The FIFA World Cup vice-champions Argentina starts their 2018 World Cup campaign against Iceland on Saturday, June 16th, 2018, at Spartak Stadium in Moscow in the opening game of the Group D. To start the tournament on a good footing, Argentina have to get a victory here, as Iceland is considered as a huge +250 out-of-towner to avoid the loss. After some lame displays recently, the bettors can’t wait to see Lionel Messi and co. in action, but let’s take a closer look at both rivals and their aspirations in this match.
Argentina vs. Iceland
3-Way: 1: Argentina -333; X: +400 Draw; 2: Iceland +900 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1.5: Argentina +110; Iceland -130
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -145
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +175/-250
ARGENTINA
La Albiceleste had a poor qualifying campaign, clinching the World Cup spot in the ultimate game against Ecuador thanks to Lionel Messi’s magnificent hat-trick. They’ve recorded seven wins, seven draws, and four losses, scoring only 19 goals in 18 games and conceding 16 in a return which is a quite miserable record for the team with arguably the best player in the world at the moment and some exceptional players alongside Messi, particularly at the front. Likewise, Argentina was humiliated by Spain 6-1 in the recent friendly, although Lionel Messi hasn’t been on the pitch, so there are some doubts over this Argentina team.
The defending vice-champions have a lot of problems to organize the play from midfield, as they are lacking a pure playmaker who can orchestrate the team, so their front line is often useless despite Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain are both top-notch strikers who are deadly when playing for their clubs. However, Argentina’s players are used to a short-passing style of play, so they are surely capable of keeping the ball on their feet, especially against Iceland, while Nicolas Otamendi will hold the things at the back along with an experienced Javier Mascherano.
ICELAND
Our Boys are debutants on the biggest stage, while they are pure darlings of soccer in the last couple of years. At EURO 2016, Iceland surprised the odds reaching the Quarter-Finals where they lost to France 5-2, and last year, Iceland became the smallest country by population to ever qualify for the FIFA World Cup final tournament. Our Boys topped their qualifying group ahead of Croatia, winning seven out of ten games with a 16:7 goal difference, but they are set as the biggest underdog in the Group D with odds at +275 to reach the knock-out phase in Russia.
Iceland is a hard-working team with a remarkable work rate, focusing on their gains to replace shortcomings, so they always rely on a pacey team defense, trying to create some opportunities on a counter. Our Boys possess strength in aerial duels, so set pieces could be their chance against Argentina, although Iceland’s best player Gylfi Sigurdsson is currently injured. Sigurdsson’s set-pieces taking is invaluable for Our Boys along with his creativity at the middle of the park, so the bettors need to keep track of Gylfi’s injury updates, as he’s a key member of this Iceland side.
Argentina vs. Iceland – Match and Odds Breakdown
La Albiceleste is huge -333 favorite to grab a victory here for a reason, as on a paper, Argentina is a way better team than Iceland and Our Boys will have a difficult task to deal with Lionel Messi who’s certainly determined to fill his collection with the most important trophy. The competition in the Group D looks quite stiff, so three points from this clash sound like a priority for Messi and co., while the bookies don’t expect to see a bunch of goals here setting the wages on the Over/Under 2.5 Goals at +120/-145. However, if Messi shows his magic, betting on the over could be a good choice to get decent wages.
Argentina will control the ball from the start due to their technical superiority, while Our Boys will organize the defensive block or even park the bus in their 18-yard box, and wait for chances through counter-attacks. Without Gylfi Sigurdsson, Iceland will have a difficult time to find the back of Argentina’s net, but if Gylfi starts the game, then the odds at +175 on both teams to score sounds pretty attractive. On the other hand, Our Boys should struggle to stop Argentina’s frontline, so I think Argentina should get a win here and beating the spread will be my first pick, as I expect at least two goals in Iceland’s net. However, the bettors should check out all lines and markets on BetDSI Sportsbook, as they will cover all 2018 World Cup matches.
The Pick: Argentina AH -1.5 (+110)
