With 2022 FIFA World Cup One Year Away, Which Teams Have Best Odds to Win Jules Rimet Trophy?
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If you are new to the sports betting scene, or even one of the OGs, you might not know that the numbers for soccer betting have continued to soar across America.
As each new state joins the sports betting fray, and more people sign up for accounts with all of the various sportsbooks, bettors may notice something.
The National Football League and NCAA Football seasons end early into the new year. The NBA and NCAA Basketball seasons end, as do the NHL and MLB campaigns.
But soccer is a constant: you can literally bet a soccer game EVERY day of the year. It might be the Premier League, La Liga, or international games, but bettors can find games all the time, day in and day out, morning, noon, and night.
For even casual fans, the FIFA World Cup is an event that they stop to watch. Many states did not have legalized sports betting when the 2018 World Cup was contested in Russia, but the event brought in massive numbers of viewers, and on betting apps.
We are now one year away from the first late fall World Cup, which will be held in Qatar from November 21 to December 18, 2022. The last tournament was widely thought of as the best ever, and we should see more from the next one.
France won in Moscow, beating first-time finalist Croatia 4-2 to lift its second Jules Rimet Trophy. Can Les Bleus do what only two sides (Italy 1934/1938, Brazil 1958/1962) have ever managed, and win back-to-back world titles?
Here are the current odds, with qualification still ongoing around the world
Brazil, +550
France, +700
Spain, +900
England, +900
Germany, +1000
Italy, +1110
Argentina, +1200
Portugal, +1300
Belgium, +1300
Netherlands, +1700
Have you seen a pattern in those odds at all?
The European sides take up eight of the top 10 spots, and rightly so, after the last two competitions that were played in 2021. Italy won the UEFA Euro 2020 in the summer, beating England in penalties. France then beat Spain in the 2021 UEFA Nations League Final, adding another trophy to its case.
Of course, Brazil is the current favorite at +500 with the current World Cup free bets by various sportsbooks, but for me, you have to find a European team (or teams) to back in this tournament.
Right now, my money would be (and is) on France and/or England, but I think you could also make a good case for Italy and Spain.
These odds will not change too much until the tournament begins, because there is so much talent in the top squads. But you might get much better value before the tournament than once it starts.
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