Uruguay reached the quarter finals after finishing on top spot at their group after a draw with France, a 3-0 victory over South Africa and a win by 1-0 over Mexico. In the first knock out stage they faced South Korea where they were again victorious by a 2-1 score. Uruguay’s manager Oscar Tabarez is not experiencing any major injuries as only Godin is doubtful. On the other hand, only a few people were expecting Ghana to reach the quarter finals. Rajevac’s boys progress from the group after occupying the second spot behind Germany. They managed to win Serbia by 1-0, to draw with Australia 1-1 while the lost from Germany by 0-1. At the first knock out stage they manage to secure a win over United States by a 2-1 score at extra time.

The online sportsbetting sites offer Uruguay as slight favorites as Uruguay’s win is at 2.05, the draw at 3.10 while Ghana’s win at 4.00. The Over / Under 2.5 goals bet odds are set to 2.5 / 1.50 while the bet of which team will eventually manages to qualify is set to 1.44 for Uruguay and 2.62 for Ghana.

Uruguay is better team than Ghana but as we there is only one more stop before the final game the players are highly motivated. We have seen many surprises so far and it is certain that there are no weak teams any more. However, Uruguay’s high speed and lethal offensive line will prevail over Ghana’s strength and high stamina only if the game end at 90 minutes. Ghana showed that can keep the same tempo longer and this was the key factor that gave them the victory over United States. Prediction: Uruguay to win by 2-0.

Holland demonstrates attacking football with Robben as the mastermind who tries to pass the ball to Van Persie and to Kuyt while the captain Van Bommel organizes the defensive tactics. On the other hand, Brazil – perhaps for the first time – is not having the superstar at their squad roster. Of course players like Kaka, Robinho, Maicon, Lucio and many others can make the difference in an eye glimpse but this Brazil plays more like a team than ever. The attacking mentality of the full backs helps the team to deploy 5 or 6 players on the opposing field and the constant movement of the players such as Fabiano makes the zonal marking almost impossible.

The online sports betting sites offer Holland’s win at 16/5(4.20), the draw at 11/5(3.20) while Brazil’s win at 19/20(1.95). The bet of which team will eventually qualify is set at 13/8(2.62) for Holland and 4/9(1.44) for Brazil. The Over / Under 2.5 Goals bet odds are 23/20(2.15) / 13/20(1.65) but this is something I do not agree with. Both teams can score quite easily and I believe that Holland has the power to score first. On the other hand, if Brazil concedes then we will watch a high scoring game for sure. I believe that we will watch a game with Over 2.5 Goals and potential correct score picks can be the 1-2 (7/1- 8.00), 2-1 (12/1 – 13.00) or the 2-2 (16/1 – 17.00).

 
 

One game today for Group D as Germany is coming to this match as slight favorites after an excellent performance over Australia where they secured a 4-0 win. The Panzers will try to get their second straight win which will give them the ticket for the next World Cup round. However, this time they will have a harder task as Serbia is better team than Australia. Serbia suffered a shocking defeat from Ghana and the win is the only way if they want to progress to the next stage especially if Ghana prevail tomorrow over Australia. Most likely we will watch an open game especially after the first goal. Serbia needs score and if possible to win otherwise they will have abselutely no chance to advance to the next round.
William Hill Odds: Germany (8/13 – 1.61) – Draw (13/5 – 3.60) – Serbia (5/1 – 6.00)
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals (21/20 – 2.05)

Moving to Group C, where Slovenia currently is on top of the standings with three points while USA and England have one and Algeria zero points. Both teams will try to secure the win for different reasons. If Slovenia wins then automatically gets a ticket for the first knock out stage while if USA wins they will have the advantage as their last game is against Algeria. The big question however is if both teams will be satisfied by a draw. In a case like that, everything will be settled to the last games and the goal difference will determine which team will get the second or third spot. Of course the before mentioned scenario will have some value only if England manages to win over Algeria.
William Hill Odds: Slovenia (13/5 – 3.60) – Draw (21/10 – 3.10) – USA (23/20 – 2.15)
Prediction: USA Win

England must produce a match better display against Algeria if they want to keep alive their chances for qualification. They will have to attack and to score as many goals as possible. On the other hand, Algeria most likely will try to hit England using counter attack tactics. This will not give much space to England unless they score first. The result of the game earlier between Slovenia and United States will determine the tactics of the two managers. However, I find it a little difficult to believe that England will be settled by a draw.
William Hill Odds: England (2/7 – 1.28) – Draw (4/1 – 5.00) – Algeria (11/1 – 12.00)
Prediction: England Win

