Make Smarter World Cup Bets

The top nations in international soccer battle it out at the 22nd FIFA World Cup in Qatar, running until Dec. 18, 2022. Get betting intel to make smarter World Cup bets with Covers.

Peter Clarke - Senior Editor at Covers.com
Peter Clarke • Senior Editor
Dec 16, 2022 • 09:52 ET • 3 min read
A detail view of The FIFA World Cup Trophy sits on a stand outside of 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Photo By - USA TODAY Sports

Soccer’s most prestigious tournament is underway, with bettors in Canada and the United States eager to bet on the World Cup.

World Cup odds

Top goal scorer odds

One of the most popular World Cup betting markets is wagering on who will score the most goals in the tournament. See who has the best odds of winning the Golden Boot in 2022

World Cup picks & predictions

See our latest free World Cup picks and predictions as our team of soccer analysts pour over every match to give you their best bets for the tournament.

World Cup bracket

Make your own tournament picks using our World Cup bracket. Download, print and fill out our comprehensive bracket that covers everything from the group stage to the World Cup Final.

World Cup bracket challenges

Enter these free World Cup bracket challenges and contests for your chance at huge prize pools.

World Cup schedule

Due to the extreme heat of summer in Qatar, the World Cup will be played in November and December this year.

World Cup Semifinals schedule

Date Time Match
Dec. 13 2 p.m. ET Argentina vs Croatia
Dec. 14 2 p.m. ET France vs Morocco

World CupThird-place match date and time

Date Time Match
Dec. 17 10 a.m. ET TBD

World Cup Final date and time

Date Time Match
Dec. 18 10 a.m. ET TBD

Watching the World Cup

For North American audiences, World Cup games in Qatar will range in start times from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. 

World Cup teams and groups

The United States returned to the World Cup stage for the first time since 2014, joined by their northern neighbors Canada, who qualified for their first World Cup appearance since 1986.

On April 1, countries were drawn into their groups. Here is a full list of World Cup teams and groups for 2022.

Group A Group B Group C Group D
Qatar England Argentina France
Ecuador Iran Saudi Arabia Australia
Senegal USA Mexico Denmark
Netherlands Wales Poland Tunisia
Group A Preview Group B Preview Group C Preview Group D Preview

Group E Group F Group G Group H
Spain Belgium Brazil Portugal
Costa Rica Canada Serbia Ghana
Germany Morocco Switzerland Uruguay
Japan Croatia Cameroon Korea Repulic
Group E Preview Group F Preview Group G Preview Group H Preview

World Cup tournament format

With the teams divided into groups, the World Cup begins with the group stages, where each team plays in a round-robin again their group. 

The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage, where teams are ranked by points. The knockout stage is a single-elimination phase of the tournament consisting of 16 teams and ending with a third-place match and the World Cup final.

How to bet on soccer

With North America fully engaged in World Cup hype, plenty of new bettors will be looking to place wagers on their country and the players sporting their colors. Learning how to bet on soccer means understanding the odds and knowing a few basic tips on how to handicap a soccer match.

Best soccer betting sites

With increased soccer betting activity in North America this fall, bettors will be hunting for the best soccer betting sites. Our top-rated World Cup betting sites have the best odds, secure, and fast payment options with top-tier customer support. 

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Peter Clarke - Covers
Senior Editor

Peter Clarke has been in the digital media business for 14 years after obtaining his journalism degree from the University of King's College in Halifax, N.S. He learned his trade during his time at The Chronicle Herald and Saltwire Network, where he spent nearly a decade editing and making digital content.

These days, Peter is all about keeping bettors in the loop about the biggest sports betting events, like the Super Bowl and March Madness. He's also always on top of the latest promo offers from the biggest sportsbooks so he can share the best deals straight with you.

One of his favorite ways to bet is using the Covers' player prop projections. He firmly believes you can find a lot of value in the four and five-star projections every day of the year with just a little attention to the totals and lines. For those of you new to the betting scene, he’s got some solid advice: "Start small. Pick a unit size that feels right for you and grow your bankroll over time."

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