World Cup Betting Odds Shift Now That Field Is Almost Set
WORLD CUP BETTING ODDS SHIFT SLIGHTLY WITH FULL FIELD ALMOST SET
We will know 29 of the 32 World Cup teams at the conclusion of tonight’s CONCACAF games. The last week of qualifying has seen 12 countries punch their tickets with 2016 European champions Portugal headlining that list. Brazil, France, England, and Spain are still the favorites by the World Cup betting odds, but what other countries can make a deep run in this year’s competition?
NETHERLANDS
The Dutch are currently +1900 at FanDuel to win their first World Cup. They have finished runner-up at the World Cup three times and have made it to the semifinals five times, but they have struggled on the international stage since finishing in third place at the 2014 World Cup.
Louis van Gaal will be a boon as the manager. He was on the sidelines for the country’s most recent successful World Cup run in Brazil, and he is a significant improvement over Frank de Boer. There is a good mix of youth and proven players too as the talented, young Ajax core from a few years ago is starting to blossom.
URUGUAY
Two-time World Cup champions Uruguay have made the knockout rounds of three straight World Cup competitions. They finished third in COMNEBOL qualifying behind powerhouses Brazil and Argentina, and this is likely their last chance to compete for quite some time.
Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani both turned 35 earlier this year. Suarez and Cavani have combined to score 122 goals for Uruguay in their careers, while no one else that has donned the sky blue in the last year has tallied more than eight goals. They have the potential to surprise and are worth a long look at 75-1.
CANADA
This will be the second appearance for Canada at the World Cup. They were the most impressive team in CONCACAF qualifying, outshining both the United States and Mexico. Canada is one of a bevy of 100-1 longshots, but there is a good chance that the Canadians make it to the knockout round for the first time.
Alphonso Davies is a world class defender and counter-attacking threat. Canada also has young, talented forwards like Cyle Larin, Jonathan David, and Tajon Buchanan. Most of their starters are battle tested in Europe instead of the MLS, and they won’t be a pushover.
SENEGAL
No African team has made it further than the World Cup quarterfinals, but Senegal could change that this year. The Lions of Teranga have a world class player in Sadio Mane, and they should be the best African team in Qatar given the internal issues with Morocco.
This will be Senegal’s third appearance at the World Cup. Senegal stunned everyone by making the knockout rounds ahead of Uruguay and France in 2002 and bested Sweden in the Round of 16 before falling to Turkey in added time. They lost a tiebreaker to Japan for the last spot in the knockout rounds in 2018, and they will be hungry.
