Our attention will soon be focused solely on Russia and, for once, it’ll have nothing to do with politics. Instead, the annual FIFA World Cup Soccer tournament will kick off on June 14, with 32 teams playing at 12 different stadiums in 11 different cities. With a competition this big, there will be plenty of betting odds to sort through. We’re here to help with the How-To Guide for Betting on Soccer FIFA World Cup Odds.
What is the FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup is arguably the biggest sports event in the world. The month-long tournament is watched by billions of people worldwide, and gambled on by nearly as many, as every four years the best national soccer teams from five different confederations fight to become world champions and cash FIFA World Cup odds.
FIFA or the Fédération Internationale de Football Association is the international governing body for the sport of soccer or “football,” as it is referred to in just about every country outside of the United States. The World Cup competition has been held every four years since it’s inauguration in 1930, with the exception of 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.
2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place in Russia, from June 14, 2018, through July 15, 2018. Fans will see 32 national soccer teams divided into eight groups dueling for the honor of advancing to the Round of 16 when the Knockout Stage begins. Germany will defend the trophy captured in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup when “Die Mannschaft” vanquished Argentina 1-0 in the Final with Mario Gotze scoring the winning goal during stoppage time.
The 64 fixtures will be played at 12 stadiums in 11 cities over 32 days. The opening clash comes between Russia and Saudi Arabia on Thursday, June 14 while the final match of the tournament is set to be played at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday, July 15. Let’s dive in for a closer look at the soccer odds and betting markets, and when you’re done there, go ahead and traverse on a short trip throughout FIFA World Cup history.
World Cup Qualification and Format
In the World Cup tournament, each of the 32 national teams compete over a one-month stretch in the host nation in two stages: a Group Stage followed by a Knockout Stage.
The Group Stage has eight groups of four teams, and teams only compete within their group. The teams are seeded, based on the FIFA World Rankings and/or performances in recent World Cups. The tournament host receives and automatic entry into the field. The other 24 teams are assigned to different “lotteries” based on geographical criteria, and teams in each “lottery” are drawn at random to be placed in one of the eight groups.
- Group A Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group B Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group C Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group D Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group E Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group F Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group G Preview, Teams and Odds
- Group H Preview, Teams and Odds
Rules are applied to the drawing to ensure that no group contains more than two European teams or more than one team from any other confederation. Each group enters into a round-robin tournament format, where each team plays three matches against other teams in their group, equating to six matches being played within each group. Points are awarded to rank the teams within a group. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss.
The top two teams from each group advance to the Knockout Stage, which is a single-elimination bracket format where teams play each other in one-off matches. Extra time and penalty shootouts are used to decide the winner in the event of a regulation time tie. The Knockout Stage of the World Cup begins with the Round of 16 (or second round) where the winner of each group plays the runner-up of another group. This is followed by the Quarter-finals, the Semi-finals, the Play-off for Third Place (contested by the losing semi-finalists) and the Final.
Betting on Soccer FIFA World Cup Odds
Bettors and soccer fans from all over the world will have the chance to watch and wager on 64 games at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. And with 48 of those matches occurring in the Group Stage, there will be plenty of picks and markets to choose from, and the vast majority of odds are already available at BetDSI Sportsbook.
The FIFA World Cup is the perfect opportunity to lay some bets. Gamblers can choose from numerous sportsbooks, pick between different lines when wagering on straight bets, futures, totals or the spread (Asian or European handicap).
By visiting BetDSI Sportsbook, bettors can also access World Cup props by choosing the potential winner of the World Cup, participants of each knockout round, stage of elimination for each team and more. They can also bet on the group forecast and try to predict which team will finish as the top two in each group. The bookies also provide the betting public with odds on the top goalscorer, best goalie and the winner of the Golden Ball.
2018 FIFA World Cup Odds
| Brazil +400 | Germany +450 | Spain +600 |
| France +650 | Argentina +900 | Belgium +1100 |
| England +1800 | Portugal +2500 | Croatia +3300 |
| Uruguay +3300 | Colombia +4000 | Russia +4000 |
| Poland +5000 | Switzerland +10000 | Denmark +10000 |
| Mexico +10000 | Sweden +15000 | Egypt +15000 |
| Serbia +20000 | Senegal +20000 | Peru +20000 |
| Iceland +20000 | Nigeria +20000 | Japan +30000 |
| Australia +30000 | Morocco +50000 | Iran +50000 |
| Costa Rica +50000 | Tunisia +75000 | South Korea +75000 |
| Saudi Arabia +100000 | Panama +100000 |
Types of Soccer Bets
There are numerous ways to bet on the outcome of a match at the World Cup. Let’s examine each below.
