Thoughts on the Upcoming 2018 World Cup in Russia

The clock is ticking before the first group stage matches are scheduled to kick off in Russia for the 2018 running of the World Cup. From a betting point of view, you really are going to be spoilt for choice regarding not only the many different teams you can bet on, but the plethora of other unique betting opportunities too.

As there are so many different bookmakers, betting sites and sportsbooks all of which are eager to get you betting with them, there are benefits to be had by making use of the promotional offers each of them has got up and running right now or will have as the tournament gets closer to starting.

With that in mind what I am going to be doing throughout this guide is enlightening you on what those promotional offers are and how they can help you lock in more World Cup betting value when you make use of them, but also give you some pointers as to the best betting opportunities currently available too.

But make no mistake about it, if you are planning on watching as many World Cup 2018 matches as you can do, but you also want a financial interest in those matches you watch, you are going to be spoilt for choice no matter at which betting sites you are a customer of!

Group Stage Qualifier Betting 

You may want to bet on any of the teams that make up the individual groups to qualify, and if such let me now look at which teams, if the betting markets are an indicator, are likely to do just that in each group.

Group A should be easy enough to pick the team that will top that group, for it is Uruguay that are being heavily back at odds of 1/4. Russia may be the hosting nation but with odds of 3/10 about them there are too many risks associated with betting on them!

Looking at the betting markets on Group B, I would probably urge you to back Spain to qualify, however at 1/14 their odds are not going to appeal to punters!

France should breeze though the group stages, and for reference they are in Group C, but much like Spain above you are not going to get rich betting on them to do so with their current odds of just 1/16!

Group D looks a straight forward one to bet on, for looking at the four teams that make up that group I cannot see Argentina doing anything but qualify! However, having said that Croatia may be in with a chance of getting through.

Brazil should make mincemeat of the opposite in their group that of course being Group E, however I would urge you to shop around if you do fancy placing a bet on them for there is a tiny chance you may find slightly better odds that the 1/16 odds I did come across earlier today!

Moving onto Group F, that is a group that England fans will be glad their national team had not been drawn to play in, for it is the group in which Germany are bound to head at the end of the group stages and if you think that is the most likely outcome the odds of 1/12 are worth taking.

Talking of England, they are 1/8 to qualify in their group that being Group G, however knowing the way they do tend to play at an international level, most bookmakers do not make them favourite to head that group they instead choose Belgium at odds of 1/12.

Now, Group H does need some thought, for whilst Colombia are 2/5 to qualify I would not put you off backing Poland at 4/7 or  Senegal at 11/8 or even Japan at 7/4 as any of them could end up qualifying!

Who Will Win the World Cup in 2018?

You are going to have your own opinions on just which team and nation are going to be winners of the FIFA World Cup later this year, but one thing that you can be guaranteed off, and that is the betting markets currently on offer on the outright winner do need making use of right now, if you want to secure the highest possible odds.

As soon as the group stages begin, and teams start getting knocked out of the tournament the odds available on the remaining teams winning will start to drop, so if you do plan on having a bet on who you thin will be the winning team you need to do so sooner rather than later.

If you are struggling to pick out a team who you think will win, then let me give you an insight into which teams are favorites and which the bookmakers and odds compilers think have no chance what so ever of winning.

There are two teams that are currently joint favourites to win and those teams are Brazil and Germany, and both are on offer at 9/2. However, not far behind them in the betting markets are France at 11/2 and Spain at 13/2.

As you can also place each way bets on any team you like winning and being placed then it may just pay dividends for you to bet on some of the outsiders to win and if so consider placing your money on Portugal at 25/1, the host nation that being Russia at 33/1 or even have a very speculative bet on Serbia at 100/1!

Names of the Finalists

Have you ever thought that two teams are going to make it to the FIFA World Cup Final in the past, and then low and behold they did make it through to the final?

If so that is yet another bet that is currently available to you in the unique betting markets that several bookmakers and betting sites currently have live. The art to getting the best odds on such a bet is to place them sooner rather than later, as that is how you will secure the best odds of course.

As we are fast approaching the group stages, then you will find the number of permutations of teams that could make it through to the final are huge, and with that in mind I will now just reveal to you several pairings of teams that may just do just that, and let you know what odds I have been able to find online.

Germany / Brazil ate the two teams that the betting markets do indicate have the best chance of making it through to the final as that bet is available at odds of 11/1

However, if you are convinced that the two teams that are going to make it right through to the final match are going to be Germany / France then you should make use of the current odds of 14/1!

A few other popular bets in this category and their respective odds are Brazil / Spain at 16/1, France / Spain at 18/1, France / Argentina at 18/1 and you should have no difficulties finding odds of 20/1 on Brazil / Argentina at being the two teams that do make it through to the final!