World Cup betting

29th June, 2011 Group D – Brazil Women v Australia Women 2011 FIFA World Cup football betting, may just give a good pointer as to whether or not the time has come for the South Americans to shed their label of being the “nearly team” of Women’s football. Brazil are looking in very good shape ahead of the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, looking to go one step further than they did in 2007 when they finished second behind Germany. That second place finished was sandwiched in between second place finishes at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, so they are looking to find a way to break through that barrier. That may have to start with mental preparations and they certainly sound positive and confident. Brazil have taken major strides in the women’s game and out of the sixteen teams participating, they look the most likely team to challenge the dominance which Germany have laid down in the game. Germany are under pressure to win in front of their home crowd, which, if they do, will be the third consecutive time that they lift the trophy. But Brazil look as if they mean business in are trading very well in betting as second favourites. With the USA struggling and the pressure on Germany, Brazil could finally seize their chance. Brazil bring a hugely talented side to Germany 2011 with two particular names standing out on the team list.

See our full 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup preview and fixtures here

The diminutive figure of 24 year old Marta (top scorer at China 2007) is the one to watch, as she is something of the Lionel Messi of the women’s game. If you are looking for quality, defender beating tricks, then Marta has them. She is only just over five feet tall, but she can run rings around teams. She is one of the leading figures in Women’s football and if she is playing well, then so are Brazil. Look for her strike partner Cristiana (top scorer at the Beijing Olympics) as well, as she has a great understanding with Marta, and Brazil will be strong up front, just as they were in qualification. Brazil averaged almost four goals per game in their 10 match qualification process, hitting thirty seven and conceding just three. Granted, they will face stiffer opposition at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup, but in a group with Australia, Norway and Equatorial Guinea the South Americans will be expected to top the group. If they are in full flight then they will cause the stronger teams a lot of problems. If they win their group as expected, they face the runner up from the Group of Nightmares, which includes the USA, Sweden and North Korea. But for the South American Women’s Championship, the goal is much bigger than group success.

Australia won the Asian championship over North Korea to book their place at the finals, and they will be relishing another shot at Brazil. The two sides met in the quarter finals of the last FIFA Women’s World cup four years ago, and it was the South Americans who edged it 3-2 in a great match. Australia take a very young squad to the World Cup, with just an average age of 22, it seems a long stretch to see them as being ultra competitive. But behind Brazil in the group, they have to face Equatorial Guinea and Norway, so there is hope of them squeezing through, with the crunch game coming against the Europeans. The winner of that will likely end in second place. So in Brazil Women v Australia Women 2011 FIFA World Cup Betting, you are not really looking at any upset, just a strong performance from Brazil to lay down a marker to the likes of Germany and the USA. Lacking experience, Australia will have plenty of pace and enthusiasm at Germany 2011.

Brazil Women v Australia Women 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup football betting

Brazil Women to win: 1/5 at Bet365
Draw: 6/1 at Bwin
Australia Women to win: 12/1 at Bet365

Brazil Women v Australia Women Betting Tip: No hint of an upset here, but Brazil could run up a few goals here. While there are one or two questions over Brazil at the back, going forward they are incredibly strong. Stick with Brazil.

Brazil Women Outright Winner Odds: 6/1 at Blue Square
Australian Outright Winner Odds: 66/1 at Paddy Power

Group D Winner Odds

Brazil: 1/2 at Bwin
Norway: 11/4 at William Hill
Australia: 10/1 at Paddy Power
Equatorial Guinea: 80/1 at Paddy Power

Well, now that England have failed miserably in the one day internationals against Australia Down Under (losing 6-1), it’s time to look at the impending action at the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Yes, it will be right on our screens before we know it, so it is time to look at the front runners for the tournament. This is some of the best cricket action which you will see all year, with the matches coming thick and fast from the World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The tournament runs from February 19th and the Final is over a month later on April 2nd in Mumbai and the host nations will take a huge advantage from playing under their familiar conditions. In particular India and Sri Lanka, who have to be looked at as the strongest bets to win outright. However, the Australians will be in the hunt and it is hard to back against them when it comes to tournaments like this. But the conditions may just tip the balance in favour of India and Sri Lanka. This is the World Cup and crazy things can happen. Ireland beating Pakistan in 2007. Kenya beating Sri Lanka in 2003! Zimbabwe beating England in 1992! Expect some thrills and spills in the enduring tournament. India and Sri Lanka look as if they will be the teams to beat, and here we take a look over the chances of all the entering nations, and offer our valuable tips as to how the tournament may play itself out.

