2018 World Cup Predictions & Betting Tips
The World Cup is going to unveil its 21st edition this June 14th, and the world is watching. The game will continue until July 15th, when 32 best football teams in the world will fight against each other to take that coveted trophy home. A total of 64 matches will be held in 12 different venues of Russia. The final will take place at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.
Reigning champions Germany is returning as one of the top favorites in this World Cup. They are currently jointly ranked as the favorites with Brazil. While Brazil and Argentina are ahead of the list, teams like Belgium, Spain, Argentina, and France are all equipped with the strongest players ever. We will likely see these teams go far in this tournament.
France will be looking at their first trophy since their last win in 1998, while Spain is hoping to earn back their glory under a new coach. Belgium is sure going to try and take advantage of their golden generation players, and Lionel Messi is likely to guide his team for his first major international trophy, after last World Cup’s runners-up title. But you can’t underestimate the Euro 2016 champions Portugal, midfield performers Croatia and underachievers England to finally take the cup. At World Cup, it can be anybody’s game, and everybody is a contender.
With everyone’s eyes on the field, betting games are on the rise as well. Whether you are a seasoned player or a newbie, read on to get the ultimate list of World Cup 2018 predictions and betting tips.
World Cup 2018 Prediction – Final Winner
Spain at 6/1
Spain did it almost a decade ago, in 2010, under Vicente Del Bosque, against the Netherlands. They won the Euro 2008 against Germany as well. 6 years ago, the likes of Iker Casillas, Xavi, Andreas Iniesta, Sergio Ramos and David Silva bagged the European championship title.
But they showed lackluster performances in both World Cup 2014 and in the Euro Cup 2 years ago. Manager Del Bosque retired and Julen Lopetegui took over. The new manager started off good by bagging a friendly win against Belgium. And people have taken notice ever since the qualifying round of the World Cup 2018, as Spain won 9 out of 10 games, losing only 2 points to Italy. They finished at the top of their group with a score of 36 goals. They also have a joint best defensive record with just 3 goals conceded. They were not the only impressive lineup, but there are many factors which make Spain a top favorite.
Can Germany Do It Again?
The only team that managed to retain the cup twice in a row is Brazil, and that was back in 1962. If the Germans can really live up the expectations, they’ll be rewriting history. Their performance in the qualifiers was best of the best, with a 100% record. But they don’t have an experienced striker and the star goalkeeper Neuer has spent most of the season being on the sidelines.
How About the Favorites?
Brazil is an all-time favorite like always, but there are a number of factors we think they are overhyped. Neymar’s foot injury, as well as 9/10 last wins only from games played in the European soil, are important factors. And favorites hardly ever win and judging from the past, only 2 out of 9 previous World Cups were won by the favorites.
How About France and Argentina?
These two are obvious choices as contenders for the trophy, but we’ll tell you why we won’t be betting on them. France won 7 out of 10 games in the qualifiers, but there’s no overall symphony in the team yet. They lost carelessly to Belarus, Luxembourg, and Sweden. And Argentina barely made it to the tournament this time around. They even lost 4-2 against Nigeria and got destroyed by Spain in 6-1 in the friendly matches. Neither France nor Argentina stands out as a good unit to us.
World Cup 2018 Prediction – Each Way Complete Winner
Portugal at 25/1 Each Way
You can’t underestimate the current Euro Champions, even if the talk generally revolves around the obvious favorites. They have good technique and effective gameplay, even if they didn’t show the best game in France. They are considered the 8th favorite in this tournament. They are in the same group as Spain, but if the Spanish disappoint, the door will be wide open for Portugal. With star players like Ronaldo, Andre Sliva, Joao Moutinho – the team is well balanced.
If they finish at the top of their group, they will face the runners-up of relatively weak group A. that’ll possibly land them against either Denmark or Croatia in the Quarters. They’ll probably have to face Germany after this point, but Portugal is well capable of defeating them. Portugal is being underestimated, which we think is a major mistake, considering their win in Euro 2016 from their ante-post position of 18/1.
World Cup 2018 Prediction – Player with Most Goals
Romelu Lukaku at 20/1 Each Way
Belgium is currently at the top of their form and you could say this is their golden generation of players. They are likely to make a good comeback with more determination than ever, after failing to make it past the semi-finals 2 years ago in France. Players like Dries Mertens, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, Radja Nainggolan, Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel are at their top form right now. It is hard to come across a team of this many talented performers. This makes Belgium very likely to reach far in the World Cup 2018.
Belgium isn’t a team to only rely on a star player, but ManU striker Romelu Lukaku has more chances to score goals being the main striker. Belgium was their group winner and they scored a total of 43 goals in the qualifiers, which is a joint highest in the qualifying round. In the group stage, they’re playing against Panama and Tunisia, and the chances of scoring more goals than average against these 2 teams are high. If they win their group, they’ll likely face Columbia.
