The FIFA World Cup is right around the corner with the start of the tournament set for Thursday, June 11, and the Final set for Sunday, July 19. The tournament has been modified for this year with this being the 1st edition of it having 48 teams in it. The top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the knockout rounds along with the top 8 teams that finished in 3rd place of their group. The knockout rounds will now start with a Round of 32 as well. With the new extended field, there are more groups now and a lot more value to find in these groups as well. Now with the World Cup about to start, it is time to see where the value is in these groups when it comes to betting group props.
To Win Group
Group A: Group A consists of Mexico -120, Czechia +333, South Korea +300, and South Africa +1200. Mexico is coming into the tournament as the favorite to win their group and they do have the best team out of the 4. They have a lot of quality at the back as they do not concede many goals and that is going to be a big advantage in this group as it will help them with goal differential in the case of a tie. They also have a lot of quality in their midfield and will be able to control the pace of play against some of these other teams in their group. They have lacked attacking talent in previous years, but they have a lot of young exciting players that have been gaining steam the last few years and their attack will be better in this tournament. They are also one of the host nations, so they are going to have the crowd on their side for the whole group stage. Czechia also has a good team, but they have lost some of their quality over the last few years and they have not been in great form leading into this tournament. They struggled a lot in their qualifying group and had to play in extra play-off matches just to get here, and they almost lost at home to Ireland in 1 of those. Their strength is also more in the midfield and they do not have a great attack that is going to score a lot, so that could lead to more draws as they try to lean on their defense. South Korea is next in line and they have been a solid defensive team, but they do not have a lot of experience playing outside of Asia and will struggle against some of the styles of play they will encounter. They have a superstar in their attack in Son, but they lack a lot of quality elsewhere and do not really have the talent to win this group. South Africa is last in line to win the group and they were exciting at the last tournament they played in, doing well at AFCON, but they are still the weakest team in this group from a talent perspective and they have even struggled against some of the weaker opponents they have faced in the warm-up matches leading up to this tournament. Mexico is the most talented team in a weaker group here and they are going to have the crowd on their side pushing them to do well, so they are the best option to win this group. Mexico at -120 to win Group A.
Group B: Group B consists of Switzerland -138, Canada +225, Bosnia-Herzegovina +400, and Qatar +3300. Switzerland is coming into this tournament as the favorite to win this group and they are by far the best team in it. They have certainly not been a powerhouse in Europe over the years, but they have been getting better and better each year. They did well at the last Euro Cup and also dominated their qualifying group. They have the most quality in their squad of all the teams in this group and they are a very sound defensive team as well. They are not going to concede many goals with the talent they have at the back and they also have a lot of quality in their midfield that is going to control the pace in their matches. They have not had a strong attack in years past, but even that has improved with some exciting young talent that will put the ball in the back of the net. Canada is next on the list and they have the advantage of being a host nation so they will have the crowd on their side, but the talent is simply not there for them. They have some talented pieces scattered throughout their squad, but it is not enough to win this group. They also should have done much better at the last World Cup in Qatar, but they were a massive disappointment instead with 3 losses. They might make it out of the group, but they certainly do not have what it takes to win this group. Bosnia & Herzegovina is next on the list and they qualified in the play-off matches by kicking out both Wales and Italy, but they are still not a very talented team themselves. Like Canada, they have some talented pieces scattered throughout their squad, but it will not be enough to win them this group. They have a very good striker that anchors everything for them, but they do not have the quality in their midfield to control possession in their matches and they have some big problems at the back as well, so conceding goals will be a problem for them. Qatar is the last team on this list, but they are not a very talented team and they will be lucky to even win a match in this group. They played in their 1st ever World Cup 4 years ago when they were the host nation and they still finished at the bottom of the group with 3 losses. Switzerland is by far the best team in this group and they are only getting better with the quality they have. Switzerland at -138 to win Group B.
Group C: Group C consists of Brazil -500, Morocco +500, Scotland +1200, and Haiti +10000. Brazil is coming into this tournament as the favorite to win this group and they certainly have the quality to do so, but they have struggled in these competitions over the last decade. Brazil is the winningest team in the history of this competition and they did win their group at the last World Cup, but they actually finished tied with Switzerland and won it on H2H. They have one of the better squads in the world with the quality they have in all areas, but that quality has not played well together on the pitch over the last few years and this is going to be no easy group to win. There is another very dangerous team in this group that can absolutely win the group if Brazil slips up. Morocco is the next team on this list and they have been one of the better teams in the world over the last few years. They are ranked in the top 10 according to FIFA, but they also have the results to back them up. They went on a deep run at the last World Cup and even finished in 4th place, losing in the 3rd place match, and now they are coming off of a tournament win at AFCON earlier this year. They were awarded that title after Senegal was stripped in a very controversial decision, but they still had one of the better teams throughout that competition and they have proven themselves in these tournament settings over the years. Morocco is also very sound defensively, so they certainly have the quality to at least pick up a draw with Brazil and if they can do that, the group is up for grabs. Scotland is next on the list and they have some quality players in their midfield, but they have a very shaky defense that concedes a lot and they certainly have some problems with no solid striker. They were also a major disappointment at the last Euro Cup and they tend to struggle against top tier opponents as well. Haiti is the last team on the list, but they are only in this tournament because of the expansion and the fact that Canada, USA, and Mexico all got auto-bids to the tournament. They are just happy to be here and certainly do not have the quality to win this group as they will be lucky to even make it out of the group. Morocco has the best value here as they truly do have the talent to win this group and make a deep run while Brazil also has the potential to choke the group away. Morocco at +500 to win Group C.