ICC ODI Rankings
1st Australia, 2nd India, 3rd Sri Lanka, 4th South Africa, 5th England, 6th Pakistan, 7th New Zealand, 8th Bangladesh, 9th West Indies

Australia 11/2 at Bet365

The defending Champions and after brushing the challenge of England aside, they will be a major threat at the tournament. Are they the best team in the world? Probably not, certainly not by the looks of it anyway, but is there a more driven, committed and confident team when it comes to winning cricket tournaments than Australia? Again, probably not. They went into the last World Cup on the back of a poor run of form, but once they got a sniff of tournament cricket, they turned into a completely different side and blew away the competition. Dangle that golden carrot in front of their faces and they will be a dangerous side, and one teams will want to avoid. Favourites? No, it is still hard to look at them as favourites, as you will discover when you read on down the page, but the fact is that Australia will not give up their crown easily. They are the world champions, and will fight tooth and nail to hang on to that status. Not in their prime at the moment, but they will be dangerous. The one thing which may let them down, is the lack of quality spin bowling in the side, something which will be need out east. The Aussies are used to fast, flat tracks, and really don’t carry a threat in the spinning conditions. Still ranked as the world number one ODI team and they will take some beating when it comes to the crunch.
Australia World Cup History: Won the World Cup 4 times, including the last three

India 13/4 at Unibet

Here are the favourites. They will be helped out by the tournament being partly held in their own back yard. The Indian side have historically been one which looks to have consummate quality in every position and in every aspect of their game. They have seldom lived up to their status as tournament favourites in the past, and that is pretty much the only question about them. However, this time around it should be all so very different, because they have home territory, and their exciting bowling attack should come up trumps. They sometimes look a bit hesitant and vulnerable at the top of the batting order, but once they get going, then they should be out of side. Sehwag has declared himself fit (he’s vice captain) and should be one of the batting stars at the 2011 World Cup. It has been a lot wait since 1983 for India to lift a World Cup, and really they should be one of the front runners here, they have to be. There is probably not a better batting line up in the tournament, than which India can field. Just edged out at the beginning of January in a five match series in South Africa. They will be much stronger on their home turf. Should see a much more composed India, even with the added pressure of playing at home. Will be out to score big revenge against Bangladesh who beat them at the 2007 World Cup.
India World Cup History: Winners, 1983

Sri Lanka 5/1 at William Hill

Have to admire what Sri Lanka bring to the One Day International side. They are arguably the most talented, most explosive and most talented side in this format of the game. They are actually ranked third in the world, but will make their presence known here. They have tasted victory before, back in 1996 when the tournament was held in India, Pakistan and yes, Sri Lanka. If they were to land the big prize again, they would be worthy winners. What Sri Lanka have is an ideal balance, and some of the most attacking batsmen in this format of the game. They are a dangerous batting side, who can quickly run up big totals, and they will be a big threat here. They really make a good tip to go all of the way, simply because of home advantage. You wouldn’t back them as being as steady as India, or as hardened as Australia, but they have their own style of cricket and they will rush and harass and put opposition to the sword. One of the best ODI sides in the world to watch, would be worthy winners and are the cricket betting tip here. Have just beaten the West Indies in a ODI series as a warm up, and should get stronger through the tournament.
Sri Lanka World Cup History: Winners 1996

Pakistan 9/1 at Victor Chandler

You never really know which Pakistan are going to turn up, just to coin a popular sporting cliché. They are one of those teams who look to have the perfect balance of batting and bowling in their side, but there is still a fragility about them which makes you hesitant to lay down too much money on them. But, that having been said, they have won before in the face of adversity, and you would expect them to be in the latter stages of the tournament, with conditions favoring them. Perhaps not quite as settled or as strong as they could be, but they can turn on the power when it matters most. They just look more beatable than any of the aforementioned teams though. They are immensely talented, but they just seem to self implode, and almost seem impossible to play together as a unit, something which is naturally an asset when it comes to tournament cricket. They will win games, they will give the higher ranked teams here a good run for their money, but at some point down the line, you just expect them to come off the rails. Just enjoyed a tight series victory over New Zealand as a warm up, and will be led at the tournament by Afridi. Probably just too much frailty to gel together and win this one. Was supposed to be co-hosting the event as well, but was stripped of the rights after attacks on a visiting Sri Lanka team in 2009.
Pakistan World Cup History: Winners in 1992

South Africa 11/2 at Totesport

Have always been a big fan and admirer of the South African power cricket. They are not afraid to have a go at teams, yet they don’t always look the most comfortable sides in action. Have been on top of their game though of late, beating India, and should be able to go close here with form and a good draw. On their day, South Africa are a team to be feared, when they are having an off day though, they seem to fall apart quickly as a unit. However, they recently beat India in South Africa, and that will have given them an immense amount of confidence. Weaker in the batting line up than in the bowling department, but their bowlers may struggle out in the sub continent conditions. They haven’t been to the final of a World Cup before, and like India in a way, they have fallen short of potential when it has come to the big games. Still, they will bat hard and give it all they have. It is just that big match potential. They have quality in their side, but they still have to play up at their very best to beat the best, and when not at their peak, they look vulnerable and completely beatable. India have done well against South Africa before and you would expect the home nation to edge things over the South Hemisphere team at the 2011 World Cup. An outside threat. They’ll be in the knockouts, and it will depend on the draw from there.
South Africa World Cup History: No finals

