WC 2022 futures....

Boll, "Windy" and the lads  hadnt planned but here you go.    apologies for somewhat unorganized.  just everything discussed over past few weeks and what not and throw it out there. no time to edit, good luck to everyone these coming few weeks.

(cut and paste from previous WCs)
- with the exception of Russia 4 years ago, an African side has advanced to the KO round in every WC since '94. (trying to pick which one of the 4 is where most of my problems start tho. laughing). theyre soo hard to gauge because of their lack of unity, and sometimes a lot of hatred in their locker rooms. and African sides struggle vs "structured" opponents (aka mostly UEFA clubs) but these teams are talented, speed, athleticism, and physical. best of the lot is Senegal this year.

- wasnt aware of this, Concacaf? has had a team advance in every WC since the 90s.

Referees? Markus, very very very good info and thanks for sharing. i TOTALLY agree with this (sweet-jesus did FIFA lower the criteria??) with the announcements made last week, the 36 chosen. some have ZERO big game international experience. agreed. CAZZO!!! already have 3 circled. hit the card props. and hammer the total tourney cards.
refereeing the Olympics and youth finals is NOT the same as a WC.

thy tried & true auto-trends: again, not saying these will work. just the few based on experience which everyone uses:
- host nation advancing.
- goose eggs in the GF column (keep this in the back on your melons come 3rd matches; nobody enjoys going home with a goose egg. Algeria + Honduras (2010); Trinidad (2006) were the last countries whom flew back home ashamed. its a huge motivating factor, do not underestimate this. toss out the old one, add the latest. now 11-3 past 4 WCs, sweeping all 4 in '18.

the 1.5's
- as always (toss out the old and keep 3 recent) 10-7, 10-6,14-7. fading those 200+ juice favorites with the +1.5 continues to be one of the more consistent angles in WC historically. the name of the game isnt winning pretty, just get the 3; stay healthy and try to keep the yellows at minimum. it ceases to amaze me how people cant get it through their thick melons that all these countries playing practically 3-in-9 days. "its mid-season, theyre physically fit" pfffft. 3-in-9 will destroy anyones energy/health. repeat that a few times. (and theyll be playing in the temps this time)

10 days to go, figured Id better get started on this, roster submittal deadline is next monday so will hold off on certain futures till then. soo much to discuss. going to try to keep this as organized as possible.

with so many players in their final WC, whom led this current generation and defined/changed how the game is played its hard NOT to get a little sentimental about it. the ones everyone knows on a world wide basis, but there are several others whom are "GODS" in their respective countries for quite some time whom have let it be known this will be their last. so it will make things interesting.

just one auto-play made the other day to start:
Qatar +1/2 @1.83 in the opener. i honestly hope the Conmebol side thumps them but..... for reasons we always avoid discussing. so just make this play and get back to the normal capping from Monday onwards. host nation hardly ever loses the opener; and not just for the WC but around the planet. from our beloved former stats expert, keep his flame going as youre out there somewhere looking down at us. (cork popping).
95% of all statistical trends for individual group matches means SQUAT in WC's. different rosters, different coaches, different motivations-locations-everything. h*ll, even different decades sometimes. those whom use stats for individual matches dont have a clue about the sport. all the previous major comps host nations:
WC - Russia, Brazil, S Africa, Germany, Korea/Japan
ACN - Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Eq Guinea, S Africa
Euros - England, France, Poland/Ukraine, Aus/Switz, Portugal
Asia - UAE, Australia, Qatar, Indonesia
out of that whole group, just Portugal had lost their opener when playing on first day. (go figure).

Gruppo A:
Qatar to advance @+5.00, over 2.5 pts @1.90 (might as well take this if you take that other prop. dont think anyone has ever advanced on 2 points). well FIFA picked them to host. and we've already discussed this every WC, no need to go into depth here. might I remind everyone they beat a strong Japanese side to win their continents Asian Cup. but Qatar might have held their own vs CAF's finest but you might want to take a peek at '21 when they played all those Friendlies vs european clubs, most whom used mixed lineups. remember, they dont have to go through with qualifiers, and could send a full strength squad; they were thumped by everyone.risky tho and Id prefer they get thumped.

Netherlands: missed out 4 years ago, solid backline with Virgil leading them; deVrij,Dumfries,deLigt all veterans of big game matches. above average midfield but my problem with this group is theyre all pretty much offensive minded. positioning and helping out their backline isnt their "thing". up front their reliance on DePay could hurt them the deeper they go. and I have to bring up Van Gaal, he is NOT a good strategist. these guys can go deep and a Qtr-final appearance is worth the prices. but....... can they handle the heat? history says YES; though different rosters, they reached the semis in Brazil & final in Africa. and a few have mentioned they flew out there early. and if you look at the bracket breakdown... theres a serious chance of deja vu all over again. TT goals and perhaps a few futures of mine will have "Oranje" attached to it.

Senegal: 6 months ago I typed how that trend of host nations will be put to test. this african squad is reason. thats pretty strong "backbone" down the middle of the pitch to build a squad around which they have. Mane will get a lot of media-attention and from those whom dont understand the sport; but he doesnt function well as Option 1a on an offense; and he doesnt have the size/physicality when hes the main striker; but hes currently on the treatment table. if he cant go, then all that space he created for teammates just by being out there disappears. and they will struggle. Kou locks down that backline, these guys are a physical lot too. not sure where to place them, its too big of a headache with this group, they have the quality to win the Group but like with most African squads, hard to trust to keep their heads screwed on straight for the full 90.
Ecuador: one of those hit or miss things. a large part of them qualifying was the elevation in home matches up in Quito. they have the fewest road wins of the 4 whom qualified, and have just a handful playing in europe. they could just as easily finish last in this group. I cant believe im considering a Conmebol squad to finish last.