Three-way Line
South Korea +280
Sweden +105
Draw +225
Here, a player has three options to bet on. The key with this option is that the outcome of the bet is decided at 90 minutes. For instance, if Sweden wins 2-0 in regulation, then those who bet on Sweden win their bets. However, with this option, if the game is tied at the end of regulation, then the draw wins regardless of who goes on to win in either extra time or penalty kicks.
Two-way Line
South Korea +150
Sweden -200
This is a relatively straightforward bet, and the most popular among gamblers. You are wagering on either South Korea or Sweden to win the match. A draw is considered a push in this scenario, and it doesn’t matter whether or not the winner is determined in regulation or extra time.
Asian Handicap
South Korea +0.5 -123
Sweden -0.5 +113
The Asian handicap is similar to betting on football or basketball in that you are wagering on a spread. In this scenario, a push or a South Korea win will lead to South Korea +0.5 cashing. Sweden would need to win the match in order for Sweden -0.5 to be a winning bet.
Keep in mind that there will be times where you are essentially making two wagers when you are betting the Asian handicap. Asian handicap lines are split into 1/2 goals and 1/4 goals, so you might see something like this:
England -1 and -1.5 -115
Tunisia +1 and +1.5 +101
In this example, if you bet on England, half of your bet will be on England -1 and the other half will be on England -1.5. That means there is a chance for half of your bet to push, while the other half will be decided as either a win or a loss.
Total or Over/Under
Over 2.5 -110
Under 2.5 -110
Here, you are betting on the total number of goals scored in a match. With the above example, if there are three goals or more scored in the game, the over cashes. However, if there are two goals or fewer scored during the match, then the under wins.
2018 World Cup Betting Strategies
Another interesting thing about betting on FIFA World Cup odds is the fact that markets will change during the tournament, and some of these changes are drastic, which makes the tournament even more intriguing for the bettors.
Big upsets and drops in performance are common on the biggest stage, and the potential surprising results in the first two rounds of the Group Stage can shake up the bracket. Hereof, picking the markets before the start of the tournament could be a big win or a huge blow, depending on bettors’ knowledge and fortune.
This summer in Russia, we have a big group of contenders as Germany, Brazil, Spain, France, Argentina and Belgium are all heavyweight teams capable of becoming world champion. On the other side, clubs such as England, Portugal, Croatia, Uruguay and Colombia will wait in the ambush, while all other partakers look like huge underdogs.
Let’s not forget in the last 2014 FIFA World Cup, where tiny underdog Costa Rica, beat out Uruguay, Italy and England, to get to the Knockout Round where they took out Greece and advanced to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the underdog fell to the Netherlands in a shootout, but they were a 40-1 longshot in the Group Stage where a modest $100 bet would have returned $4,000 for a Costa Rican believer.
There’s a phrase in the world of soccer – the ball is round, so everything is possible – and that is why betting on FIFA World Cup odds is so exciting.
FIFA World Cup History
The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will be the 21st World Cup tournament in the history of soccer, the first one that will take place in Russia.
The first World Cup was held in 1930 in Uruguay when just 13 teams took part. That year, the hosts hoisted the crown after a 4-2 victory over Argentina in the Final. The following two tournaments were held in Europe with 16 teams in a final draw, and Italy won the title both times beating Czechoslovakia 2-1 and Hungary 4-2, respectively.
Due to the World War II, the FIFA World Cup didn’t take place in 1942 and 1946, and in 1950 Brazil hosted the tournament when Uruguay clinched their second Jules Rimet Trophy by beating the hosts 2-1 in the legendary Final match.
In Switzerland in 1954, West Germany won their first title after a surprising 3-2 victory over Hungary, and in 1958, Brazil welcomed their first ever World Cup trophy.
It was a birth of a tremendous generation with one of the best players in the history of soccer, Pele, helped his country conquer the world two more times in the following two decades.
England hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1966, and the Three Lions won the crown against all odds after a dramatic 4-2 victory against West Germany, which captured its second trophy eight years later.
Then in 1978 Argentina became the world champion on the home soil, beating the Netherlands 3-1 in the Final. It was the last tournament with 16 teams in the final draw.
In Spain in 1982 the world saw 24 national teams at the World Cup with Italy winning their third title. This format lasted until the 1998 World Cup in France when, for the first time, we saw 32 teams in the final draw, divided into eight groups, the same as it is today. Interestingly, the hosts took their very first World Cup trophy after a brilliant 3-0 victory over Brazil.
Argentina became the world champion for the second time in Mexico in 1986 when Diego Armando Maradona was the biggest soccer star at that moment, but four years later in Italy, the Argentines were defeated by West Germany 1-0 in the Final.
