During the World Cup’s Group Stage, the field of 32 teams is divided into eight groups. These eight groups, labeled alphabetically A-H, conduct individual round-robin tournaments between the four teams. The top two teams from each group advance to the Knockout Stage.
How are World Cup Groups Determined
The groups are formed based on a number of variables including geographical criteria and random draws.
The four teams in each group are assigned a seeding. There are predetermined No. 1 seeds, which include the host country, but the remaining 2-4 seeds are placed into hierarchy by using the FIFA World Rankings and recent World Cup performances.
Each team in every group plays the other three teams once so that there is a total of six matches played in each group. Within the group tournament, teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw and no points for a loss.
The top two point-getters from the group advance to the Knockout State of the World Cup. In the event of a tie, there are multiple tiebreakers in place to determine which teams move on to the next round.
2018 FIFA World Cup Group H Odds
The 2018 FIFA World Cup will take place in Russia from June 14th, 2018, until July 15th, 2018, so here on GetMoreSports you can check out our betting tips and predictions for all four national soccer teams from the Group H – Poland, Colombia, Senegal, and Japan.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup starts on June 14th, 2018, when the host nation Russia faces Saudi Arabia at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, while 32 national soccer teams from five different confederations will battle to decide who’s the best team in the world. Divided into eight groups with four teams per each group, only the top two will qualify for the Round of 16 after three rounds in the group phase. In this preview, we will take an in-depth look at the Group H of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia to see what can we expect from each of these four teams – Poland, Colombia, Senegal, and Japan, while the bettors can check out all odds for the group winners on BetDSI Sportsbook along with the markets for the group stage games.
Group H Schedule
| Date | HOME | AWAY | 1 | X | 2 | O/U 2.5 Goals |
| 6/19/2018 | Colombia | Japan | -125 | +250 | +350 | +125/-163 |
| 6/19/2018 | Poland | Senegal | +125 | +210 | +240 | +130/-167 |
| 6/24/2018 | Japan | Senegal | +220 | +200 | +137 | +125/-163 |
| 6/24/2018 | Poland | Colombia | +190 | +200 | +160 | +120/-154 |
| 6/28/2018 | Japan | Poland | +350 | +250 | -125 | +107/-138 |
| 6/28/2018 | Senegal | Colombia | +275 | +240 | +100 | +120/-154 |
FIFA World Cup Group H Odds Predictions
Colombia vs Japan Free Preview and Pick
Poland vs Senegal Free Preview and Pick
FIFA World Cup Group H Team Previews and Players to Watch
POLAND
The Eagles are back at the FIFA World Cup after missing the previous two tournaments, while in seven appearances thus far, they finished at the third place on two occasions in Germany 1974 and Spain 1982. Poland had a tough draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, placing them in the arguably most equable group alongside Colombia, Senegal, and Japan, so the Eagles will have a difficult time to qualify for the second round where they could easily meet Belgium or England.
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Poland is a hard-working team with a few remarkable players among the squad, playing mostly in a 4-4-2 formation with a direct-passing style. The Eagles are a nice blend of youth and experience, led by one of the world’s best strikers in the last decade Robert Lewandowski who’s certainly the key factor for Poland’s eventual success. Lewandowski is a pure scoring machine, bagging 52 goals in 93 caps so far, and the bookmakers favor him at +3300 to win the Golden Boot. The biggest issue could be a defensive line, as Poland has conceded 14 goals in ten qualifying games.
Head Coach: Adam Nawalka
Players to Watch: Robert Lewandowski, Piotr Zielinski, Arkadiusz Milik
Winner Odds: +5000
Group H Odds: +175
Group Qualification Yes/No: -175/+130
COLOMBIA
Los Cafeteros had a great World Cup campaign four years ago in Brazil, reaching the Quarter-Finals for the first time in their history, while the playmaker James Rodriguez won the Golden Boot with six goals in five games. The bookies favor them at +187 to replicate this result at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and the market on Rodriguez to retain the Golden Boot is set at +6600, whilst both pundits and bookmakers expect to see Colombia in the Round of 16.
Colombia has a well-balanced team, strong in each line, particularly at the front where they have three terrific forwards – Radamel Falcao, Carlos Bacca, and Luis Muriel, while the winger Juan Cuadrado could be a great weapon on both flanks. James Rodrigues will orchestrate the play from the midfield along with Edwin Cardona whose technical ability and dribbling skills are both big factors in Los Cafeteros game. At the back, a centre-back duo Cristian Zapata and Davinson Sanchez will be a defensive rock along with an experienced goalkeeper David Ospina.
Head Coach: Jose Pekerman
Players to Watch: Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado
Winner Odds: +4000
Group H Odds: +120
Group Qualification Yes/No: -275/+200
SENEGAL
The Lions of Teranga have qualified for their second World Cup tournament after a 16-year drought, as they were the biggest surprise of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, reaching the Quarter-Finals on their debut. The current manager Aliou Cisse was a captain of this legendary Senegal team, and his experience could be a great help for his boys this summer in Russia. The bookmakers set the market on Senegal to make it to the last eight at +600, while the price on Lions of Teranga to finish on the bottom of the Group H is at +200.
Senegal prefers an attacking football, mostly playing in a 4-3-3 formation due to plenty of talent they possess at their offensive line. The winger Sadio Mane will lead the side, and his creativity is essential for Lions of Teranga, as they certainly lack a pure playmaker in their midfield. The experienced strikers Moussa Sow and Mame Biram Diouf both could make a great impact in Russia, but the bettors should keep eye on a talented 23-year old Keita Balde, who’s considered among the best young wingers in the world at the moment.
Head Coach: Aliou Cisse
Players to Watch: Sadio Mane, Keita Balde, Kalidou Koulibaly
Winner Odds: +20000
Group H Odds: +500
Group Qualification Yes/No: +125/-175
JAPAN
After a debut in France 1998, Japan managed to qualify for each FIFA World Cup, so this will be their sixth appearance on the biggest stage, while the biggest achievement was reaching the Round of 16 on two occasions. Samurai Blue had a strong performance in the qualifiers finishing at the top of their group ahead of Saudi Arabia, but they’ve changed the manager recently due to some arguing about a style of team play, so the bookies consider them as strongest candidates to finish fourth in the group, setting the market at +150.
Japan has good technical skills with tactically well-trained players, preferring a 4-5-1 formation with plenty of running from deep, while they often try to make scoring opportunities through a short-passing style of play. They possess some exceptional players in the midfield, as Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda both have great vision, while the captain Makoto Hasebe provides pace and strength. Japan’s biggest problem could be a physical inferiority, especially against their rivals in the group phase who are all strong teams, so the bettors can expect to see some goals in Japan’s matches at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Head Coach: Akira Nishino
Players to Watch: Shinji Kagawa, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Okazaki
Winner Odds: +30000
Group H Odds: +700
Group Qualification Yes/No: +200/-275