England 15/2 at SportingBet

Well, they stunned the world last year when they won the Twenty20 World Cup against all of the odds. Do they stand much of a chance at the 2011 Cricket World Cup? Sadly no. As their showing against Australia in the ODI series has proven, they are not one of the better teams in the world at this format. Yes, they went into the series against the Aussies having not lost a ODI series since the 2009 Ashes, but then, the level of opposition wasn’t of the standard of any of the above teams. England do have decent batting power, but they lack a genuine ODI opener, and with so many injury problems in the bowling department, it is unlikely that they will pose too much of a threat. Should qualify from their group, one would hope, as they are  teamed up with Bangladesh, Ireland, Netherlands, West Indies, South Africa and India and four teams go through from each of the two groups to the quarter finals. You would expect England to fall in the knockouts quickly though. Before the Australian series, they looked good value, right now, they look depleted, tired and out of sorts. There is also a major injury worry over Eoin Morgan, their best ODI performer with the bat during 2010. That would be a huge blow. They just don’t look as if they have the right balance and form at the moment to win, their confidence must also be shot too after the Aussies destroyed them.
England World Cup History: Lost back to back finals in 1987 and 1992

Group A Outright Winner

Sri Lanka: 15/8 at SportingBet
Australia: 2/1 at Bet365
Pakistan: 7/2 at Victor Chandler
New Zealand: 8/1 at SkyBet
Zimbabwe: 66/1 at Stan James
Kenya: 750/1 at Bodog
Canada: 1000/1 at Bodog

As we’ve tipped them to go all the way and win the tournament, would look for Sri Lanka to win the group really. They are better than Australian and better than Pakistan at the moment, and they should be able to take out both of them.  Australia really don’t represent bad value though in this tournament, but really should have been taken in a stronger priced ante post bet before their trouncing of the in form England after the Ashes series. This is an interesting group really, and top spot should be fought out between Sri Lanka and Australia. Everyone will just wondering what Pakistan bring to the table. New Zealand will make a nuisance of themselves and should be able to battle for third place.

Group B Outright Winner

India: 2/1 at Victor Chandler
South Africa: 11/4 at Bet365
England: 10/3 at Totesport
West Indies: 8/1 at Blue Square
Bangladesh: 20/1 at Bodog
Netherlands: 500/1 at Totesport
Ireland: 500/1 at Bodog

Really, you would expect India, being the home side to take control of this group. The matches against West Indies, Bangladesh, Netherland and Ireland are winnable for India, South Africa and England. So it may come down to who will take points off each other between those three. India will be helped by their support and their conditions, and are capable of taking out both England and SA, and that is what will tip the balance of power in this group. The best bet behind them is South Africa, who should be able to overpower England.

We started the 2010 World Cup with thirty-two teams from all over the planet, although just four remain after 60 matches of football. On Tuesday night, the first place in the final is up for grabs, with Holland facing Uruguay at the Greenpoint Stadium in Cape Town.

It’s likely to be a huge betting contest and many bookmakers have special offers for the game which is well worth checking out. Over at bet365, they continue to run their ‘Penalty Payback’ promotion for the 2010 World Cup, where they’ll refund losing outright bets on any team that gets knocked out on penalties.

So far, bet365 have got away with only refunding losing stakes on Japan and Ghana, not two of the well-backed teams in the competition. However, it’s possible that at least one semi-final this week could go to spot kicks, not to mention the final. Spain are 15/8 favourites, Germany are 2/1, Netherlands are 21/10 and Uruguay are 10/1 with this firm.

Bet365 also have their 0-0 cashback offer available on the Holland v Uruguay and it’s likely that the south Americans will be looking to keep things tight. All losing first goalscorer, last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer, correct score and half-time / full-time bets will be refunded if the game is goalless after ninety minutes. Paddy Power and Blue Square are doing something similar for this game.

Meanwhile, Bet Fred are offering to refund all losing first/last goalscorer, correct score and scorecast bets on Holland v Uruguay if Dirk Kuyt scores in the game. The Liverpool striker likes to get forward and it’s not a bad offer at all.

Similarly, Stan James have used their imagination to create a Diego Forlan special for Tuesday night’s game. If the Uruguay striker scores at any point during the 90-minutes on Tuesday night, then the firm will refund all losing first/last goalscorer, anytime goalscorer and hat-trick bets placed on the game.

