Prolific Brazil Leads Sources of Profitable Props in Friday World Cup
In Friday’s soccer slate, bettors can use prop bets to take fullest advantage of expecting a strong performance from Brazil. Two expected grinders offer additional betting opportunities for the rest of your day.
Friday World Cup Prop Bets
Brazil - Croatia (8 a.m. ET)
Brazil seemed somewhat underwhelming in its opener against the Swiss, but Brazil was also a victim of poor fortune. The referee was awful. Besides allowing Neymar to be fouled a record amount of times, he allowed Switzerland midfielder Steven Zuber to push off a defender in order to equalize and the Swiss achieved a draw with Brazil. The Brazilians lacked consistent urgency in their opener. After a draw and against a team like Costa Rica, I expect Brazil to come out in full force—with or without a fully healthy Neymar.
Costa Rica, which has lost nine in a row to Brazil, are showing bad form and I can’t trust them to score. They managed three shots in their opener, a 1-0 loss against Serbia, and this lack of offense represents a continuity of their performance in recent friendlies, which include shut out losses against England and even Tunisia. They also struggled repeatedly to score against World Cup teams in the qualifiers. For example, in 2017, they were shut out by both Panama and Mexico. Brazil has a tough defensive line which, before Zuber’s unfair goal, hadn’t conceded a single goal since October 2017, shutting out Chile in qualifiers and Germany, Russia, and Croatia in friendlies.
In anticipation of a strong Brazilian effort from start to finish, Bet365 offers +137 odds for Brazil to win both halves. A more confident bet would be, in expectation of a decisive shutout win for Brazil, the over 2.5 and no, both teams don’t score, at +240 odds. A more modest bet would be -1.5, -2.0 at -106 odds. The most modest bet would be Brazil to win to nil at -163 odds. Because that would require laying chalk, consider sticking it into a parlay. Attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho showed strong form with his goal in the opener. And, especially if Neymar isn’t 100% or will get fouled a billion times again, it’s worth considering the +104 odds for the Barcelona man to score anytime.
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Iceland - Nigeria (11 a.m. ET)
Iceland is everybody’s favorite underdog, unpredictably achieving a draw in its opener against soccer giant Argentina. The score was 1-1 when GOAT Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the 64th minute. If Messi had made this penalty, the game could have been broken wide open. Instead, Iceland played for the draw and was consistently able to keep all of their men behind the ball. Their defense is difficult to break down. Argentina required a masterful goal from Sergio Aguero in order to score and Messi himself could only do so much.
Nigeria, needing a win in order to stay alive, will try to be as aggressive as the Argentinians were. Nigeria lacks the same scoring prowess and, with the youngest squad during qualifiers, the same experience. But I can’t trust Iceland to keep a clean sheet either, as they failed to do so in all five of their 2016 Euro matches, their World Cup opener, and all four of their 2018 friendlies. Victor Moses formed easily the largest part of Nigeria’s offensive effort in its opener, taking five of his team’s 14 shots, and I expect him to do the same against Iceland. You can bet on him to score anytime at impressive +275 odds.
The Nordics may lack scoring prowess of their own with Johann Berg Gudmundsson doubtful for this game due to a calf injury which he suffered against Argentina. Nevertheless, Iceland, which made it to the quarters in the 2016 Euros, continues to show how its team play transcends the quality of its individual parts. Believing that Iceland achieves no less than a draw, you can bet on -0.0, -0.5 for +120 odds.
Serbia - Switzerland (2 p.m. ET)
What impressed me most about Switzerland’s opener against Brazil was its physicality. The Swiss are led by Valon Behrami in this department, who did an amazing job marking one of the most elusive and talented players in the world in Brazil’s Neymar. But the Serbs are also tough, led by Nikola Milenkovic in the backline. Milenkovic earned the reputation of being physically imposing and threatening in the air in his recent season with the Italian club Florentina.
Neither team’s attack bodes much promise. For much of its opener against Costa Rica, the Serbs seemed completely clueless, finally getting a goal off an amazing free kick from Aleksander Kolarov. Switzerland likewise couldn’t achieve a goal from its offensive build-up, but relied on Steven Zuber to get away with a push-off off a corner kick.
Serbia’s last four World Cup victories, including its opener, were 1-0, and, if they win today, that trend will likely continue. Anticipating a very physical, grinding affair, in which prolific scorers are absent, you can bet on under 1.5 goals at +150 odds and a more confident exactly one goal scored at +275 odds. I like both of these options more than the no, both teams don’t score, which would require laying chalk. Another way of betting on a physical grinder would be fouls. You can bet on a penalty kick to transpire at +187 odds and a red card at +400
In Friday’s soccer slate, bettors can use prop bets to take fullest advantage of expecting a strong performance from Brazil. Two expected grinders offer additional betting opportunities for the rest of your day.
