World Cup Betting - All You Need To Know For Qatar 2022
Published:
Taking place in the Gulf state of Qatar from November 20 to December 18, the 2022 World Cup will be the first to be held both in the Middle East and in Northern Hemisphere winter. Qatar will take on Ecuador in the opening match on November 20 at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, with the final taking place on December 18 in Lusail. Sportingbet lists need-to-know details of soccer’s highest honour, to take your soccer betting to the next level.
In the same format as the 2018 World Cup, 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four.
In each group, the top two teams qualify for the round of 16, followed by four one-legged knockout rounds. Sportingbet offers multiple opportunities for sports betting with every match boasting some of the biggest selection of markets in South Africa.
Some big names have failed to qualify this year. Following their defeat to North Macedonia in the first round of UEFA's play-offs, Euro 2020 winners Italy won't attend the World Cup for the second time. CONMEBOL excluded Chile and Colombia. Iran may be the most surprising qualifier from the AFC sector, and Canada is competing for the first time since 1986! Sportingbet has listed Canada and Iran with unbelievable soccer odds of 251.00 and 501.00 respectively!
Easier Groups
Group A - Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Even though they failed to qualify for the previous World Cup in Russia, they are the highest ranked team in the group and the Netherlands are highly favoured to take first place in group A.
Group H - Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea
In Qatar, Ghana is the lowest-ranked team, having won only one game in 2022, while South Korea hasn't advanced beyond the group stage since 2010! A number of Portugal's aging stars will be playing in their last World Cup, but the presence of young stars could propel them to the later rounds.
Group D - France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia
It would be a major shock if either France or Denmark missed out on the knockout stages, with both squads filled with impressive talent. Tunisia is a lower ranked team and Australia qualified through an intercontinental play-off. The former have never made it out of the group stage and the Socceroos have just one last 16 appearance on their CV.
Tougher Groups
Group B - England, Iran, USA, Wales
Ukraine, Scotland, and Wales were given a place in Pot 4 by FIFA. It was a triumphant day for Wales in a playoff against Ukraine. Will it be coming home? The highest seeded team in Group B, England, is the favourite to take the top spot. The USA also has a large roster of exciting young talents to call upon in Qatar!
Group E - Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan
There are a lot of big football names in this group. In the last 12 years, both Spain and Germany have won the World Cup. Japan and Costa Rica will look to take advantage of any potential slip-ups from the two European giants. In 2022, Japan won seven of their 11 games, while Costa Rica topped a group that included England, Uruguay, and Italy back in 2014.
Group G - Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
There might be a clear favourite for first place in Group G in Brazil! Throughout qualifying, Serbia remained unbeaten and topped a group that included Portugal. A deep run in the tournament will be hoped for by players like Dusan Vlahovic, Dusan Tadic, and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic. Cameroon achieved a healthy third place at AFCON this year.
Why are Brazil/France listed as favourites?
During the 2018 World Cup, France won. It's a young squad, but it's also seasoned, making it a very dangerous team for opposition. Brazil has a style of football that will always make them a threat in the World Cup. They are the most successful team in World Cup history.
Soccer Betting On Underdogs
Spain
In a World Cup, Spain can never be written off. Even though they aren't as good as they have been in years past, they remain a very strong team. Spain is a highly attractive underdog bet with many bookmakers pricing them at 9.00 +.
England
2018 was England's best performance in decades as they reached the World Cup semi-finals. Despite having a decent team in the past, England has struggled on the big stage, yet they can be dangerous now with a team of youngsters.
Belgium
In the 2018 World Cup, Belgium managed to knock out Brazil, showing that they can perform on a big stage. In this tournament, Belgium has a great attacking line-up, including many strikers in the prime of their careers.
Sportingbet, South Africa’s largest sportsbook, offers you top world cup betting odds. Sign up today and take advantage of the awesome soccer betting odds and special promotions!
