2022 FIFA World Cup outright odds, best bets & value picks

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off this Sunday and we are set up for another thrilling tournament. We often see European teams dominating the outright betting markets, but this year the oddsmakers have installed two South American nations as favorites to win the tournament. Here are our best World Cup future bets, along with some teams that should be avoided at their current prices.

2022 World Cup best bets

France are once again one of the favorites to win the World Cup, and for good reason. They possess the most dangerous attack in this tournament, with a striker partnership headlined by Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema. That attack, combined with their tremendous defensive depth, will make the French a tough out, and they will use their experience from their 2018 World Cup win to wear teams out. While France’s midfield is lacking, especially with the injury to Christopher Nkunku, they have two youngsters in Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga who will be eager showcase their talent. If those guys perform like they have for Real Madrid, France will be in a great spot, and considering their easy group, Les Bleus should be in the semifinals at worst.

Belgium’s golden generation is running out of time. Guys like Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard are all getting up there in age, but they still have a couple years of elite play left. While Belgium are yet to put it all together on the world’s biggest stage, this could be the year for them. The combination of all their talent and the experience they have gained from their past campaigns could make this team a scary opponent. While they don’t have the defensive talent of the other elite teams, Belgium have Thibaut Courtois in goal and there is no one keeper we would take over him in a big game. Belgium have an awesome midfield led by De Bruyne, and considering how important that part of the pitch is in tournaments like these, Belgium at +1600 with Bovada is worth a bet. If they make a deep run, there will be good hedging opportunities.

2022 World Cup value bets

Uruguay have a mix of young talent and proven veterans that truly give this team a championship ceiling. They have some of the best ascending stars in the world with the likes of Darwin Nunez, Fede Valverde and Ronald Araujo all dominating for big European clubs. If those young players can mesh with the experienced stars like Edinson Cavani, Diego Godin and Luis Suarez, there are few teams who will have a better starting 11 than Uruguay. While Uruguay’s depth is not great, they have the top-end talent to compete against bigger nations. Also, La Celeste are in a very winnable group where their best opponent will be a declining Portugal side. If Uruguay win the group and set themselves up with a nice round-of-16 matchup, their odds of +4000 could prove to be a steal.

Switzerland are returning largely the same team they have played in the past two World Cups. While those ended in round-of-16 losses, they went to the quarterfinals in the 2021 Euros and showed how good they can be. Their year-over-year consistency is something that can work in their favor, and while they are in a group with Brazil, the Swiss are expected to be the second team out of that pool. If that happens, the hedging is on and +10000 odds will give bettors plenty of opportunities to cash out on this consistent group of veteran players.

Teams to avoid

When one looks at Brazil’s roster, it’s easy to get blown away by the big names playing for them. That being said, that happens every World Cup and this team hasn’t a finish better than fourth place in 20 years. Brazil will always be in the mix, but they have no business being such short-priced favorites with the top soccer betting sites. While they have loads of talent, we wouldn’t recommend betting on any team with odds of +350 in a tournament this wide open.

The same can be said for Lionel Messi and Argentina. While they have a bunch of notable players in attack, Argentina’s odds of +500 do not accurately convey their defensive inconsistencies. Sure, players like Messi, Paulo Dybala and Lautaro Martinez could simply outscore all their opponents and mask their defensive problems, but it’s not worth counting on that. While it would be glorious to see Messi finally win the big one in what looks like his final World Cup, we cannot let our hearts cloud our brain.

England are always one of the most hyped teams heading into big international tournaments, but they tend to let down their supporters. While, on paper, this English team has a ton of talent, they are a very young team, and for many of their key players it will be their first World Cup. Guys like Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount are all great for their clubs, but the World Cup is a different animal and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them struggle. Also, England have a lack of depth in the midfield, and outside of Harry Kane they do not have a ton of proven goalscorers. While it’s certainly possible England figure it out and advance deep into the tournament, we aren’t counting on it.

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