There’s been plenty of money for the Netherlands in the build-up to the match in Cape Town and it’s possible that Coral’s 4/6 won’t last until kick-off. Other bookmakers have been running for cover as a major gamble takes place on Bert van Marwijk’s team, with punters clearly being swayed by that victory over Brazil in the quarter final. Sporting Bet are now as short as 4/7 (Sporting Bet) about a Dutch win.

It’s good to see that Ladbrokes have also been giving their punters extra value throughout the World Cup and it’s worth checking out their Enhanced Doubles currently available on the World Cup semi-finals. You can back Holland and Spain both to win at odds of 10/3 or alternatively go for the 9/1 that Uruguay draw and Germany win.

The Magic Sign also have goalscorer doubles available and offer 3/1 that Robin Van Persie scores on Tuesday and David Villa finds the net on Wednesday. A Diego Forlan x Lukas Podolski double is on offer at 9/1.

Uruguay v Holland Betting Odds

Uruguay to win: 6/1 at Bwin
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Holland to win: 4/6 at SkyBet

Holland

Uruguay v Holland is the first of the 2010 FIFA World Cup semi finals, and a match which sees the Netherlands take on the mantle as outright favourites. This is simply a matter of weighing up the odds and stats, and it is easy to see why the Dutch are tipped to take the match over the South Americans. But there is a lot more to this match than meets the eye, as the Dutch go into this encounter on somewhat shaky ground. Holland won their group as expected, strolling to top spot ahead of Japan, Denmark and Cameroon, winning all three matches. That sounds mightily convincing, and the case for the Netherlands to reach the final is all the more compelling when you look and see that they beat Slovakia and then the mighty Brazil in the knockout stages. No-one really gave Holland much of a chance against Brazil, but it was they who ran out 2-1 winners over one of the tournament favourites, thanks to a brace from Wesley Sneijder, and some luck. Holland have simply not been convincing at all through their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign, and the old whispers of them not being mentally composed enough to win football’s greatest prize are starting to get louder. The Dutch are generally a self destructive bunch when it comes to tournament football, usually cracking at the seams when the pressure starts mounting. What the Dutch do have in spades, is great technical ability, and they are set up to play a very attractive style of football, which does not always possess all of the qualities needed to win tournaments. Like mental fortitude.

The flaws with Holland, and they have been visible in this tournament, is the lack of desire to really dig deep and battle, and lack of creativity and invention. Some will argue that they showed great resilience in beating Brazil after going behind, but it was more of a case of Brazil beating themselves than anything the Dutch did in terms of football. Holland did a great deal of unsportsmanlike playing up to the referee, falling to the floor and making it seem as if Brazil were wearing sharp edged ice skates instead of football boots when any South American went near them. While it worked in getting Felipe Melo riled enough to get himself stupidly sent off, it was not a pretty picture which the Dutch painted, and it gave a great example of just why they always seem to remain on the fringe of great success. They are their own worst enemy usually, with arrogance and over confidence generally at the root of their downfall, and when you have you best players like Robin Van Persie publicly bemoaning his coaches decision to substitute him, all cannot be well. Instead of getting on with trying to play football, Holland degenerated their match against Brazil into a less than admirable spectacle of football quality. It was their way to regain control, after Brazil in the first half, had exposed many weaknesses in the Dutch formation, cutting through them with ease.

The Netherlands however, will have a tougher time of things when they face Uruguay in their semi final, because Uruguay are a lot more of a no-nonsense team than Brazil. Uruguay will really get stuck into the midfield of the Netherlands, and will physically drain the confidence out of the Dutch. Holland did not have the technically ability to beat Brazil in a toe to toe contest, and while they will be believing that they certainly have that advantage over Uruguay, underestimation of these South Americans would be perilous. The 2010 FIFA World Cup has not seen the best of Holland and there is a train of thought which leans towards the reasoning that coach Bert van Marwijk is hampered by his players. Tactically, Holland are very sound, letting Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt patrol out wide, supporting lone striker Van Persie, while helping out in midfield. This allows Inter Milan’s Wesley Sneijder to roam freely as the link up man between midfield and attack, which is why he is so dangerous. He is that a-typical South American floating number 10. The Dutch attack allows for a lot of movement and creativity, but behind that, they have problems with quality personnel. The distribution to the attack is not a quick, nor as sharp as it should be. Holland could learn some good lessons from Germany about quick transition play. Why is this important in World Cup betting? Because semi final opponents Uruguay have a much stronger midfield than Holland, in terms of work ethic. Snuffing out the supply line to the forwards, by pressing the Dutch defence when they are on the ball, is a sure fire way to frustrate Holland, and that will create chances for Uruguay. In technical ability, Holland win hands down. They have not been playing well and have been riding their luck, and that is why they are very vulnerable, especially with the added weight of breaking the mental barrier of actually winning the World Cup. Uruguay may not have to beat them, for they may do it to themselves again. They will already be without Nigel de Jong and Gregory Van Der Weil after picking up their second yellow cards against Brazil. They are lucky to have Mark Van Bommel too, who was lucky to escape a red card. Holland, beating themselves.

