The summer of soccer continues with international competition around the globe, including the latest odds to win the Women’s World Cup as the tournament enters the knockout stage. We break down the best soccer picks, tips and give our betting predictions for this weekends action on the pitch.
TOP SPOT AT STAKE
Peru and Brazil might not be even on talent, but they're level on points going into the Group A finale for both teams at the Copa America tournament. And while Peru have done well to earn four out of a possible six points through their opening two group matches, Saturday's showdown gets a whole lot more difficult as they face a Brazilian side installed at -300 to win the match, and -1,400 to top the group. The Brazilians own a one-goal advantage in scoring differential going into the match, meaning Peru (+800) will need an outright victory to claim top spot heading into the knockout stage.
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ALREADY THERE
Colombia have already secured top spot in Group B at Copa America with impressive victories over Qatar and Argentina, setting up an intriguing final group encounter Sunday against Paraguay. Look for the Colombian side to give some key players a much-needed breather heading into the elimination round – a potential development that might explain why the group leaders are slight +150 favorites against a Paraguay side (+175) that almost certainly needs a win to move on. The Paraguayans are on two points, with Argentina and Qatar both sitting with one point each.
KNOCKOUT MATCHUP
The Round of 16 is upon us at the Women's World Cup in France and one of the more intriguing matchups sees Norway tangle with Australia on Saturday. The Norwegian side comes in at +210 despite faring well in Group A play, defeating South Korea and Nigeria while falling to the powerhouse French. But the Australians (+110) have the edge in oddsmakers' eyes after sneaking past Brazil to claim second place in a wildly-competitive Group C. The winner will advance to the Round of 8, where they will face the winner of the England-Cameroon Round of 16 tilt.
ODDS TO WIN WOMEN'S WORLD CUP (FROM BET365)
USA +175
France +400
Germany +600
England +800
Netherlands +1,200
Australia +2,000
Canada +2,000
Japan +2,500
Sweden +3,300
Italy +3,300
Norway +4,000
Spain +5,000
Brazil +6,600
China +8,000
Nigeria +10,000
Cameroon +12,500
ANOTHER ROUT?
The United States men's soccer team did what it was supposed to in its CONCACAF Gold Cup opener and if it repeats the feat this weekend, it will cruise into the next round. The Americans look to follow up an impressive 4-0 victory over Guyana as they tangle with Trinidad and Tobago at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland on Saturday. The U.S. are overwhelming -500 favorites to dispatch Trinidad and Tobago (+1000) and secure top spot in Group D. The visitors dropped a 2-0 decision to Panama in their opening match and have yet to score a goal in international play this year.
SOCCER TIPS AND PICKS
• Bolivia and Venezuela haven't faced off in a few years, but when they meet, fireworks ensue. The South American rivals have averaged a whopping five goals per game over their previous four encounters, most recently a 5-0 Venezuela whitewash back in November 2016. The Over 2.5 play for this one is a surprisingly reasonable -110.
• Brazil has found a way to neutralize Peru's offense in the recent history between the two continential foes. The Brazilians have limited their Peruvian adversaries to just two goals in the previous four meetings, winning three of those games. Brazil haven't played their best, but they remain a decent option for a clean sheet here at -125.
• Speaking of shutouts, you could hardly be blamed for liking Colombia to keep scoring low in their pivotal tilt with Paraguay this weekend. The Colombians enter Sunday's match having posted four consecutive clean sheet victories, outscoring their opponents by a 9-0 margin. Both the clean sheet (+225) and Colombia/Under plays (+450) are intriguing here.
• On the flip side, you might see a little more scoring than normal in Saturday's Women's World Cup knockout stage encounter between Brazil and host France. Only nine teams scored six or more goals in group play, and these two both made the list. France struck seven times, while Brazil finished with six goals. We like the Over 2.5 goals play here at -143.
• The English women's soccer team was one of the best in all of preliminary play, finishing atop its four-team group with a perfect 3-0-0 record. And part of that success came from a stingy defense that saw England surrender just one goal in three games. The English are heavy favorites, but taking them combined with the Under 3.5 is a strong choice at +100.
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• With the U.S. such a heavy favorite in CONCACAF Gold Cup action against Trinidad and Tobago, you'll need to either bet a small fortune or get creative in order to profit from an American victory. Given the visitors' massive offensive struggles and the Americans' potential to dominate play, the USA/USA half-time/full-time double isn't a major money-maker, but is still solid at -163.
• As big a favorite as the U.S. are in their second Gold Cup game, the favored Canadians are an even bigger as they get ready to take on Cuba in Group A action. The Cubans have been outscored 15-0 in their past three international matches and have lost four straight meetings with the Canadians by an 8-1 margin. We like Canada and the Over 4.5 at -163.
• Look for Mexico to put up another high-powered effort Sunday as they face Martinique in the final game of Group A action for both sides at the Gold Cup. The tournament favorites have scored a whopping 10 goals in victories over Cuba and Canada and are -120 to strike four or more times this weekend. If you're feeling particularly bullish, you can take the Over 4.5 at +200.
TEAM NEWS
• The Cameroon men's soccer team is staying put. It has refused to board a plane for Egypt to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament due to a dispute stemming from bonuses the players say they never received. Cameroon are the reigning tournament champions and are installed at +1,400 to defend their title.
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