Betting odds for the coming quarterfinals are stellar! Here a quick overview (from tipico.de) for those who don't know them backward:
Almost all odds are higher than 2.0! This is an exciting situation as it promises higher returns for the winning bet. The catch: it also means the matches' outcome is supposedly hard to predict. Anyway, I will give it a try and give you some of my thoughts about the results. I'll go in details for the match between France and Argentina and just give you some of my bet-ideas on the other games.
Uruguay - France:
I think this is the easiest one to predict. In my opinion, France is the favorite team to win the world cup. They were able to beat Argentina thanks to their fast attackers, who played fast and greatly executed counterattacks. The biggest factor for the french's strategy to be successful was the high standing defense line of Argentina and their slow-paced defense organizing after losing the ball. Even though France only won by 1 goal, I think they could have scored more and conceded fewer goals if they had wanted to.
Uruguay has a defense which is on a higher level than Argentina's. Uruguay will not have an unorganized defense standing 45m in front of their goalkeeper. Therefore it will be hard for the French team to score a goal, especially by counterattack, as the did in the round of the last 16. But I do think that players like Griezmann or Mbappe will find a moment to show their magic. Uruguay, on the other hand, will first concentrate on disrupting the french's game flow and being well organized in the defense and the Middlefield. As a result, it might be a game with a few attractive scenes and a lot of fighting, with France being 1:0 ahead. In the 80th minute, Uruguay will be forced to create more offensive actions and to neglect their defense. It might turn out well for them, leading to the 1:1 last-minute goal often seen this year and prolongation, but it might as well lead one of France's counterattacks and the 2:0.
Bet-Ideas:
Team to advance to next round: France, betting odd: 1,42
Total Goals - Over/Under: Under 2,5, betting odd: 1,50Brazil - Belgium
Reallyyy hard to predict. To the majority, Brazil is clearly the favorite team, but I strongly believe that Belgium has a chance. For years Brazil has been overrated, as it the might be this year. Belgium has shown in some moments it was able to play football from the finest, but also had several blackouts and foreseeable football. If Belgium were able to scrap those mentioned blackouts and foreseeable passes and to play a straightforward football through their wingers such as Hazard and Meunier, it might be able to surprise Brazil. Lukaku must try to capture the balls coming to him and distribute them to his colleagues. Obviously, it is also necessary that Neymar won't have one of his best days. Belgium's defense is far from being stable and prone to any dangerous attack.
Bet-Ideas:
Both Teams to Score: Yes, betting odd: 1,75
Team to advance to Next Round: Belgium, betting odd: 2,4 (only for the braves and audacious ones)Sweden - England
Both teams have played from time to time destructive football, especially Sweden. Sweden played very well defensively and England struggled to score a goal against the rather weak Columbian defensive.
Bet-Ideas:
Team to advance to Next Round: England, betting odds: 1,90
Total Goals - Over/Under: Under 2,5, betting odds: 1,50Russia - Croatia
I suppose this match won't have much spectacle to offer and might even be boring for a neutral supporter to watch. Croatia was one of the most underrated teams at the beginning of the cup but struggled to meet my expectations. Their offensive play is far from being spectacular or creative and it is playing a quite aggressive. Russia has an amazing support at home and in their stadium, a support that has helped it to reach the quart final (to my surprise, I admit). Even though Russia can be sure of experiencing even more support from the Tribune, contributing to an all-time high level of motivation, Croatia might be a little bit better than them and dominate the game. Russia will hope to strike some counterattacks effectively.
Bet-Ideas:
Team to advance to Next Round: Croatia, betting odds: 1.53
Total Goals - Over/Under: Under 2,5, betting odds: 1,48
Thank for reading this article.
I am grateful for any Feedback (positive and negative) on content, grammar, and use of language!
See you soon and enjoy the games ahead!
Cheers,
Enti