Uruguay

The South Americans are the surprise package of the tournament, and they are very proud of themselves for getting to the semi final. As a nation they have won the World Cup twice before, but that was a long time ago back in 1950 and since then, they have not been able to compete strongly. They are the last South American team left in the tournament along with three European nations. This in itself is as big of a surprise as seeing Uruguay in the semi’s, as Brazil and Argentina were supposed to be in the mix at this stage. South American teams are generally ones that have a great balance between attack and defence, and if they are lacking the out and out technical brilliance of say Brazil, they make up for it with a physical presence. Chile were a perfect example of this, as they and Uruguay are probably the two hardest working teams attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Uruguay like to defend from the front, and that is why they put out a three man attack, so that the middle of the park can be kept tight and narrow in defence, and the extra attack can drop back and help out in midfield. This is something which is expected of South American teams, even though the top players don’t always put in that top effort in defence. This sole reason was the downfall of Argentina, whose forwards were not dedicated enough in making sure their midfield was reinforced when they did not have the ball. That same concern is not there for Uruguay, although they will be missing their star striker, a team that the Dutch will know fairly well.

Ajax’s Luis Suarez was at the centre of the much publicised debate over whether his punching of the ball on the goal line in the dying seconds of their quarter final match, was deliberate cheating or not. Suarez stopped a sure fire goal with his hands, received a red card, and opponents Ghana missed the last gasp penalty, sending the match to a penalty shoot out, which the Africans lost. Suarez had pulled off the biggest save of the tournament, to which he is now citing that he has the “real” hand of God. Uruguay will miss the striker, but they have Diego Forlan, who has been one of the outstanding players of the tournament. Both he and Suarez are on three goals, one of the few teams in the tournament who have more than one player up front to rely upon for goals. Holland’s Robin Van Persie has just one to his name, in contrast. The way Uruguay will set up, will probably leave space down the flanks for Arjen Robben and Dirk Kuyt to receive plenty of the ball. That is how Uruguay like it. It is unlikely that they will let Holland go through the middle of them, and that means the Dutch will have to work a lot harder down the flanks. Uruguay will be happy with that, as their mean defence will be confident of handling a lone striker in Van Persie.

While Holland have received good news about a scan on Robin Van Persie’s elbow which showed no problems, Uruguay have been hit with bad news about creative playmaker midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro who will definitely miss the showdown after picking up a knee injury against Ghana. Uruguay are also anxiously waiting news about captain Diego Lugano, who is a serious injury doubt after having to come off against Ghana as well. The South Americans will also be without Suarez and defender Jorge Fucile who is also suspended. These are the small things which can accumulate into a big problem. It is a shame that Uruguay may not be able to field their strongest side at such an important juncture in their World Cup history. They are the underodgs for the match and the rank outsiders of the four teams left in the tournament. Their teamwork has gotten them this far, and now it looks as if it is being sadly broken apart through injury and suspsension. While Paraguay rang a lot of changes to their starting eleven against Spain and still put up an admirable fight, Uruguay will be hoping that the incoming players will give the benefit of fresh legs, which they will need after playing extra time in the semi finals. Uruguay will run and chase and pressure Holland all day long, and they will probably sit back and look to launch counter attacks, and look to make the most of their chances from dead ball situations. Forlan is the key man, along with Diego Perez in the centre of midfield, who will be putting in the heavy tackles. A great, disciplined team, Uruguay are on the brink of repeating successes of their peers, but they face their toughest challenge yet in one of Europe’s top sides. The margin between them will be small, and it may just take another flash of genuis from Forlan to sneak it.

Betting Tip – To Win – Uruguay 6/1 at Bwin

Match Verdict: Uruguay are the ideal team to be the thorn in the side of another Holland World Cup dream. They are so disruptive in midfield, and so tight at the back, that they can cope with slicker passing and faster paced teams. They do not flex their attacking muscles as much as one would hope, but they have a system which works for them, and its gotten them this far. This is a quality passing and moving attacking team versus a disciplined defence one. Uruguay though have goals in them, and can step up into the role of an attacking side, whereas Holland probably can’t switch to a defensive one so well. Uruguay can very well sneak this by a goal, or even take it all the way to penalties. They probably won’t get overwhelmed or overrun, not unless the Dutch come out and play by at least a couple of levels better than they have done during the tournament so far.
Uruguay +0.75 Asian Handicap 41/40 at Bet365

Top Uruguay v Holland Bets

Correct Score
Uruguay to win 1-0: 12/1 at Paddy Power
Holland to win 1-0: 5/1 at Boylesports

To Qualify
Uruguay – 13/5 at SportingBet
Holland to win: 1/3 at Totesport

Anytime Goalscorer
Robin Van Persie – 5/1 at Coral
Wesley Sneijder – 7/1 at Bet365
Diego Forland – 3/1 at ExtraBet

We already have one team representing South America in the quarter finals to be played on Friday 2nd July and Saturday 3rd July, with Uruguay going through against South Korea in Port Elizabeth. It now falls to the much-fancied Albiceleste to double the continent’s representation in the final eight, with Paraguay, Chile and Brazil still to play.