Argentina is coming to this game as clear favorites against South Korea. Both teams were victorious on their first games as they prevailed over Nigeria and Greece respectively. If this game produce a winner then that team automatically progress to the next stage. Argentina is far better team than South Korea and they shouldn’t have a problem to secure a win. Maradona will deploy a full strength squad as he wants to achieve a victory with as many goals as possible. On the other hand, South Korea’s main aim will be not to concede and hit Argentina by deploying counter attack tactics.
William Hill Odds: Argentina (8/15 – 1.53), Draw (11/4 – 3.75), South Korea (6/1 – 7.00)
Prediction: Argentina’s win.

A match of no tomorrow for Greece as the Euro Cup holders of 2004 is facing early elimination unless they prevail over Nigeria. Greece’s manager Otto Rehaghel is expected to introduce many new faces in the squad comparing to the first unsuccessful game against South Korea. Greece will be forced to deploy an attacking mentality but Nigeria is not an easy opponent. The African team will be satisfied with a draw as they plan to battle for next stage qualification on the last match against South Korea.
William Hill Odds: Greece (11/4 – 3.75), Draw (21/10 – 3.10), Nigeria (11/10 – 2.10)
Prediction: Under 2.5 goals (4/11 – 1.36)

The last game for today is the match between France and Mexico. Both teams draw on their first games with Uruguay and South Africa respectively. Uruguay managed to win yesterday and took the lead in Group a looking for a single point of the match against Mexico. This fact will force both teams to aim for the win as the draw will be a disastrous result for both of them. France is expected to have some new faces in the squad such as Cisse while Mexico will stick to the same squad selection which drew to the opening game.
William Hill Odds: France (13/10 – 2.30) – Draw (2/1 – 3.00), Mexico (12 /5 – 3.40)
Prediction: Over 2.5 Goals (2/1 – 3.00)

Spain is going to this game as clear favorites and the Furia Roja will try to prevail in order to complete the first aim which is no other than the first spot of the Group. Spain most likely will begin the match with a 4-3-1-2 formation where Torres and Villa will be in attack with Xavi as a support. The team is not facing any problems and the fact that the players are keeping a low profile regarding their chances to win the tournament is a clear indication that they know how difficult is to win a World Cup game no matter of the opponent name.

Spain had absolutely no problem to reach World Cup final stage as they toped their qualification group with 10 wins over 10 games. However, in some friendly games they struggled to prevail over opponents such as Saudi Arabia and South Korea but they demolished Poland by 6-0 score. Del Bosque knows that this is a very important game and will deploy a full strength squad on the pitch. He knows that with a win over Switzerland he will have the chance to rest some key players to the game against Honduras.

On the other hand, Switzerland is extremely strong on the defensive area. They rarely concede but they do also have great difficulties to score. They know that Spain is the favorite and that they will battle with Chile for the second spot. Having this in mind we are expecting to watch a heavily defensive formation with lot’s of players to advance at attack from free kicks. The team most likely will stick to a 4-1-4-1 tactic plan where Derdiyok will be the only man inside Spain’s defense. It is important to understand that Switzerland will be happy if they lost the game by 1-0 as the standings are finalized regarding the goals scored and then the goals difference.

The online sports betting sites offer Spain’s win at 1.25, the draw at 5.00 while Switzerland’s win high at 12.50. The Over / Under 2.5 Goals bet is set at 1.88 / 1.83 while excellent are the odds on Handicap against Spain where the -1 is at 1.78. The correct score of 2-0 is also the prime choice of bookmakers as it is low at 4.75. A good bet and our betting pick is the HalfTime / Full Time bet of Spain / Spain. The offered odds are at 1.80 . Now, all those who believe that Spain will not be able to win they can choose the Double Chance bet of X2 which is offered at a very good price of 3.60.

South Africa, Mexico, France and Uruguay are on the World Cup Group A and although France and Mexico are the favorites to advance on the next stage on a World Cup tournament you never know. South Africa will have a packed stadium to boost their efforts while Uruguay features some high level players such as Diego Forlan.

