After a surprising 1-0 defeat against Mexico, Germany will have to search for a victory against Sweden, particularly because Blue-Yellow earned a win in their opening match of the Group F with South Korea. The clash is set for Saturday, June 23rd, 2018, at Fisht Stadium in Sochi, and the bettors can expect a tremendous duel with some attractive odds to bet on.
Germany vs. Sweden
3-Way: 1: Germany -278; X: +450 Draw; 2: Sweden +800 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1.5: Germany +110; Sweden -143
Total +2.5: Over -125; Under +100
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +100/-152
GERMANY
The defending champions upset many with a poor performance in their first game at the 2018 World Cup, as they were beaten by Mexico 1-0. Die Mannschaft had plenty of problems to create scoring opportunities against the combat Mexicans, while their defensive work wasn’t impressive at all, allowing some dangerous opportunities on the counter. At the start of the tournament, Germany was a +450 favorite to retain the title, but after a disappointing defeat in the opener, the odds are set at +800. Likewise, the price on defending champions to exit the tournament in the group phase is +175.
Along with his boys, the manager Joachim Low will have to think over his decisions, as he started some players who had a quite poor season. Thomas Muller maybe has ten World Cup goals on his account, but the versatile forward was terrible this season in Bayern Munich’s jersey. Julian Draxler was imperceptible in Paris SG, while Mesut Ozil is arguably in an awful form for two years. And these guys should have been creating chances and scoring goals. Joachim Low omitted Leroy Sane from the World Cup squad, and it could be a terrible decision.
SWEDEN
Blue-Yellow started the 2018 World Cup with a fully deserved 1-0 victory over South Korea, dominating for the most of the match, but they showed some flaws, particularly at the front. Sweden created some dangerous scoring opportunities, but they needed a penalty kick to score the goal, as the finishing job was horrible. Marcus Berg embarrassed himself a couple of times, failing to find the back of the net even when he was one-on-one with Korea’s goalkeeper, while his partner Ola Toivonen also had a poor match.
However, the manager Janne Andersson can be satisfied with the victory and a clean sheet, too, although his boys made some mistakes at the back, especially the captain Andreas Granqvist who scored the only goal from the penalty kick. Sweden also lacks a pure playmaker in the middle of the park, and it could be a problem against aggressive Germany side. According to all relevant sportsbooks, Sweden is a +10000 underdog to beat the 2018 World Cup, while the odds are +125 on Blue-Yellow to qualify for the knock-out stage.
Germany vs. Sweden – Match and Odds Breakdown
The calculation is clear – the defending champions cannot afford a loss here or they will end the journey in the group stage if Mexico overcomes South Korea which is expected. Likewise, a potential draw will leave Germany in a difficult situation, as Mexico could allow Sweden to get a point in their head-to-head meeting in the Matchday 3 of the Group F. Hereof, Germany will have to beat Sweden to stay in the race for the Round of 16, and the odds at -278 are for those bettors with a fat piggy bank, while betting on the spread at +110 looks like a reasonable choice.
Sweden will certainly take a defensive approach, and Janne Andersson has been studying Germany’s tilt with Mexicans, for sure. However, Sweden looks like a limited side, and they will have a mountain to climb to stay unbeaten here with the odds at +200. If Germany scores first, Sweden will be in all kinds of problems, as they don’t possess pace like Mexico to constantly pressure the opponent.
I will go with Die Mannschaft in this one, as I believe Germans will bounce back, as it’s in their nature to play strong when it’s needed. Sweden will look for some chances on the counter, and especially after set-pieces situations, but I don’t think they are capable of making an upset. Howsoever, this is a World Cup where everything is possible, so the bettors should check out all lines and markets on BetDSI Sportsbook.
The Pick: Germany AH -1.5 (+110)
