Thursday, June 4, 2009

World Cup Qualifier odds – Big Weekend for Argentina, England, Portugal

World Cup Qualifier OddsOn the same day as the Belmont odds and some French Open finals betting, soccer brings us some exciting action with a huge day of World Cup Qualifying games. Let’s break down a few of the more noteworthy matchups for this Saturday.

Kazakhstan vs England – Saturday, June 6 @ 11:00 a.m. ET

Soccer betting lines: Kazakhstan +1300, England -700, Draw +500

Could England finally be on the verge of ending their stretch of disappointments over the last decade or so? The team that lost in the 2006 World-Cup qualifier sagged even more when it failed to reach Euro 2008, but the road to the World Cup doesn’t look so bad right now. The English destroyed Kazakhstan in October of 2008, pummeling them in the second-half especially en route to a 5-1 win. When England upped the pressure, particularly with Wayne Rooney, Kazakhstan couldn’t keep up. Even with Rio Ferdinand on the mend, the English will be fine.

Best betting online pick: England -700

Albania vs Portugal – Saturday, June 6 @ 2:45 p.m. ET

Soccer betting lines: Albania +625, Portugal -270, Draw +300

OK, Portugal, let’s go. What are you waiting for? Portugal’s fans have to be just a tiny bit antsy after 0-0 ties against Sweden and Albania, who they now face in a rematch. Playing on the road before what should be a rowdy Albanian crowd, are the Portugese in trouble? Cristiano Ronaldo, arguably the best footballer in the world, needs to find the net – something he hasn’t done yet in this round of qualifying. With Nani on the team as well, Portugal’s offense is too potent not to wake up. They’ll need to score early to take the crowd out of the game but they should prevail over Albania,

Best betting online pick: Portugal -270

Argentina vs Colombia – Saturday, June 6 @ 5:00 p.m. ET

Soccer betting lines: Argentina -345, Colombia +800, Draw +350

It’s not do-or-die for Argentina just yet, but they certainly could use a win after Bolivia destroyed them 6-1 in their last match. Their opponent just happens to be the team chasing them for World Cup berth: Colombia. The key to Saturday’s match will be discipline; in most of Argentina’s recent losses, the problems were rooted in red cards. Three of Bolivia’s six goals came after Angel Di Maria was tossed. A clean game will go a long way, as will the presence of Lionel Messi. Constantly mentioned in the “best in the world” debate, he’s had a great year, winning the Champions League and Spanish League with Barcelona. He’ll lead a group that should be hungry to get back in the win column. This match may be close, but Argentina should come out on top. Pick the team with something to prove if you wager on sports this Saturday.

Best betting online pick: Argentina -345

No comments:

Post a Comment