The fact is that South Africa will be treated as slight underdogs on every single game they will play. The team is not a football power even at Africa Continent and as their coach stated, they will enjoy all the games and they will try for the best. On the other hand, Mexico approach to the World Cup is much more professional. They already played 9 friendly games and they suffered just two defeats from England and Netherlands while they managed to beat Italy quite easily. They have an excellent team and on their roster you can find players like Guillermo Ochoa, Efrain Juarez, Andres Guardado, Giovani dos Santos, Rafael Marquez, Hernandez and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

Online Sports betting sites offer South Africa’s win at 2.75 (7/4), the draw at 3.10(21/10) while Mexico’s win at 2.62(13/8). The fact is that South Africa will be playing at home in frond of a packed full stadium. On the other hand, Mexico might not have the supporter on this game but they are far much better team than the hosts. I believe that Mexico will be able to win this one.

There are many interesting bets such as the correct score which under normal circumstances shouldn’t exceed the three goals as well as the HalfTime/FullTime predictions. The Draw/Draw is offered at 4.00 (3/1) while the Draw/Mexico at 6.00 (5/1).
There are excellent betting odds for the anytime scorer. From South Africa Katlego Mphela is valued at 2.75 and Siyabonga Nomvethe at 3.00. From the Mexico side Javier Hernandez is valued at 2.50 while Guillermo Franco and Carlos Vela at 3.00.

The Each Way bet on William Hill applies to Tournament winner bet (½ 1-2), to Top Goal scorer bet (¼ 1-2-3-4) and to Golden Ball bet (¼ 1-2-3).

The top betting odds for the World Cup Tournament Winner are:
4/1 (5.00) Spain
9/2 (5.50) Brazil
13/2 (7.50) Argentina
8/1 (9.00) England
10/1 (11.00) Holland
14/1 (15.00) Germany
16/1 (17.00) Italy
20/1 (21.00) France
25/1 (26.00) Portugal
50/1 (51.00) Ivory Coast
66/1 (67.00) Serbia
80/1 (81.00) Mexico

If you pick, for example, England to be the Tournament Winner you will get paid according to the above mentioned odds. If, however, England reach the final but will not able to lift the trophy then you will still be a winner but your odds will be sliced at half (7/2, 4.50). In order to increase your chances, it is good to check out the possible crossings all the way to the final. We have created a fictional scenario with possible crossings here.

Another very interesting and high profitable bet is the Top Goal scorer. This is another Each Way bet but this time you can be a winner if your pick finish on spots 2, 3 or 4. If this will be the case then you get ¼ of the offered odds.

The top betting odds for the Top Goal scorer bet:
8/1 (9.00) David Villa – Spain
9/1 (10.00) Lionel Messi – Argentina
10/1 (11.00)Wayne Rooney – Eng
12/1 (13.00)Fernando Torres – Spain
12/1 (13.00) Luis Fabiano – Brazil
12/1 (13.00) Robin van Persie – Holland
16/1 (17.00) Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
20/1 (21.00) Gonzalo Higuain – Argentina
25/1 (26.00) Diego Milito – Argentina
33/1 (34.00) Nilmar – Brazil
33/1 (34.00) Miroslav Klose – Germany
33/1 (34.00) Robinho – Brazil
33/1 (34.00) Carlos Tevez – Argentina
33/1 (34.00) Peter Crouch – England
40/1 (41.00) Kaka – Brazil
40/1 (41.00) Alberto Gilardino – Italy
40/1 (41.00) Arjen Robben – Holland
40/1 (41.00) Pedro – Spain
50/1 (51.00) Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast
50/1 (51.00) Lukas Podolski – Germany
50/1 (51.00) Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – Holland
50/1 (51.00) Antonio Di Natale – Italy
50/1 (51.00) Diego Forlan – Uruguay
66/1 (67.00) Sergio Aguero – Argentina
66/1 (67.00) Thierry Henry – France
66/1 (67.00) Samuel Eto’o – Cameroon
66/1 (67.00) Nicolas Anelka – France
66/1 (67.00) Luis Suarez – Uruguay
66/1 (67.00) Frank Lampard – England
66/1 (67.00) Dirk Kuyt – Holland
66/1 (67.00) Humberto Suazo – Chile
66/1 (67.00) Roque Santa Cruz – Paraguay
66/1 (67.00) Thomas Muller – Germany
66/1 (67.00) Rafael van der Vaart – Holland
66/1 (67.00) Andre-Pierre Gignac – France
66/1 (67.00) Cacau – Germany
80/1 (81.00) Jermain Defoe – England
80/1 (81.00) Mario Gomez – Germany
80/1 (81.00) Liedson – Portugal
80/1 (81.00) Salomon Kalou – Ivory Coast
80/1 (81.00) Steven Gerrard – England

There are some excellent betting odds offers: Rooney from England will be the prime attacker for the team as well as Tevez and Milito from Argentina. Robinho from Brazil is also an excellent choice as well as Robben from Holland. On some picks the odds are extremely high which means that even if we get our odds sliced down to ¼ , on some occasions we reach the 8/1 (9.00) or even more!

