The first two games of the group stage are in the books at the 2018 World Cup. While teams like France, Croatia, Mexico, England and Belgium have cruised through their first two matches with a pair of wins, a number of projected contenders have struggled to stay in contention to advance including the defending champion Germany. The sportsbooks have updated the odds for each team to win the tournament heading in to Matchday 3. Here is a look at the updated odds to win the World Cup. Odds are courtesy BetDSI Sportsbook.
The list of favorites looks fairly similar to the odds heading in to the tournament following Germany’s clutch win over Sweden. Brazil remains the favorite at +500 odds but is now joined at the top of the list by Spain at +500, followed by Germany at +600. Germany had been bumped down a notch following a loss to Mexico in its opener but survived a scare from Sweden to keep its hopes alive heading in to the final group stage match. Germany isn’t guaranteed through to the Round of 16 yet but they play South Korea in their final match so the expectation is that they will find a way to advance.
Meanwhile, Belgium is among the fastest risers in the tournament following back-to-back blowout wins to open the 2018 World Cup. Belgium has had no problem beating up on inferior competition in back-to-back wins over Tunisia and Panama. At one point on Saturday, they were listed at +750 odds to win the tournament, slightly ahead of Germany at +800 at that point in time. Belgium is now listed at +700 or +800 odds depending on which sportsbook you look at. There is no doubt that Belgium has impressed. However, the fact that they are listed at the same price as France means their value isn’t exactly incredible for a team that has yet to prove itself against top competition. It will be interesting to see what happens between Belgium and England in their final group stage match. England is currently listed right behind Belgium and France at +900 odds.
If you are looking for value then there are a couple of solid contenders worth considering betting World Cup futures following Matchday 2. Croatia has arguably the best midfield in the tournament and it has shown in back-to-back wins over Nigeria and Argentina. They should have no problem completing the sweep of the group versus Iceland in their final Group Stage match. Still, Croatia is listed at +1400 odds to win it all, which is an excellent price. Another value option worth considering is Portugal, which is listed at +1800 odds to win it all. Cristiano Ronaldo has been an absolute beast with four goals through two games but he can’t do it alone. Will he get enough help to propel the reigning European champions to another major tournament victory? At +1800 odds, Portugal could be an excellent sleeper pick to win it all.