It’s certainly advantage South America after the group matches, with Chile’s defeat against Spain the first time that a team from that continent has lost a match in South Africa. The bookies are expecting this trend to continue on Sunday evening with their best price of 8/15 (bet365) that Argentina continue their 100% record in this competition by winning at Soccer City.

Diego Maradona’s team have already played a blinder at this ground, thrashing South Korea 4-1 just over a week ago and the manager looks like having every member of his squad available for selection. That means Jonas Gutierrez back from suspension, Javier Mascherano and Angel Di Maria in the middle of the park and Gonzalo Higuain returning in attack. The Real Madrid forward bagged a hat-trick against the Koreans and he’s 4/1 (Victor Chandler) to be first on the scoresheet in this game.

However, the favourite (for the fourth game running) on the First Goalscorer market is Lionel Messi – will the Barcelona forward ever get on to the scoresheet? It’s not that the “world’s best player” has been particularly quiet but more that opposition defenders have crowded him out a la Diego Maradona during the 1990 World Cup. However, if you think that he will draw first blood against the Mexicans, Ladbrokes offer 7/2 that Messi breaks his duck in this competition – something which will doubtless see him run to the manager!

It’s fair to say that Mexico aren’t particularly big fans of Argentina, especially after being eliminated from the 2006 World Cup by the same opposition. Four years ago, El Tri held La Albiceleste to a 1-1 draw only to lose in extra-time and Javier Aguirre would surely be delighted if his team were able to keep things all square after normal time. You can bet 10/3 with Sky Bet that the Mexicans stop this Argentina bandwagon in full flow and a massive 6/1 with bet365 that the central American side produce one of the tournament upsets by landing the spoils.

Mexico are one of the more attractive teams to watch, with the team capable of neat passing and movement which outclassed France during the group stages. There is a huge reliance on the midfield pairing of Gerardo Torrado and Rafael Marquez to stop their opponents playing, although question marks remain over a defence that were hit on the counter against both South Africa and Uruguay.

Hopefully, the manager won’t wonder ‘what if’ by not playing Javier Hernandez in attack. The Manchester United-bound striker might be a relative newcomer to international football, although he demonstrated his prowess with a well-taken goal against France and looks the business at 10/1 (bet365) to score the first goal.

The group stage of the 2010 World Cup couldn’t finish with a more dramatic scenario, with Spain quite simply needing to win at Loftus Versfeld to guarantee themselves a place in the last sixteen of the competition. That slow start against Switzerland, which involved lots of square passing from Vicente Del Bosque’s team but little cutting edge, could yet come back to haunt a team that are full of quality players but were caught on the counter-attack by Ottmar Hitzfeld’s team in Durban when a draw wouldn’t have been a disaster.

Although the bookies make Spain the strong favourites (1/2 bet365) to win this match, they might struggle to break down a resolute Chilean defence. While Honduras and Switzerland aren’t really in the same league as Spain, Marcelo Bielsa’s team have not conceded a goal at this World Cup and it would be a big surprise if they employed that familiar 3-3-1-3 formation which has won them so many admirers.

Perhaps the mentality of the South American side will be to attack the Spanish, especially as Iker Casillas has looked a little wobbly in between the sticks and the Barcelona central defensive pairing are clearly short of pace. It’s also possible that Marcos Senna was an integral part of the Euro 2008 winning team and that Sergi Busquets doesn’t have the same international class. Chile are on offer at 7/1 (Victor Chandler) and the gameplan might be to try and get an early goal and then soak up the pressure. They have won each of their other two matches by a 1-0 scoreline and bet365 offer 16/1 that the same applies in this game.

Even so, it will be interesting to see how a team that conceded a lot of goals (as well as scoring many!) cope with the twin strikeforce of Fernando Torres and David Villa. The former will once again lead the line and, although he was a little match-rusty against Honduras, the Liverpool man should be firing on all cylinders when the match kicks off. He’s on offer at 9/2 (Victor Chandler) to open the scoring in Pretoria, although his strike ratio for Spain doesn’t compare with Barcelona’s latest acquisition.

Villa was concerned this week that FIFA were going to slap down a one-match suspension for his altercation with a Honduran defender, although that let-off means that the former Valencia striker will be lining up on the left side of the attack and he caused all the damage in the last match at Ellis Park. This is a player that can win games singlehandedly and he is 7/2 (Paddy Power) to open the scoring and evens (bet365) to feature on the scoresheet at any stage of the game.

