We’re back with our best 2022 FIFA World Cup betting picks as our experts have crafted the best analysis to assist you with Thursday and Friday’s group stage games.
Read on for this week’s World Cup matchday 5 and 6 analysis and Bonus Betting preview for Group A, Group B, Group H, and Group G fixtures involving:
- Switzerland vs. Cameroon
- England vs. USA
- Qatar vs. Senegal
- Portugal vs. Ghana.
Also, with everything that’s going on simultaneously during the tournament, we recommend that you check out OddsTrader’s World Cup injury tracker to get the latest information before placing your bets.
Switzerland vs. Cameroon
Thursday, November 24, 2022 – 05.00 AM EST at Al Janoub Stadium
Swiss Expected to Emulate Euro 2020 Success
Following four consecutive major tournaments with Vladimir Petkovic guiding the ship, including a Euro 2020 quarter-final placement, the former Schaffhausen boss will be dearly missed. However, the Swiss squad has been on fire since the arrival of Murat Yakin in August 2021, notably remaining undefeated during their World Cup qualifying fixtures with 18 points and a position in the group ahead of Italy.
Murat made his presence known when Switzerland defeated Portugal, Spain, and the Czech Republic in this year’s Nations League group stage. And this squad will be confident in overcoming a low-ranked Cameroon squad in their Qatar opening group-stage fixture.
Cameroon is slightly better than what their FIFA ranking (43) suggests, but the Indomitable Lions are the fourth-lowest ranked team in the entire World Cup 2022 tournament for a reason. The attacking talent of Toko Ekambi and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is a threat, but nothing that can match the Swiss talents of Breel Embolo and Granit Xhaka.
The Pick
Betting value is to be had on the Switzerland moneyline at -130. Of course, Saudi Arabia provided the first shock result by defeating Argentina this past Tuesday morning, showing that anything is possible.
But ultimately, I don’t believe this robust Swiss team has the same pressures as the Argentines and can take all three points from a significantly weaker squad in Cameroon.
World Cup Pick: Switzerland ML (-130) at BetMGM
Portugal vs. Ghana
Thursday, November 24, 2022 – 11.00 AM EST at Stadium 974
Can Portugal Dominate Headlines Like Ronaldo?
Portuguese headlines on and off the pitch have, of course, been dominated by Ronaldo’s controversial interview last week with Piers Morgan. While attacking his current club, Manchester United, his future at Old Trafford could involve being sacked or sued.
However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner recently demanded that the attention should focus on the football, not his words. And it’ll be Ghana hoping to put another dampener on Ronaldo’s international career, where the most prestigious trophy has evaded him as well as the tournament’s Golden Boot. He’ll have one more shot before an expected retirement from the national stage.
Portugal lost in the round of 16 against fellow Group H foes Uruguay in Russia 2018 and have only won three games from their previous 11 World Cup playoff games. This will give their Thursday opponents, Ghana, a glimpse of hope at playing the spoiler card.
The Pick
With a youthful presence and a robust defensive system, Ghana will present Portugal with a challenging opener. However, we cannot neglect the attacking prowess that Fernando Santos has at his disposal. For this reason, our primary betting pick belongs to the World Cup props market and it is expecting Portugal to find at least two goals.
World Cup Pick: Portugal Over 1.5 Team Goals (-160) at Caesars Sportsbook
Qatar vs. Senegal
Friday, November 25, 2022 – 08.00 AM EST at Al Thumama Stadium
Must-Win Situation for Both
Host nation Qatar will meet with Senegal on Friday morning as both squads failed to collect any points in their matchday 1 meetings with Ecuador and the Netherlands, respectively.
More worryingly for Qatar, they were wholly outclassed for 90 minutes and failed to show any glimpses of hope against the South American side.
A 2-0 loss to Ecuador wasn’t the start that local fans of Qatar wanted, and now they’ll face the African champions, Senegal, as both teams are in a must-win situation to stand a greater chance of qualification.
The Pick
The Lions of Teranga had some memorable moments versus the Dutch; the same cannot be said for the Qatari when faced with Ecuador. When evaluating the matchday 1 performances of each team, it isn’t easy to look beyond Senegal’s chance of victory, and a moneyline price of -160 at the World Cup odds makes it an excellent World Cup betting pick.
World Cup Pick: Senegal ML (-160) at FanDuel
USA vs. England
Friday, November 25, 2022 – 02.00 PM EST at Al Bayt Stadium
England to Build on Iran’s Dismantling
The USMNT proved their worth when facing Wales in their Group B opening game, maintaining most of the possession and taking an early lead. For the most part, the Welsh squad looked at their depth, running scared from a youthful and hungry US squad. However, Gregg Berhalter and company couldn’t hold out, and a 1-1 result will undoubtedly deflate the team’s confidence.
The Three Lions dismantled Iran 6-2 and, at the time of writing, have scored the most goals in the World Cup 2022 competition thus far. Notably, they couldn’t prevent Iran from scoring, and if Iran can compromise the English back net, we believe the US can too.
That said, England will be confident of taking all three points and maintaining an unbeaten record during the group stage. The US squad won’t be pushed over, but each team’s talent levels aren’t comparable. With the opportunity almost certainly to secure a place in the round of 16, expect Gareth Southgate and company to show the Americans why their most popular sport is played with an egg-shaped ball and not the round type.
The Pick
From a betting perspective, over 2.5 goals makes more sense than backing a juiced England moneyline. The value at -110 is excellent, and as we expect a consolation goal for the US, a final scoreline of 3-1 feels right.
World Cup Pick: Over 2.5 Goals (-110) at Bet365
