Russia vs New Zealand 2017 Confederations Cup Soccer Odds Pick

The host nation and the Oceania champions will start the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup on Saturday, as they take on New Zealand. Not only are the Russians opening up the tournament, but they are playing in their first Confederations Cup tilt and they’re the soccer odds favorites to win against New Zealand. This is a huge game for both sides, as Russia and New Zealand will face Portugal and Mexico in their group. The team from New Zealand is playing in their fourth Confederations Cup. They have recorded just one point in nine matchups to date. New Zealand has been really tough to score on, but they have also showed that they have a tough time scoring goals as well.

Russia vs New Zealand 2017 Confederations Cup Soccer Odds Pick

All eyes on Saint Petersburg!#ConfedCup kicks off tomorrow with Russia New Zealand pic.twitter.com/JlJKeTfVVn

— ConfedCup2017 (@ConfedCup2017) June 16, 2017

When: Saturday June 17, 2017; 10:00am C.T Where: St. Petersburg Stadium; Russia TV: FS1 Radio: None Stream Option: FOX Sports GO Soccer Odds: Russia 7/25

Why Bet on Russia?

The Russians are the favorites, but is it mostly because they are at home. Team Russia has some young players on the defensive side, and also in attack. Fedor Smolov at the forward position will have the best opportunity to get under the skin of New Zealand, with a chance to score. The lineup for Russia will include Smolov, along with Igor Akinfeev, Viktor asin, Dmitry Kombarov and Aleksandr Golovin. Team Russia has been around since 1912, and they play their home games at Stadion Lokomotiv. The Russians have a trio of goaltenders, with Igor Akinfeev getting the most opportunities.

Why Bet on New Zealand?

Team New Zealand is an outstanding disciplined team. The question for coach Anthony Hudson is – do they have enough offensive ability to hang with Team Russia. The New Zealand team is commonly referred to as the Kiwis. Guys like Ryan Thomas and Marco Rojas will need to use all the quickness and strength they have. The Kiwis will rely a bunch on their lead striker Chris Wood for their chances to score. Wood is 25 years old, and has scored 19 goals internationally. Team New Zealand has been playing internationally since the late 1800’s. They will look for a stellar performance from their net minder Stefan Marinovic.

Betting Pick & Prediction

We have all the hopes in the world that this is going to be a fun matchup. The problem is the talent pool is not the same for both of these teams. Unfortunately, the Russians are going to get the better of Team New Zealand, and they will jump on them early. The home crowd will then be bonkers, which will make it even tougher for the Kiwi’s to get back in the game. Russia wins this game and gets the momentum going big time for the home team. Bet on the Russians 7/25 to win this matchup on Saturday over Team New Zealand.