The United States of America hosted the last World Cup tournament with 24 entrants in 1994 when Brazil won their fourth title. Eight years later, Brazil would become the most successful country, winning their fifth World Cup trophy in the history of the competition.
Italy and Germany are both behind Selecao with four titles apiece, as Italy was the best in 2006, and Germany won the tournament as a World Cup odds-on favorite in 2014.
List of Past World Cup Winners
| Year | Host | Winner | Runner-up |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Uruguay | Argentina |
| 1934 | Italy | Italy | Czechoslovakia |
| 1938 | France | Italy | Hungary |
| 1950 | Brazil | Uruguay | Brazil |
| 1954 | Switzerland | West Germany | Hungary |
| 1958 | Sweden | Brazil | Sweden |
| 1962 | Chile | Brazil | Czechoslovakia |
| 1966 | England | England | West Germany |
| 1970 | Mexico | Brazil | Italy |
| 1974 | West Germany | West Germany | Netherlands |
| 1978 | Argentina | Argentina | Netherlands |
| 1982 | Spain | Italy | West Germany |
| 1986 | Mexico | Argentina | West Germany |
| 1990 | Italy | Germany | Argentina |
| 1994 | USA | Brazil | Italy |
| 1998 | France | France | Brazil |
| 2002 | South Korea / Japan | Brazil | Germany |
| 2006 | Germany | Italy | France |
| 2010 | South Africa | Spain | Netherlands |
| 2014 | Brazil | Germany | Argentina |
Best Player, Golden Boot, and Golden Glove Awards
Each FIFA World Cup had its’ own stars, the best players or top goalscorers who made the biggest impact at particular tournaments. Sometimes even goalkeepers had their show, as was the case in 1990 when Sergio Goycochea led Argentina to the World Cup Final. However, until 1982 there weren’t official awards for the best player, best keeper and top scorer of the tournament so the huge names of soccer like Pele, Ferenc Puskas, Bobby Charlton and Johan Cruyff left only as unofficial best players of the FIFA World Cup. On the other hand, the French striker Just Fontaine is still the best goalscorer with 13 goals in Sweden in 1958, although he received no accolade for that feat.
In 1982, FIFA introduced the awards for three best players and a top goalscorer of the tournament, and the first winner of this prestigious award was the Italian striker Paolo Rossi, taking both awards with six goals on his account, including the opening goal in the Final. The Golden Glove Award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament was introduced in 1994, called the Lev Yashin Award at the time, and the first winner was the Belgium legendary keeper Michel Preud’homme.
In 2014, Lionel Messi won the Golden Ball, James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot with six goals on the account and Manuel Neuer earned the Golden Glove Award. A man who’s managed to score the most number of goals in one game is the Russian striker Oleg Salenko, netting five times against Cameroon in 1994.
In 1994, FIFA enunciated the All-Star Team of the World Cup tournament, but in Brazil in 2014, there wasn’t an official FIFA dream team so the top eleven were selected by an online poll. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, we’ll see some of the best players from the previous tourney, such as Lionel Messi (Argentina), Thomas Muller (Germany), Neymar (Brazil), James Rodriguez (Colombia) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), and you’ll be able to find odds for each of them.
Best Players
| Year | Golden Ball | Silver Ball | Bronze Ball |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | Falcao | Karl-Heinz Rummenigge |
| 1986 | Diego Maradona | Harald Schumacher | Preben Elkjaer Larsen |
| 1990 | Salvatore Schilllaci | Lothar Matthaus | Diego Maradona |
| 1994 | Romario | Roberto Baggio | Hristo Stoichkov |
| 1998 | Ronaldo | Davor Suker | Lilian Thuram |
| 2002 | Oliver Kahn | Ronaldo | Hong Myung-Bo |
| 2006 | Zinedine Zidane | Fabio Cannavaro | Andrea Pirlo |
| 2010 | Diego Forlan | Wesley Sneijder | David Villa |
| 2014 | Lionel Messi | Thomas Muller | Arjen Robben |
Top Goalscorers
| Year | Player | Goals |
| 1982 | Paolo Rossi | 6 |
| 1986 | Gary Lineker | 6 |
| 1990 | Salvatore Schillaci | 6 |
| 1994 | Oleg Salenko and Hristo Stoichkov | 6 |
| 1998 | Davor Suker | 6 |
| 2002 | Ronaldo | 8 |
| 2006 | Miroslav Klose | 5 |
| 2010 | Thomas Muller | 5 |
| 2014 | James Rodriguez | 6 |
