With the World Cup just a fortnight away now seems the perfect time to write a piece on the bets I feel are great value coming into the tournament that captivates the globe.
With bookmakers fighting each other to compete for the most attractive odds there are bundles of very good bets to be had, and after a long period of research I feel now is the time to publish exactly where my ante post money has gone, as well as an explanation of why I have taken each particular bet. I hope this is of some use to you. Good luck if you follow any of my selections.
* All odds quoted are the best available at the time of writing
Bet 1 : Spain to win the World Cup – 13/2 Betfred
Now we know that European teams winning the World Cup when it’s hosted in South America has never happened, but you only have to look at Spain’s squad to see that they can cause damage wherever they go on the globe.
The Current World and European champions ooze quality in every position and can call on back-up players of the very highest ilk. One of the main reasons that Spain are as big as 13/2 is that they are considered to be in a very tough group that contains Holland, Chile and rank outsiders Australia.
Added to that is the fact that whoever finish 2nd in the group are likely to have to face Brazil in the round of 16. This is something that just doesn’t worry me though. Winning their group, Spain will probably face Croatia or Mexico in the first knockout stage.
Holland on their day can be devastating, but there are to many if’s and buts about their squad, and I believe Chile may even take the second qualification spot and send Holland packing. Australia have no hope whatsoever.
The 13/2 about the outright win will look very good once Spain are sitting in the quarter finals after beating Croatia/Mexico, and you will always get a run for your money when backing the most dominant team in the world in recent years.
Bet 2 : Australia to be lowest scoring team – 5/1 Betfred
I am honestly fearful of just how bad Australia are going to do in the World Cup. They are well and truly out of their depth, and the group they were dealt will see them flying home after 3 games, and I think it’s highly unlikely they will even score a goal.
Drawn in Group B against Spain, Holland, and Chile they will be hopelessly outclassed. They just don’t have the quality required to compete with any one of those 3 nations.
The Aussies haven’t beaten anyone of note since shocking Germany by claiming a 2-0 win in a friendly in 2011, and they failed to beat South Africa in a pre World Cup friendly last week. Their squad is very very weak. I honestly don’t believe they will score a single goal in this tournament. If that is the case then we will have a winner (although dead heat rules apply and Iran are also terrible).
The 5/1 looks very generous and should be taken in my opinion.
Bet 3 : France 1st Honduras 4th (top/bottom double) – 7/4 Sky Bet
This is a very confident bet. France have came on leaps and bounds since their embarrassing display in South Africa 2010 which saw them collect just 1 point in 3 group games.
Under the guidance of Didier Deschamps they have improved into a genuinely classy team with a very solid foundation. Pitted against Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras in group E, they should have no problems confirming themselves as the superior team. I have my doubts about Switzerland and make it a very close call between them and Ecuador for the second qualifying position, but one thing I’m sure of is that Honduras will be completely outclassed and will finish bottom of their group.
Honduras have played 16 games to get to this tournament, and credit where it is due – they have overachieved. Wins over Mexico and the USA may look good to the untrained eye, but truth be told neither of those nations is really up to much. I can see the Honduras’s picking up no more than 1 point from their World Cup exploits.
The 7/4 on offer (only SkyBet offer this bet) looks great value and it would be a major shock if this double faltered.
Bet 4 : Edin Dzeko top Bosnia scorer – 7/4 Totesport
This is another strong fancy of mine. Edin Dzeko has shown time and time again just how lethal he is for Manchester City in the past season – scoring 18 goals in total despite starting from the bench on 8 occasions and being withdrawn from games on plenty of occasions.
The powerful striker also hit 10 goals in 10 games for Bosnia while qualifying for this tournament and will definitely be the ‘go to’ man for the team.
Drawing Nigeria and Iran in their group means there is a great chance for him to do what he does best against defences that just aren’t up to scratch, and Bosnia will certainly be looking to qualify for the round of 16.
The 7/4 at Totesport is a very good offer and should be taken. I can see the City striker bagging at least 3 goals for his nation.