Group D: Group D consists of USA +137, Turkiye +175, Paraguay +375, and Australia +700. USA is coming into this tournament as the favorite to win this group and they are the main host nation for this tournament. They are going to have the crowd on their side and they did manage to get out of the group at the last World Cup in Qatar, but they did not win their group. They may be the favorite here due to being the host nation and also not having a true powerhouse in their group, but the other teams in this group are not bad teams either, so there is potential for this group to get very messy. USA has been in very good form leading up to the tournament and they have a lot of quality in their midfield that will be able to create scoring chances for their very talented young striker in Balogun, but they still have some big problems at the back with a weaker defense. Turkiye is next on the list here and they have been improving a lot as a team over the years. They have had some very young exciting players that have been growing together over the last few years and they have a very potent attack that is going to do damage in this group with some of the defenses they will face. Turkiye is also weaker at the back and they tend to concede a lot of goals as well, but they are going to be a threat to win this group and their potent attack is a big reason why they can win it. Paraguay is next on the list and they are a scrappy team from South America that has also been getting better over the last few years. They have struggled against some of the top tier opponents they have had to play, but they have some quality in their attack that is going to find the net and their defense is not that bad either. They might not have the quality to win this group, but they can certainly ruffle some feathers with some draws and make this a very messy group in the end with a thin margin of error. Australia is the last team on this list and they are certainly the weakest team in the group, but even then, they are not a bad team and certainly not as bad as some of the bottom feeders in other groups. They are one of the more talented teams from that area of the world and they actually did get out of their group at the last World Cup in Qatar, beating out Denmark and Tunisia. Australia does not have the quality to win this group, but they can certainly ruffle some feathers like Paraguay and make this a very tight group with a lower point differential from top to bottom. Turkiye still has the best value to win this group though considering how it could be tighter with points and their attack gives them the best chance at having blowout potential in their matches, and scoring goals could be key in this group. Turkiye at +175 to win Group D.
Group F: Group F consists of Netherlands -138, Japan +300, Sweden +450, and Tunisia +700. Netherlands is coming into this tournament as the favorite to win their group and they are certainly one of the more talented teams in their group. They have been in great form leading up to this tournament and they dominated their qualifying group as well. They have a lot of quality in the midfield that makes them very strong at controlling the pace and possession in their matches, but they are still not a complete team. They have some quality in their attack, but they have struggled with finding a true striker to anchor their attack in international play. They also have some big problems at the back with a weaker defense that tends to concede a lot against stronger attacks that can break them down. This is not going to be an easy group for them either as they have the best asian team in this group and they have been a big threat in these tournaments before. Japan is next on the list here and they certainly have the quality to win this group. They have been in great form leading up to this tournament and they have a very sound defense that is not going to concede a lot. Teams will struggle to break down this defense, but Japan also has some quality in their attack and are very good at playing the counter, so keeping possession is not an issue for them. Japan also won their group at the last World Cup in Qatar and that was considered a group of death with Germany and Spain in it. Sweden is next on the list here, but they are not a true contender to win this group. They do have some quality and have the potential to be a frisky team with some very good players in their attack, but they do have some weaknesses in their midfield and their defense is going to be a problem with the way they have been conceding goals recently. They have also been in awful form as they actually finished at the bottom of their qualifying group and were saved by the UEFA Nations League spots, but they had an easier path in that as well. They had to beat Ukraine in an away match where there was no real home advantage for Ukraine and then they got to play at home against Poland. They do not have the quality to win this group though with the 2 other teams at the top. Tunisia is the last team on this list and they have been a big disappointment over the years, currently on the decline. They were supposed to make some noise at the last World Cup, but they failed to get out of the group stage. They also struggled a lot at AFCON earlier this year and they do have a very good defense that does not concede a lot, but they have no attack and that is going to be a big problem as they will struggle to even score a goal in this group. The Netherlands might have the more talented team here, but Japan is no team to sleep on and there is a lot of value in them as they certainly have the quality to win this group. Japan at +300 to win Group F.