The Golden Ball award is presented to the best player throughout the World Cup. Those that finish 2nd and 3rd runners-up receive the Silver Ball and Bronze Ball awards respectively. William Hill also offers this bet as Each way ¼ for places 1,2,3.

Some of the prime candidates for the Golden Ball award bet are:

6/1 (7.00) Lionel Messi – Argentina
14/1 (15.00) Xavi – Spain
14/1 (15.00) Wayne Rooney – England
16/1 (17.00) Kaka – Brazil
16/1 (17.00) David Villa – Spain
16/1 (17.00) Cristiano Ronaldo – Portugal
20/1 (21.00) Arjen Robben – Holland
20/1 (21.00) Fernando Torres – Spain
25/1 (26.00) Robin van Persie – Holland
33/1 (34.00) Luis Fabiano – Brazil
33/1 (34.00) Steven Gerrard – England
33/1 (34.00) Frank Ribery – France
40/1 (41.00) Wesley Sneijder – Holland
40/1 (41.00) Robinho – Brazil
40/1 (41.00) Andres Iniesta – Spain
40/1 (41.00) Cesc Fabregas – Spain
50/1 (51.00) Frank Lampard – England
50/1 (51.00) Didier Drogba – Ivory Coast
50/1 (51.00) Gonzalo Higuain – Argentina
66/1 (67.00) Carlos Tevez – Argentina
66/1 (67.00) Gianluigi Buffon – Italy
66/1 (67.00) Iker Casillas – Spain
66/1 (67.00) Diego Milito – Argentina
80/1 (81.00) Rafael van der Vaart – Holland

On William Hill you can find the following World Cup Bet Options:
Tournament winner
Top goalscorer
Golden Ball
Winning continent
Top team by continent
Top Premier League scorer
Name the finalists
To reach the final
To reach the semi-finals
Top team scorer
Highest scoring team
Winning team/top scorer doubles

Also, all the games will be available in live betting and Live Streaming Video. Live betting offers an excellent opportunity to correct pre-match predictions and Live Streaming offer the ability to watch all the football games from anywhere in the world!

The game of Ivory Coast against Japan can be tricky as both managers declared their intention to use during the game as many substitutes as possible. Both teams most likely will start with their best lineups altering the tactics and the faces mainly after the half time. However, Ivory Coast has many good players to the roster so it shouldn’t be too hard to maintain a good level against the Japan and eventually win the game.
BetUs.com offer Japan’s Win at 4.00, the Draw at 3.25 and Ivory Coast Win at 1.83.

France will face China in a game that it is very important for Les Bleus as they haven’t convinced the fans with their performance so far. The team is expected to play with the best possible squad – given the injury problems of some first team players – in order the players to get familiarized with the tactics. France is without any doubt a much better team than China and they should be able to win this game.
WilliamHill.com offers France’s Win at 1.17, the draw at 6.50 and China’s Win at 19.00The Over 2.5 Goals is on much better price of 1.50 and should be a good betting pick.

Another International Friendly game is the one between Luxemburg and Faroe Islands. The two minor powers in the European football are on similar level but Luxemburg performs better lately however, this can be described as an evenly matched game. BetUs.com offers Luxemburg’s Win at 2.00, the Draw at 3.20 and Faroe Islands’ Win at 3.45.

Slovenia and New Zealand managed both to advance to the final stage of World Cup. This is a crucial game for both teams as they prepare for the official World Cup games and we are expecting to deploy a full strength squad. Slovenia is a better team than New Zealand and a 2-0 victory should be possible.
888sports.com offer Slovenia’s Win at 1.40, the Draw at 3.80 and New Zealand’s Win at 8.00

Here we will make a comparison list of three major online sports books that offer World Cup odds on which team will win the title or will be runner up. The odds displayed here are for the Winner of the World Cup. WilliamHill.com and 888sports.com offer on the same bet the each way where if the team you picked finish as runner-up then you still win but the betting odds are halved. Please note that this doesn’t stand for Intertops.com which has a separate bet “Who will reach the final” with different odds.

