The World Cup Odds - WHO WILL WIN IT?

The World Cup has arrived, so let’s talk about some of the betting odds. As much as we would love the United States, we are absolute dog water at soccer (futbol) on the international level. If we were to make a run to the World Cup finale, it would be a pure miracle and would cause chaos in the streets of New York just a few short weeks after the Knicks win the Finals.

Let’s talk betting odds… and 5 things really stand out.

1. France and Spain are tied to win the finals at +450. They both have talented young players that mesh well together. It would be shocking if one of these two teams wasn’t in the chip.
2. England, Argentina, and Brazil bring up the middle tier. The winner could easily come out of this tier. England has the experience, Brazil has the footwork, Argentina has the power of friends and Messi.
3. Portugal, Germany, and Netherlands round out the bottom of the upper echelon teams. Long shots but still in the realm of possibility.
4. Belgium, Norway, and Colombia have more than a zero percent shot to win, but they aren’t winning it.
5. The US, Mexico, and Switzerland are the long shots

Which means if Christian Pulisic and the boys want to make a run, they’re going to have to pull out some magic.

My pick to win, is Brazil. Always the maid of honor, never the bride (at least since 2002). Brazil brings an attacking group of Martinelli, Vini, and others. While they bring an intense midfield of Casemiro, Paqueta, and Bruno G.

At +900 they’re the 5th most likely team to make a deep run. They have a somewhat easy group with Morrocco, Haiti, and Scotland. They should be favorites in every match, and set themselves up for a gettable path to the final 8.

My long shot is the Netherlands at +2200. Their group of Japan, Ivory Coast, and Ecuador is a little harder than Brazil, but they should one of the two teams to come out and make it to the knockout. They always play a solid tournament and I could see them upsetting a major player this year.