England has deservedly earned three points against Tunisia in their first match at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and the Three Lions will have a chance to probably clinch the knock-out phase if they beat another underdog in the Group G Panama. Los Canaleros were easily beaten by Belgium 3-0 at the start of their World Cup campaign, but they will certainly try their best to upset England on this Sunday, June 24th, 2018, at Mordovia Arena in Saransk.
England vs. Panama
3-Way: 1: England -625; X: +650 Draw; 2: Panama +2500 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -2: England +100; Panama -115
Total +2.5: Over -125; Under +100
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +240/-333
ENGLAND
The Three Lions have beaten Tunisia 2-1 in their first match at the 2018 World Cup, having a difficult time to earn vital three points, despite they were a dominant force for all 90 minutes against the Eagles of Carthage. The captain Harry Kane scored the brace, bagging the winner in the injury time of the second half, so it could be a huge boost for his teammates ahead of the next clash with Panama. England has missed plenty of chances to decide the winner in the first 15 minutes of the game, and a much better finishing job is a must if Three Lions want to go far in Russia.
The talented forward Raheem Sterling had an awful game, embarrassing himself in the sixth minute when he managed to miss the empty net from just a few yards away, and he has to improve as soon as possible, as England will need more than Harry Kane’s goals to succeed at the 2018 World Cup. At the back, the Three Lions looked pretty solid, besides Kyle Walker’s poor reaction that led to a penalty kick, but it seems like Gareth Southgate’s formation with three men at the defensive line is working just fine. The bookmakers favor England at +1200 to beat the 2018 World Cup, while the odds are -150 on England to reach the Quarter-Finals.
PANAMA
Los Canaleros are debutants on the biggest stage, and they are still goalless after a 3-0 defeat against Belgium at the start of the tournament, despite having a couple of excellent opportunities to bag their first ever World Cup goal. Panama was easily beaten by the Red Devils, although Los Canaleros have managed to resist in the first half, in the second 45 minutes it was obvious they don’t have enough quality to upset the heavyweight Belgium side. After this defeat, Panama is set as a massive +2500 out-of-towner to qualify for the knock-out stage in Russia.
The manager Hernan Dario Gomez was well-aware of his team’s drawbacks, setting a rigid 4-5-1 formation with a couple of defensive-minded players in the middle of the park which works fine until the 47th minute when Dries Mertens scored the opening goal. It was obvious that Panama is a pretty limited side when it comes to creating scoring chances, although the talented defender Michael Murillo had a one-on-one situation with Thibaut Courtois. Gomez will probably take the same approach against England, trying to hit on the counter whenever it’s possible.
England vs. Panama – Match and Odds Breakdown
Betting against Panama at the 2018 World Cup was my major pick, especially when they meet heavyweights Belgium and England. Belgium has dominated Panama, so it’s now England’s turn to justify the odds against Los Canaleros. If the Three Lions take the same aggressive approach as in the match against Tunisia, they shouldn’t have any problems to cover the spread at -1.5 with the wages at -175, but if the bettors want some greater odds, they’ll have to wager on the bigger spread which could be a tricky one.
Los Canaleros will undoubtedly park the bus here, defending with all ten men, but I just cannot see them earning anything from this clash. The bookies are pretty sure they will fail to find the net here, setting the price on both teams to score at +240. Betting on the over 2.5 goals at -125 maybe looks like a reasonable choice, but if you think that Panama will fail to score, then you should wager on the -2.5 spread with some attractive odds at +160 on BetDSI Sportsbook.
The Pick: England AH -2 (+100)
