re here for the fourth straight World Cup, and their best result came back in 2006, when they advanced to the knockout round and pushed Italy into extra time, until Italy took advantage of a penalty to advance. But Peru are here for the first time since 1982, and Denmark needed a playoff win over Ireland to make it here. France, though, is a comfortable favorite to win the group. For the Socceroos, Tim Cahill scored 11 goals in the qualification process, and there are several Aussies on English Premier League rosters. With two newcomers in the group, I would pick Australia to come out of Group C as the second-place side.