GroupA:South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France

GroupB:Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece

GroupC:England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia

GroupD:Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana

GroupE:Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

GroupF:Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia

GroupG:Brazil, Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal

GroupH:Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Photo is from the FIFA’s official site here

During the group stage 48 games will be played (6 games on each group * 8 groups =48).
There is a good chance to watch the following pairs after the group stage ( given the fact that top level teams will finish in top sports and there will be no surprises.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Stage of 16:
49: France – (Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece)
50: England – (Australia, Serbia, Ghana)
51: Germany – (USA, Algeria, Slovenia)
52: Argentina – (Mexico, Uruguay, France)
53: Netherlands – (Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia)
54: Brazil – (Switzerland, Honduras, Chile)
55: Italy – (Denmark, Japan, Cameroon)
56: Spain – (Korea DPR, Ivory Coast, Portugal)

Quarter-Finals:
57: Brazil – Netherlands
58: France – England
59: Argentina – Germany
60: Italy – Spain

Semi-Finals:
61: England – Brazil
62: Argentina – Spain

Final Games:
63: Places 3rd and 4th
64: World Cup final Game at July 11th

World Cup Betting odds for the Final pair:
Brazil – Spain 10.00
Brazil – Argentina 15.00
England – Argentina 21.00
England – Spain 13.00

The above scenario is fictional of course and it is based upon the history and the strength of each team. Bet Online on 888sports.com or to WilliamHill.com for the best odds in the market! US Players can bet on Intertops.com

Australia Vs Denmark:
No more lies for the two World Cup contenders as just 10 days left before the grand opening. Australia is at group D with Germany, Serbia and Ghana creating an extremely unpredictable tough group where Australia is the weakest team. On the other hand, Demark is on Group E along side with Netherlands, Japan and Cameroon and they do have good chances to progress to the next stage although Cameroon might think otherwise.
Both teams are coming to this match after they have achieved victories to their last friendly games. Australia secured a 2-1 win over New Zealand while Denmark was victorious over Senegal by a 2-0 score. Denmark is a level higher than Australia but they will have to prove it on the pitch.
William Hill offers the following betting odds: Australia to Win (3.40), Draw (3.20) Denmark to Win (2.10).
Our betting prediction for this game is Denmark’s win.

Switzerland Vs Costa Rica:
Switzerland is on Group H along side Spain, Honduras and Chile. They have good chances to advance to the next stage as long as they will prevail over Chile. On the other hand, Costa Rica was not able to able to qualify for the world cup. They will use this game to measure their strengths against a similar level team.
William Hill offers the following betting odds: Switzerland to Win (1.57), Draw (3.75), Costa Rica to Win (6.00).
Our betting prediction for this game is Under 2.5 Goals.

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Portugal Vs Cameroon:
A very important game for both teams as this is an excellent test for a final setup. Portugal is located on Group G along side Brazil, Korea DPR and Ivory Coast while Cameroon is on Group E with Denmark, Japan and Netherlands. Portugal’s last friendly game was almost a disaster as the draw goalless against Cape Verde. Cameroon also tie by 1-1 but against Slovakia. We are expecting Portugal to perform much better to this game as right now the confidence of the team in not very high. We are expecting an open game as both teams will try to score as many goals as possible.
William Hill offers the following betting odds: Portugal to Win (1.57), Draw (3.75), Cameroon to Win (6.00).
Our betting prediction for this game is Over 2.5 Goals.

Holland Vs Ghana:
Netherlands is one of the favorites to reach the World Cup final as they are seeded 5th. The team is on Group E along side with Denmark, Japan and Cameroon. On the other hand, Ghana will try to check out their strengths against a high profile European national team. The Africans are located to group D along side with Germany, Australia and Serbia having a difficult task.
Holland is the boss for this match and we are expecting to win quite easily scoring at least twice. On the other hand, Ghana also has the power to score at least one goal.
William Hill offers the following betting odds: Holland to Win (1.33), Draw (4.80), Ghana to Win (9.50).
Our betting prediction for this game is Over 2.5 Goals.