Romelu has scored 30 goals so far for Belgium, out of 63 appearances. But he has improved a lot recently, with 10 goals in the last 6 international games. In ManU he has scored 26 goals. Given their group matches and potential threats, it’s a good bet that he’ll score a good number of goals this tournament.
Thomas Muller at 33/1 Each Way
Germany is the reigning champions, as well as the 2nd favorites of the World Cup 2018. They absolutely demolished Brazil four years ago in a 7-1 and the man who started it was Thomas Muller. The Bayern Munich attacker hasn’t been playing well in terms of scoring goals by his own standards. But he has bagged 15 goals for the Bundesliga champions. He also added 16 assists to this record as well.
His recent form isn’t the most impressive, but his experience and poignant skills make him a contender for the Golden Boot nonetheless. This is his 3rd World Cup already, so he’s a seasoned player at only 28. He has 28 goals out of 90 games for Germany, even though he’s rarely playing as an out and out striker. 10 of these are in the World Cup finals.
He won the Golden Boot in 2010 and the Silver Boot in 2014. He’s a star player with experience in the big stage. Considering Germany’s chances at the World Cup, he’s looking like a fantastic value.
Edinson Cavani at 25/1 Each Way
Uruguay isn’t a top favorite by any means, but the Golden Boot doesn’t necessarily go to the player of the Champion country. In fact, this happened in only 1 out of 8 last World Cup. Ronaldo won it in the 1998 tournament when Brazil came out as the champions.
Cavani is most likely to score in their group stages, as they’re in perhaps the easiest group with likes of Russia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. None of these teams are good scorers. Russia scored 3 goals in each of their last 3 matches. Saudi Arabia lost by 4 against Belgium and Iraq in recent games.
Cavani scored 10 goals in the South American World Cup qualifying group. His total is 42 out of 100 games for Uruguay. Bagging some early goals is always a plus point towards the Golden Boot award, and we’ve seen so in the past. Cavani will still have to deal with Suarez, but his recent form surely makes him a good bet. Cavani has a good chance of scoring a few goals in the group stage thanks to the other teams.
The previous Golden Boot winners won it in a similar manner. In the last 4 World Cups, almost half of the Golden Boot winner’s goals came from 3 games in the group stage. James Rodriguez got 3 in 2014, and Miroslav Klose, Ronaldo, and Thomas Muller each scored 4 goals in the group stage. We will hence put a 25/1 each way on Cavani for the contender of the Golden Boot.
Isco at 66/1 Each Way
Spain is here to heal the disappointment of the World Cup 2014 when they got knocked out from the group stage. This is manager Julen Lopetegui’s first major tournament, and the odds are looking good for Spain so far. They are currently the No. 1 fan favorite. Julen has had 2 years to build up this team prior to this tournament, which is also quite similar to the former coach Del Bosque’s dominating vibe from a decade ago. They have plenty of midfield talent, with versatile players such as Andres Iniesta, David Silva, and Isco to take the free role.
Spain is looking very impressive this tournament, and with Isco’s individual repetitive great performance, it’s not unlikely for him to be a contender for the Golden Boot. Isco has 10 goals out of 27 games for Spain. He also managed to get a hat-trick against Argentina in March this year. He’s an excellent choice as a dark horse with odds at 66/1 this World Cup.
World Cup 2018 Specialty Bets
England Will Be Knocked Out in the Quarters at 9/4
England is perhaps one of the most overhyped teams when it comes to the World Cup. They haven’t won once in the last 52 years, but that doesn’t seem to deter the fans. They’re currently the 5th favorites, ahead of Euro 2016 Champions Portugal and at almost half the price of Uruguay with Suarez and Cavani.
England won 8 out of 10 games in the qualifiers. But keep in mind that they haven’t made past the quarters of any major international tournaments since 1996. They have been knocked out 4 out of 9 times in the quarter-finals. The odds are that same will be happening in Russia this summer.
England is in the same group as Panama, Tunisia, and Belgium. Given the team formation and past performances, it’s likely that Belgium will finish at the top of the group. England will then face the winners from Group H, which will likely be either Columbia or Poland. Both are strong teams, but also easily beatable. This will bring England to the quarter-finals, with a most likely clash with Germany. We’re predicting this is where the English will finish their World Cup 2018 journey.
World Cup 2018 Prediction – Each Group Winners
- Group A – Uruguay
- Group B – Spain
- Group C – France
- Group D – Croatia
- Group E – Brazil
- Group F – Germany
- Group G – Belgium
- Group H – Poland
Final Thoughts
The 2018 World Cup predictions will likely change as the game progresses, but based on the performances of the past and qualifying round matches, these are our best bets as of now. With these betting tips, your chances of winning are definitely improved. Watch the games with a critical eye to better your chances of winning in this tournament. It’s possible to win a good amount of bet if you approach it with a critical mindset.