Group G: Group G consists of Belgium -275, Egypt +400, Iran +600, and New Zealand +2500. Belgium is coming into this tournament as the overwhelming favorite in this group and they do have a lot of quality in their squad, but they are certainly not the team they used to be just years ago. They have some exciting young players coming up, but a lot of their talent is also aging. This team is well past their prime now and their window has closed for winning any types of competitions like this. They have still been in great form recently leading up to this tournament, but they always struggle against better teams with a weaker defense that concedes a lot of goals. They dominated their qualifying group to get here, but that group was also a joke with the teams they got to play. Egypt is next on the list here and they are one of the better teams in Africa who have been improving a lot over the last few years. They have a lot of quality in their attack with Salah and Marmoush, and they also have a very sound midfield and defense that can keep teams off the board. They absolutely dominated their qualifying group as well and they went on a nice run at AFCON earlier this year, finishing in 4th place with a loss to Nigeria in the 3rd place match, but they had some very good results against quality opponents along the way. All it takes is a draw with Belgium to burst this group wide open and Egypt certainly have the defense to keep them at bay. Iran is next on the list here, but they do not have a lot of quality in their squad and they are not going to be much of a threat in this group. They did not make it out of the group at the last World Cup either and that was a World Cup in their region where they had more of an advantage. New Zealand is the last team on this list and they are not a true contender at all to win this group. They do not have a lot of quality in their squad as they have one of the worst teams in the tournament and they will likely fill out the bottom of the group. Egypt has the best chance at taking down Belgium in this group and there is some good value here with Belgium on the decline and Egypt on the rise. Egypt at +400 to win Group G.
Group I: Group I consists of France -250, Norway +275, Senegal +800, and Iraq +4000. France is coming into this tournament as the overwhelming favorite to win their group and they do have one of the best teams in the world. They won the World Cup just 8 years ago and went to the Final at the last World Cup in Qatar, losing to Argentina. They have the quality to win this whole tournament, so they certainly have the quality to win their group here, but it is not an easy group with some of the other teams in it. A lot of their quality is also in their attack and they do have a very potent attack that will score a lot of goals, but their defense has been a problem with the way they concede goals and that will continue to be a problem in this tournament. They have been in great form leading into this tournament and dominated their qualifying group, but they also played in a very weak qualifying group and struggled a lot in the UEFA Nations League Finals last year, their defense being their downfall in a 5-4 loss to Spain. Norway is next on the list and they have been on the rise over the last few years. They have been in great form leading up to this tournament and even dominated their qualifying group. They have a lot of quality in their attack with one of the best goal scorers in the world, so that is going to make them a threat in this group. They certainly have the attack to break down this France defense and make some noise in this group, but their defense has also been a problem for them as well. Senegal is next on the list here, but they are completely mispriced. They have one of the best teams in Africa right now, if not the best, and they are one of the better teams in the world as well. They have quality all over their squad from defense to attack and they are coming off of a tournament win at AFCON earlier this year, later getting stripped of the title in a very controversial decision, but they still won that Final match in Morocco against Morocco. Senegal is a very big threat to go deep in this tournament and they certainly have the quality to run with teams like France and Norway. Iraq is the last team on this list and they had to beat Bolivia in an intercontinental match just to qualify for the World Cup, but they are not a team with a lot of quality and they are not going to do much in this group. This is their 1st time back in the World Cup since 1986 which was their only World Cup appearance, and they went 0-0-3 in that group. There are 3 very good teams in this group that are going to make it very difficult for France to go 3-0-0 here, as good as they are, so there is a lot of value in Senegal at this price as one of the best African teams in the tournament. Senegal at +800 to win Group I.
Group L: Group L consists of England -350, Croatia +350, Ghana +1000, and Panama +5000. England is coming into this tournament as the overwhelming favorite to win this group and they are one of the top 3 teams to win the World Cup, according to the oddsmakers. They certainly have the quality as one of the better teams in the world right now and they always find a way to make a deep run in these tournaments, but tend to choke in the end. They have been in great form over the last year, dominating teams in their qualifying group, and they have not been conceding many goals either. They have a lot of quality in their attack as well with a lot of players that can do some damage, but their coach may not allow them to open with his style of play. England is going to play a more defensive style here with Tuchel leading the charge and it has worked for them recently, but their defense is not nearly as good as their attack and they could find themselves in a few defensive stalemates. They have the quality to dominate this group as they have been very good in the group stages of these competitions, but Croatia is next on the list here and they are certainly no joke. Croatia has been a very good team over the years and they continue to find themselves going deep in these tournaments, even coming in 3rd at the last World Cup in Qatar. They continue to have success in these competitions due to having a very sound defense as well as one of the better midfields in the world. They have a lot of quality in their midfield and they are going to be able to control the pace of their matches. Their attack has lacked a true striker in years past, but they certainly have the defensive talent to earn a point in their match against England and if they can get a draw in that match, they can tilt this group on its side with the other 2 teams in it. Ghana is next on the list here, but they have been a big disappointment in international play over the last decade and they do not have the quality to compete with the 2 top teams in this group. Ghana will struggle against both England and Croatia, and they have some big problems on defense as well. Panama is last on the list here and they are by far the weakest team in this group. They have only qualified for 1 other World Cup which was in 2018 and they went 0-0-3 in that group. They do not have the quality to win this group and will be lucky to even get a point from 1 of their matches. This group is a 2 horse race between England and Croatia with England being the better team, but there is certainly some value in Croatia at this price with the success that they have had in previous tournaments over the last decade. Croatia at +350 to win Group L.
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