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It has been a turbulent few months in the Spanish women’s soccer squad, but the team has enormous talent and looks like a good pick for the World Cup.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks we can see that the USA is rated as the favorite with bettors to win the tournament for the third time in a row and the fifth overall. European Champion England is not far behind in the betting, however, at +450, while Spain is rated between +500 and +650 and fellow European representative Germany is priced at +800.
| World Cup Winner |  |  |  |
| USA | +200 | +255 | +250 |
| England | +450 | +380 | +400 |
| Spain | +500 | +500 | +650 |
| Germany | +800 | +710 | +700 |
| Australia | +1000 | +1100 | +1200 |
| France | +1200 | +960 | +1000 |
| Sweden | +2000 | +1700 | +1800 |
| Brazil | +2800 | +2400 | +2500 |
Women’s World Cup Futures Betting Guide
This will be the ninth edition of the Women’s World Cup but will be unlike the preceding eight tournaments for several reasons. It is the first to be staged outside Asia, Europe and North America (since New Zealand is part of Oceania, and the first to feature co-hosts, with Australia and New Zealand sharing the games.
It is also the first tournament to include 32 teams, bringing the complement of competitors to the same level as the men’s World Cup, and providing an even tougher competitive environment. There will be eight Groups of four teams, with the Group stage running from July 20 to August 3, followed by the knock-out stages, which conclude with the final in Sydney on August 20.
Unusually for a major soccer tournament, the hosts of this competition do not have a great winning record. In fact, only one of the hosts so far has won it and that was the US in 1999, so futures bettors should be wary of assuming that Australia or New Zealand will have an advantage.
Women’s World Cup Futures Favorites
The four-time champion, and bidding for a third consecutive title, the US is once again the big favorite in the futures market going into a World Cup, but this time it could pay to look elsewhere.
Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan are back, although Rapinoe’s contributions are likely to be from the bench in what will be her last World Cup. Injuries to Mallory Pugh and Catarina Macario were significant setbacks for US head coach Vlatko Andonovski, but the depth of available talent among the forward ranks means that the US will still be a threat up front.
That said, there is a number of younger players in the US squad, and that will be particularly evident in defense, where the absence of captain Becky Sauerbrunn’s experience and leadership could be costly at high-pressure moments. It is hard to argue with the US being the favorite here, but this has the feel of a squad in transition and it could be worth looking elsewhere in the Futures betting.
Women’s World Cup Contenders
England finally broke through the winning barrier last summer when lifting the European Championship, and the biggest prize of all is now in its sights.
Remarkably, head coach Sarina Wiegman is bidding to reach her fourth major tournament final in a row, and she certainly has plenty of firepower at her disposal with the likes of Ellen White, Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly all competing for the number nine shirt. There are some significant absences in Beth Mead, Fran Kirby and Leah Williamson, however, and there’s not much value in the price.
Among the other main World Cup contenders, Spain looks like a better option. That may seem like a bold prediction, given the unrest that has affected the Spanish squad in recent months, but this is one of the best groups of players in the game, and with Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey back in the squad, and a favorable draw, Spain could generate momentum.
It is also worth considering a wager on Germany, which has been a consistent force in women’s soccer. The two-time winner of the World Cup, Germany has featured at every tournament since the first in 1991 and has a team packed with young emerging talent. In Lea Schuller and Alexandra Popp, it also has two of the best attackers in the game, and it would be unwise to read too much into some poor pre-tournament results from a team that saves its best for the big games.
At a bigger price, it could also pay to keep the Netherlands on side. The loss of Vivianne Miedema is of course a significant blow, but some bookmakers appear to have overreacted. Forwards Jill Roord and Lineth Beerensteyn both have close to 100 caps yet are arguably yet to reach their prime, and Victoria Pelova and Lieke Martens will also make valuable contributions. Likely to finish second in its Group, the Netherlands looks underrated in the futures markets.
Best Online Sportsbooks to Bet on the Women’s World Cup
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