Friday World Cup Prop Bets
Brazil - Croatia (8 a.m. ET)
Brazil seemed somewhat underwhelming in its opener against the Swiss, but Brazil was also a victim of poor fortune. The referee was awful. Besides allowing Neymar to be fouled a record amount of times, he allowed Switzerland midfielder Steven Zuber to push off a defender in order to equalize and the Swiss achieved a draw with Brazil. The Brazilians lacked consistent urgency in their opener. After a draw and against a team like Costa Rica, I expect Brazil to come out in full force—with or without a fully healthy Neymar.
Costa Rica, which has lost nine in a row to Brazil, are showing bad form and I can’t trust them to score. They managed three shots in their opener, a 1-0 loss against Serbia, and this lack of offense represents a continuity of their performance in recent friendlies, which include shut out losses against England and even Tunisia. They also struggled repeatedly to score against World Cup teams in the qualifiers. For example, in 2017, they were shut out by both Panama and Mexico. Brazil has a tough defensive line which, before Zuber’s unfair goal, hadn’t conceded a single goal since October 2017, shutting out Chile in qualifiers and Germany, Russia, and Croatia in friendlies.
In anticipation of a strong Brazilian effort from start to finish, Bet365 offers +137 odds for Brazil to win both halves. A more confident bet would be, in expectation of a decisive shutout win for Brazil, the over 2.5 and no, both teams don’t score, at +240 odds. A more modest bet would be -1.5, -2.0 at -106 odds. The most modest bet would be Brazil to win to nil at -163 odds. Because that would require laying chalk, consider sticking it into a parlay. Attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho showed strong form with his goal in the opener. And, especially if Neymar isn’t 100% or will get fouled a billion times again, it’s worth considering the +104 odds for the Barcelona man to score anytime.
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Iceland - Nigeria (11 a.m. ET)
Iceland is everybody’s favorite underdog, unpredictably achieving a draw in its opener against soccer giant Argentina. The score was 1-1 when GOAT Lionel Messi missed a penalty in the 64th minute. If Messi had made this penalty, the game could have been broken wide open. Instead, Iceland played for the draw and was consistently able to keep all of their men behind the ball. Their defense is difficult to break down. Argentina required a masterful goal from Sergio Aguero in order to score and Messi himself could only do so much.
Nigeria, needing a win in order to stay alive, will try to be as aggressive as the Argentinians were. Nigeria lacks the same scoring prowess and, with the youngest squad during qualifiers, the same experience. But I can’t trust Iceland to keep a clean sheet either, as they failed to do so in all five of their 2016 Euro matches, their World Cup opener, and all four of their 2018 friendlies. Victor Moses formed easily the largest part of Nigeria’s offensive effort in its opener, taking five of his team’s 14 shots, and I expect him to do the same against Iceland. You can bet on him to score anytime at impressive +275 odds.
The Nordics may lack scoring prowess of their own with Johann Berg Gudmundsson doubtful for this game due to a calf injury which he suffered against Argentina. Nevertheless, Iceland, which made it to the quarters in the 2016 Euros, continues to show how its team play transcends the quality of its individual parts. Believing that Iceland achieves no less than a draw, you can bet on -0.0, -0.5 for +120 odds.
Serbia - Switzerland (2 p.m. ET)
What impressed me most about Switzerland’s opener against Brazil was its physicality. The Swiss are led by Valon Behrami in this department, who did an amazing job marking one of the most elusive and talented players in the world in Brazil’s Neymar. But the Serbs are also tough, led by Nikola Milenkovic in the backline. Milenkovic earned the reputation of being physically imposing and threatening in the air in his recent season with the Italian club Florentina.
Neither team’s attack bodes much promise. For much of its opener against Costa Rica, the Serbs seemed completely clueless, finally getting a goal off an amazing free kick from Aleksander Kolarov. Switzerland likewise couldn’t achieve a goal from its offensive build-up, but relied on Steven Zuber to get away with a push-off off a corner kick.
Serbia’s last four World Cup victories, including its opener, were 1-0, and, if they win today, that trend will likely continue. Anticipating a very physical, grinding affair, in which prolific scorers are absent, you can bet on under 1.5 goals at +150 odds and a more confident exactly one goal scored at +275 odds. I like both of these options more than the no, both teams don’t score, which would require laying chalk. Another way of betting on a physical grinder would be fouls. You can bet on a penalty kick to transpire at +187 odds and a red card at +400
