The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is getting closer each day and on Sunday, either Wales or Ukraine will take the final European spot and qualify.
The stakes couldn’t be higher, with this the last chance for Wales’ talisman Gareth Bale to reach a World Cup, while qualification for Ukraine would provide a huge morale boost for their people, who have really suffered since the outbreak of war in the country.
The whole world will be willing on Ukraine, but can Wales spoil the party and achieve something they haven’t done since 1958? Don’t miss our Wales vs. Ukraine picks and predictions.
Wales vs Ukraine match odds
| Wales | Ukraine | |
|---|---|---|
| +170 | Moneyline | +180 |
| +210 | Draw | +210 |
| Over 2.5 (+140) | Total | Under 2.5 (-188) |
Odds courtesy of bet365 on June 4, 2022.
Wales vs Ukraine betting tips
Predictions made on 6/4/2022 at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Wales vs Ukraine game info
• Location: Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
• Date: Sunday, June 5, 2022
• Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN2, DAZN
Wales vs Ukraine betting preview
Weather
It’ll be a rainy day in Cardiff on Sunday and there will have been heavy rainfall by the time the game kicks off at 5 p.m. local time. Temperatures should be in the high 50s.
Injuries
Wales: No key injuries to report.
Ukraine: No key injuries to report.
Wales vs Ukraine predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Side analysis
Wales come into this game following a 2-1 defeat to Poland on Wednesday but it’s hard to gauge too much from that, with Robert Page resting a number of key players in that defeat.
The experienced midfield duo of Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen are likely to come back into the midfield. The great Gareth Bale will play up top with Harry Wilson and Daniel James alongside him. We also expect Ben Davies and Joe Rodon to slip back into the heart of the backline next to Ethan Ampadu.
Ukraine beat favorites Scotland 3-1 on Wednesday in a brilliant performance. They had more intensity than Scotland and Man City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko, playing in the center of midfield, channeled his club teammate Kevin De Bruyne and dictated the tempo.
We shouldn’t see any changes from manager Oleksandr Petrakov, given how well his team performed in the week, and we’ll see them set up in a 4-3-3 formation again. The creativity of Ruslan Malinovskyi in midfield will be key, as will the performances of Roman Yaremchuk and Andrii Yarmolenko, who are tasked with scoring the goals.
This really is a tough game to call, as evidenced by different sportsbooks having either Wales or Ukraine as favorites. You can look at Wales, who rested their star players, as having an advantage because they’re coming into this game fresh but then, on the other hand, you can argue that Ukraine’s brilliant performance will give them the momentum going into this match.
In my opinion, Ukraine have a superior squad and on paper should win this but in Gareth Bale, the Welsh team have a true game breaker. Bale isn’t the player he once was but he always turns up for his country and if he plays well, then there’s every chance that he could fire Wales to Qatar by sheer force of will.
It’s my job to pick a lean for Wales vs. Ukraine, and I’ll be putting my money on Ukraine. This is a talented squad who are well-coached and have incredible motivation. Scotland started their game against Ukraine almost overawed by the politics around the game and if Wales do similar, then they’ll get beaten.
Prediction: Ukraine (+180 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
Under 2.5 is the shortest price and given how big games are often low scoring, that makes sense, but in this case, I’d recommend betting Over 2.5 at odds of +145.
We saw earlier in the week, when Ukraine faced Scotland, that the atmosphere and what was at stake didn’t keep the game low scoring and the same could apply here.
Wales lost 2-1 in the week, albeit with a weakened team, but Over 2.5 has landed in five of their nine games since Euro 2020.
Grab the Over here and take the value.
Prediction: Over 2.5 (+145 at DraftKings)
Best bet
The second of Ukraine’s goals against Scotland was scored by Roman Yaremchuk, and at +280 I’ll be backing the tall striker to net again against Wales. The 6-foot-3, 26-year-old hasn’t set the world alight since moving to Benfica after the Euros but his record at international level has been good, scoring 13 goals in 37 appearances.
He’s a man for the big occasion, scoring two big goals in last summer’s European Championships before big performances in the Champions League against both Dynamo Kyiv and Ajax for Benfica.
His physical style could be a very good match against three Welsh defenders in Ampadu, Rodon, and Davies who are all on the shorter and less physically intimidating side.
At +280 I’ll take a chance on Yaremchuk again turning up for the big occasion.
Pick: Roman Yaremchuk anytime goalscorer (+280 at FanDuel)