It’s going to be a nervous night for both sides and it could be all about backing 1-0 in favour of the Spanish at odds of 5/1 (Sporting Bet), especially if the Chileans become ill-disciplined.

Winning Group G gets more important with the passing of every day. While the victors at the Moses Mabhida Stadium would potentially play Holland in the quarter finals, they will avoid the half of the draw which includes England, Argentina, Germany and probably Spain. While Vicente Del Bosque’s team are hovering around even money to win Group H, a runners-up berth is surely more likely. Therefore, while Brazil are through to the last sixteen, it’s hard to see Dunga treating this game particularly lightly. He will want to maintain the excellence shown against the Ivory Coast last Sunday, even if the team will be missing the suspended Kaka. While the Real Madrid star sits on the bench and considers how foolish he was to receive two yellow cards, his team-mates are strong favourites at 13/10 (Coral) to land another win which would give them maximum points in Group G. It promises to be an entertaining game, especially as the Brazilian defence is not proving particularly watertight. North Korea and the Cote d’Ivoire both managed a consolation goal against the Selecao in previous matches, so perhaps it follows that Portugal will also find the net, especially as six members of their squad were on the scoresheet against the People’s Republic on Monday. Carlos Queiroz’s team will be going for the win, especially as they have little to fear due to the nine goals’ superior goal difference they have over the Elephants. The Iberian team are 11/4 (Bet Fred) to land a famous win and book themselves a match against the runners-up of Group H. It’s clearly just a matter of speculation as to whom they would meet, although Switzerland going through in second place would give them a strong chance of getting through to the final. The team have a clear match-winner in Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be looking to break free from the shackles of Gilberto Silva to make a difference for his country. The Real Madrid forward is 6/1 (Ladbrokes) to open the scoring and you can bet that he’s been practising his free kicks ahead of this match, although it’s strange that Tiago is priced at 33/1 (Paddy Power) on the same market considering that he scored two against the North Koreans. This will also be a significant match for striker Liedson, who was born in Brazil and became a naturalised Portuguese international recently. He’s 9/1 (Ladbrokes) to break the deadlock. As for Brazil, they still have attacking flair without the suspended Kaka and striker Luis Fabiano is on course to win the Golden Shoe after his excellent brace against the Ivory Coast. The Sevilla forward will be eyeing more goals from this match ahead of the knockout stages where games are traditionally more low-scoring. You can back him at 11/2 (Victor Chandler) to score first. If you think that Brazil will dominate to the extent that they did in their last game, Stan James offers 3/1 that the World Cup favourites lead at half-time and full-time.

It’s possible that the Azzurri will go the same way as France and fail to progress beyond the group stage of the 2010 World Cup. Who would have thought that the two finalists in 2006 would fail to win any of the first five matches between them?

Then again, it wouldn’t come as a huge shock if Italy sprang into life under Marcello Lippi and had another World Cup to remember. After all, the holders gradually got better in Germany four years ago and they retain many of the players who were triumphant back then. You can currently back them at 22/1 (Paddy Power) on the outright market and the Italians will simply be focused on winning this game and making it to the knockout stages where games are likely to be tight.

Ladbrokes offer 4/7 that the Azzurri are successful in Johannesburg and it would help if they stopped conceding sloppy goals. Against Paraguay and New Zealand, the team have found themselves a goal down due to an inability to defend from set pieces. Losing Gianluigi Buffon in goal hasn’t helped, although you can imagine that Lippi has spent a lot of time on the training ground to ensure that the Slovakians aren’t wheeling away in delight after scoring from a free-kick or corner. Sporting Bet offer 5/6 that Fabio Cannavaro and Co keep a clean sheet, while it’s tempting to back them to win to nil at odds of 13/8 (Ladbrokes).

After all, the Slovaks offered little in attack against Paraguay and we should remember that the latter were holding on a little towards their opening match with Italy in Cape Town. Vladimir Weiss probably realises that his team’s best chance of going through would have been to beat New Zealand in the opening game, a result that would put Italy under severe pressure. However, it’s hard to see them obliging with victory, even at odds of 6/1 (Victor Chandler).

They simply didn’t create many chances against south American opposition on Sunday and perhaps the Italian strikeforce will get things right, especially if the manager plays Antonio Di Natale from the start. It’s bordering on a crime that the Udinese hit man has had to make do with substitute appearances and he’s 11/2 (Ladbrokes) to show what the Azzurri have been missing by opening the scoring.

You can expect Vincenzo Iaquinta (6/1 Ladbrokes) to remain on penalty duties, although the impressive Daniele De Rossi also catches the eye on this market at 16/1 (William Hill). The Roma man loves to get forward and has scored seven goals for his country in 47 appearances.

