Whether you're handing over Euros, dollars, yen, pesos or something else, World Cup betting on the 2010 championship of soccer is expected to break all wagering records this year. The 32-team event kicks off June 11 in the host country of South Africa with the final slated for July 11 (local date) in Johannesburg.
The tournament is divided into eight groups of four teams each with the top two teams in each group heading to the single elimination knockout round. Of course, there is betting—and lots of it—all along the way, from futures to game prices to propositions.
Spain is the overall favorite to win the first World Cup hosted by an African nation. La Furia Roja, which drew into Group H along with Chile, Switzerland and Honduras, was a consensus 4/1 favorite among the 19 international sportsbooks surveyed. Spain, the world's top ranked team, also was an overwhelming -333 favorite (bet $333 to win $100) to claim its group. There's also World Cup betting on which teams will finish second, third and last in each group and which teams will advance out of their individual groups by finishing first or second.
Brazil, the only team to have qualified for every World Cup, is the narrow second choice at future book odds of 9/2. A winner of a record five World Cups, Brazil drew into Group G, where it's a -160 favorite over Portugal, Ivory Coast, and North Korea. Portugal is ninth in futures at odds of 25/1 while the Ivory Coast is 10th at odds of 33/1. The presence of three of the top 10 betting teams has many soccer experts labeling this the dreaded "Group of Death," in that only two of three very strong teams can advance. North Korea, a 150/1 longshot, is unlikely to win a game.
England and Argentina join Spain and Brazil in completing was is being called "The Big Four." England was the most dominant team in European qualifying for the World Cup and is 13/2 to win it all. The Brits also are the -275 favorite to win Group C. Team USA, an 80/1 shot to win the tournament, nevertheless is expected get past Slovenia and Algeria to join England as the representatives from Group C and advance to the knockout round.
Argentina, the 7/1 fourth choice in World Cup betting futures, should have little difficulty advancing out of Group B where it's a -190 favorite to stomp over Nigeria, Greece and South Korea. Nigeria is most likely to join Argentina in the round of 16.
You can get double digit odds or better on any other team in the tournament, including European stalwarts such as The Netherlands, Germany, Italy and France.
The Dutch are 10/1 to win the World Cup and should dominate Group E, where Cameroon. Denmark and Japan all have a legitimate shot to claim the second berth in the round of 16. Holland is a -160 favorite to win its group.
Ranked sixth in the world, Germany, a 14/1 shot to win the 2010 World Cup, should have little trouble in Group D, a foursome where the other three members are ranked outside the top 20. The Germans, who finished third in the 2006 World cup, are -110 to win their division over Serbia, Ghana and Australia.
Defending champion Italy also is held at future book odds of 14/1. Italy got a good draw but the team has aged since its win four years ago, though the Italians are -190 favorites to turn back Paraguay, Slovenia and New Zealand in Group F. An 80/1 outsider in futures, Paraguay, which finished a respectable third in South American qualifying, is most likely to join Italy in the knockout round of 16.
France, 18/1, plays good defense and shouldn't have too much trouble navigating past Mexico, Uruguay and South Africa in Group A where Les Bleus are a +110 favorite (bet $100 to win $110).
The group winners play the group runners-up to narrow the field to eight. Then the quarter-finals produce four teams for the semi-finals. Interestingly, there's also a future book on reaching the semis. Not surprisingly, the same top teams rule this futures list with Spain a -110 favorite to be among the final four and Brazil next in line at even money. England, +130; Argentina, +150; The Netherlands, +225; Italy, +230; Germany +240; and France +300 all are prime semi-final contenders.
The World Cup is the biggest sporting event on the planet and World Cup betting is its worthy accomplice.
