With the World Cup kicking off in just a few days, it’s time to place your bets, and there’s no better place to bet on World Cup than Bodog Sportsbook. Whether you’re a big soccer buff, or an occasional spectator, you can get in the spirit by putting some money on the line. To help you make the best decision possible, we have 10 valuable World Cup betting insights to share.
2018 World Cup Betting Facts:
1. If you’re looking to bet on the favourite to win the World Cup, Brazil is your team. They were the first team to qualify for this year’s World Cup, and since qualifying, they’ve won all four of their international friendlies. No team has more World Cup trophies than Brazil.
2. A team that’s rock solid can go sideways with an injured star player. In the 2014 World Cup, Brazil’s Neymar was injured in their quarter-final game. The team went on to lose 7-1 in the semi-finals.
3. Although no long shot has ever won the World Cup, there’s a lot of value in single matches for Cinderella teams. Last tournament’s Cinderella story was Costa Rica, who made it all the way to the quarter-finals, where they lost in penalties.
4. All teams have “Stage of Elimination” props that let you wager on how far you think they’ll go in the tournament. Bet on group stage, round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final, runner-up, or winner.
5. If you’re thinking of betting on the top goalscorer, it pays to bet on a player who’s on a team that will go far. Brazil’s Neymar is the +900 favourite and Argentina’s Lionel Messi is the +1100 second favourite. If you want better value, look down the list to Poland’s Robert Lewandowski (+2800) who tied with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Sahlawi for the most goals in qualifying at 16 goals a piece.
6. Out of the 32 teams that qualified for this World Cup, seven teams enjoyed an undefeated record in the qualifications: Iran, Germany, Belgium, Spain, England, Tunisia, and Senegal. Extra points go to Germany, who not only went undefeated, but also won every match.
7. Because of the nature of World Cup soccer, the odds of a long shot winning are slim. The 20 World Cup titles awarded up to this point have gone to the following eight powerhouse teams: Uruguay, Italy, Germany, Brazil, England, Argentina, France, and Spain. Seven of those teams are within the top 10 to win again in Russia.
8. With World Cup betting, the team you bet on must win in regular time. Overtime isn’t taken into consideration; if both teams are tied at the end of the 90 minutes, the “draw” bet wins.
9. The location of the World Cup can have different effects on teams, with the most stress placed on teams that have opposing climates. This year’s World Cup is taking place in Russia, so watch for Nordic teams like Sweden, Iceland, and Denmark to have an easy time adapting.
10. The last World Cup winner was Germany, who were the favourites for the 2018 World Cup until they lost to Brazil in an international friendly. Now Germany are the second-favourites on the World Cup odds board.
*Odds as of June 12, 2018