We nearly saw a football miracle take place on Tuesday afternoon when South Africa went 2-0 up against France and needed just two more goals against ten demotivated opponents to reach the last sixteen of the 2010 World Cup. Australia will draw inspiration from the way Bafana Bafana set about trying to stay in the competition as they look to upset the odds by joining Ghana or Germany in the knockout stage.

The Aussies had a disastrous start to their World Cup, losing 4-0 to Germany in Durban and everyone was quick to write them off. However, the Socceroos were much improved against Ghana and that 1-1 draw means that Pim Verbeek’s team have a slim chance of going through. Sky Bet offer 25/1 that they go through and they firstly need to beat their Serbian opponents in Nelspruit.

Sky Bet offer 7/2 that this happens and the pressure will certainly be removed from their shoulders against a team that clearly stand a better chance of qualification. The Aussies will have Tim Cahill returning and the Everton midfielder could be a man on a mission after his red card against Germany, something which stopped the team making a potential comeback when the scoreline was 2-0. If you think that Cahill can get on the scoresheet in this game, he’s a best price 3/1 – again with Sky Bet! They are clearly happy to take Australia on!

Nevertheless, the Serbian team will be pumped with belief after that dramatic win over Germany, which saw Miroslav Klose sent off and Lukas Podolski miss a penalty. It was a much improved performance from Radomir Antic’s team and they are strong favourites at 10/11 (bet365) to take the three points at the Mbombela Stadium and leave Germany and Ghana to scrap it out in Johannesburg.

It’s interesting that Serbia are no bigger than 8/15 (Sky Bet) on the ‘To Qualify From Group D’ market, with Ghana on offer at 8/11 (Paddy Power) and Germany trading at 1/4 (Victor Chandler). While we’re all aware of the Germans’ excellent World Cup tradition, it might be the case that the bookmakers are affixing too much emphasis to reputation, especially with Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose not in the team. Anyone with a betfair account might be tempted to lay Germany to qualify at odds of around 1.33.

Serbia’s goalscoring hero against the Germans was Milan Jovanovic and the Liverpool-bound striker is 8/1 (Paddy Power) to break the deadlock once again, although perhaps the Australian defence might have problems against giant striker Nikola Zigic, who is 13/2 (Bet Fred) to get his team off to the best possible start. It’s worth noting that Serbia have only conceded one goal thus far and that came about due to ridiculous handling error in the penalty area. Paddy Power’s 5/4 that Serbia keep a clean sheet is interesting, with Ladbrokes offering 2/1 that the team win to nil.

Soccer City in Johannesburg is the 2010 World Cup’s biggest stadium and it’s a perfect setting for a match where it could be a case of ‘winner takes all’ on Wednesday night. Germany and Ghana were in the Group D driving seat after victories over Australia and Serbia respectively, although Joachim Low’s team stumbled against the White Eagles on Friday and now face the prospect of having to beat the Black Stars to make completely sure of a place in the last sixteen.

Despite the fact that Ghana have taken four points compared to Germany’s three, it’s the latter who are very strong favourites to bounce back with victory. Some of us might expect a closely-fought contest, although firms like Sporting Bet and Victor Chandler go as short as 2/5 that the 2006 World Cup semi-finalists land the three points and go through as Group D winners.

However, if you are thinking of backing the Germans, Paddy Power and Ladbrokes both have 1/2 available just hours ahead of the match. Perhaps it might be better to consider backing the favourites on the Half Time / Full Time market if you think that Low’s team will prove too classy for their African opponents. Klose and Podolski helped them into a 2-0 interval lead against the Aussies and William Hill offer 6/5 that they lead at the break and the final whistle in this one.

It’s difficult to understand why Ghana have been given such big odds by the bookmakers. Although they are missing star player Michael Essien, it still didn’t stop them from reaching the African Nations Cup final and they have looked fairly impressive in their matches to date. Serbia barely got a goalscoring opportunity in Pretoria and Victor Chandler’s odds of 15/2 about a Ghanaian win are simply too big. While Milovan Rajevac’s team only need a draw, to set up defensively for the entire ninety minutes is asking for trouble.

Bet365 offer 7/2 that the game finishes all square, something which could spell trouble for Germany if Serbia manage to beat Australia in Nelspruit. The Germans will be missing the suspended Miroslav Klose after his red card in the last match, something which is a big blow when you consider how much big tournament experience the Bayern Munich striker has. Much will now be expected of Lukas Podolski, especially after the Cologne striker missed a penalty against Serbia which proved very costly. William Hill offer 6/1 that he scores the first goal in Johannesburg.

Interestingly, Ladbrokes have a Lukas Podolski promotion running which is well worth checking out. Place a single bet of €/£10 or more on the first goal scorer, last goalscorer, correct score or scorecast markets on the Germany v Ghana game and they will give you a €/£10 free bet every time the striker scores.