The 2018 FIFA World Cup Group C starts on Saturday, June 16th, when France goes on Australia at Kazan Arena in Kazan, and the bettors just can’t wait to see in action one of the biggest favorites to win the title. France is set as a +650 favorite by the bookies to lift the World Cup Trophy, so the Blues will look for a strong performance on the outbreak against one of the weakest sides at this tournament. Australia is a massive +400 underdog to avoid the loss here, but let’s take a closer look at both rivals and see what can the bettors and soccer fans expect from this match.
France vs. Australia
3-Way: 1: France -435; X: +542 Draw; 2: Australia +1406 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1.5: France -132; Australia +116
Total +2.5: Over -115; Under -100
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +204/-217
FRANCE
The Blues are considered as one of the toughest teams in the world at the moment with plenty of world-class players among the squad, so it’s no strange that bookmakers set the odds on France to reach the Semi-Finals at +120. After some disappointing displays in the qualifying round where the Blues clinched the World Cup spot in the ultimate game against Belarus, there are still doubts about their psychological ability to succeed on the biggest stage, but the first game against Australia will tell us a lot about France’s current form. In their previous two friendly matches, the Blues have convincingly beaten the Republic of Ireland 2-0 and Italy 3-1 respectively.
The manager Didier Deschamps is under constant fire since a loss against Portugal in the EURO 2016 Final on a home soil, so he just needs a good start of the World Cup campaign, thus we should see his best eleven against Australia in a search for a convincing victory. The forward Antoine Griezmann will lead the side along with Paul Pogba who’s expected to be the main guy in France’s midfield. The youngster Kylian Mbappe could be a potential star of this tournament, as a 19-year old forward is listed as one of the most gifted players in the world with distinctive finishing abilities. France prefers an attacking football, but their defense is also a top one with Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti as a centre-back duo onwards.
AUSTRALIA
Socceroos had a difficult time in the qualifications for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as they had to play in the intercontinental playoff where they deservedly overcame Honduras 3-1 on aggregate. They are coming to Russia as massive +30000 underdogs to win the World Cup Trophy, while the bookmakers favor them at -125 to finish at the bottom of the Group C. We can say that Socceroos don’t have anything to lose at this World Cup, particularly in the game against France, so they can play in a relaxed manner and see how far it will bring them.
Australia is a physically strong team, relying on a hard teamwork, while they look for the chances mostly after set pieces situations or after quick counter-attacks. However, they are quite limited technically, also lacking creativity among their squad which is the main reason why they don’t like to have a ball in their possession for too much time. Huddersfield’s midfielder Aaron Mooy is arguably the only player in this Australia team who can orchestrate the play, whilst his free-kick and corner-kick taking are invaluable for Socceroos. The pacey forward Mathew Leckie should be a go-to-guy in the final third, but he could have a difficult time against France’s defense.
France vs. Australia – Match and Odds Breakdown
The bookies are convinced in France’s dominant victory over Australia, and I just have to agree, as they are a far better side than Socceroos who should struggle to keep their net intact on this one. I believe we’ll see a strong performance by the Blues who will keep the ball on their feet looking to make some scoring opportunities through a short-passing game, and if Griezmann or Mbappe come out in a good mood, I think France should score at least a couple of goals here.
On the other side, Australia is a defensive-minded team, but I don’t see how will they cope with France’s offense, as Socceroos are too slow for Blues’ forwards. I think they will have a difficult time to stop Mbappe particularly, although they’ll certainly start with five at the back. The bookies are also pretty sure we won’t see both teams scoring in this game, setting the odds at +200, but the bettors who like betting on the totals can get some decent wages, as we could easily see more than two goals on the scoreboard.
I’m backing France to win this game with a bigger margin, and betting on the spread is looking as the best option here, while the bettors can examine all lines and markets on BetDSI Sportsbook, as they will cover all 2018 FIFA World Cup games.
The Pick: France AH -1.5 (-132)