Gruppo B: well, everything starts with Lions here much to discuss. but we all can agree to take a backseat to Arthur, its his team, his country and his knowledge & understanding of that patch on their chest is right up there with anyone so Ill just cut and paste his reviews. first, my own opinion is I just think this is their "window", their time. the 'progression' and pain of losing euros is a big motivating factor in that locker room. and nobody can disagree with this - they have the pieces to lift the hardware. but i avoid squad discussions and anyhting more indepth with the "bloddy wankas" as Arth lovingly likes to say. but like I mentioned 6 months ago, you have to keep the Alka Seltzers close by with them; because those recent sentences above Ive practically said the past 3 WCs for them. anyways, here we go:
" Lions are notoriously slow starters. and there always is some outside distraction/drama with our lads; and we have blown chunks in every WC in warm temps (aka below the equator). and with this WC being where it is, should we include that? 
theres been 8 WC's hosted outside of UEFA region since 1970, my lads have reached the Qtrs just once (Korea/Japan).so please excuse me if my optimism is cautious.
ignore the UNL results, Gareth - along with every other coach practically - used most as a experiment/evaluation to build the roster depth for the WC; the motivation just wasnt there.
 im tempted to take their Group TT Under dont anybody bloody ask me why; so theyll probably bang in 7 for that reason alone. but i also have them making a deep run too. go figure. (laughing). in all seriousness, this could be their time. getting out of London will help Gareth block out all that "noise" from the media the squad dealt with from back in euros. nothing looks interesting with their futures

USA - dont like this USA squad, too young. feel they are 4 years away & Concacaf as a whole is sending its weakest group in a few decades. if theres one place you simply cannot afford to lack experience on the pitch its in midfield. and taking a peek at the roster Berhalter submitted, with an average age of 23. no disrespect and wish them well, especially McSnacks whoms getting serious minutes with Max this season for us. but just dont like youth in major tourneys. they are going to struggle in this experienced group. but honestly, who knows; two of them struggle to put ball in net (never mind cross midfield) and the "other" one doesnt normally start playing till KOs ;)

Wales - they reached the KO Round of euros in a group which involved us, swiss, and turkey with basically the same roster filled with 2nd tier EPL players. so when you look at THIS group in comparison and they could have a chance. but Gareth declining, and their best plays come from set pieces. im avoiding them as they will/should finish 3rd or 4th this time around. 

(my first darkhorse writeup)
Iran - back in 14 these guys jumped on to the futbol scene and held a strong Nigerian squad to a scoreless draw. followed that up with holding a title favorite Gaucho squad led by Lionel and friends to one goal. 4 years ago was flapping my mouth about them from here to kingdom come as my darkhorse as they were put in a tough group with Spain, Portugal, & Morocco. conceded just 2 goals, stifled Spain and got a point vs Portugal giving them a major scare and coming within minutes of knocking CR7 out and advancing. and now 4 years later a large part of that same roster is back (16-17 of them). this is what a bus-park looks like. and the system they use might be ugly for some to watch but it is tailor made for group stages of Intl tourneys. they blew through qualification with a 49-8 GD in 18 games. weak comp but half of their roster pulling paychecks with european clubs now; scouts have started noticing. im going to be all over this team with several futures in some way/shape/form next week ill definitely be on them to advance as the opposition is several levels below what they had to face 4 years ago. and this WC is practically in their backyard as far as climate is concerned.

(notes) this is the absolute worst opponent the Lions could possibly face in an opener. Iran has had weeks to prepare, and with England being notorious slow starters, with just a few days practice. not to mention a point is golden in openers, no coach takes risks to expose dropping all 3 pts. ehhh, we will see.

Gruppo C: BIG discussion on this one, great comments everyone. thumbs up.
Argentina - not much changed in thy melon from 6 months ago. Gauchos again bloody over-rated, but shouldnt have too many problems in this group. and i really dont like that midfield, too many of the "same" styles. up front they are loaded (as always) but always seem to lack cohesion. Lautaro we all know and have watched for soo long with Inter. can find the net for you but never shows up for big matches. banged in 21 in Serie A last year, just 2 in vs the Top 5. finished Conmebol qualification and scored just once vs others in this thing. Lionel-Paulo? most still dont know whats going on with them. but on the positive note, skillwise? they are good enough to lift the trophy; agreed, Gauchos dont have an identity. prices are lousy,taking a peek at that bracket format, as mentioned 6 months ago someone needs to remind them the importance of winning the group or else theyll end up getting stuck with France (most likely). but also, assuming they DO win their Group, Gauchos are on the same half of the bracket with their sweethearts in semis. unloading on BOTH to reach the final at these current prices is something i am considering and not having to worry about capping that one and come a decent profit. paying less than 500 on an outright in WC with that path is not my cup of tea.

Saudi Arabia - they shouldnt even be in this thing. they DO fit that 'criteria' as most of their roster in domestic league; actually... the ENTIRE roster plays in Saudi league. and to take this one step further, 12 of the 26 players come from same club team. not wasting my time here they just dont have the quality to remain competitive. the TT on the other 3 in this group should be looked at because of them.

****EDIT****
(come to think of it, i think I hit this 4 years ago as well. need to go back and check. they banged in an injury timer in their last match I think. (laughing)
OK, Im in, you guys convinced me. Saudi Arabia TT O1.5 @+120 - first of all, the best matchup for any minnow is playing the juiced up group fav in the opener as behemoths tend to improve as tourney progresses. can keep it close and hopefully they misfire. squarely looking at that 3rd match vs Mexico. it will be the Tri-colors 3rd in 8 days with that aging roster. in the heat; Saudis used to this climate. and just a few days after Mexicos match vs Gauchos. hey guys....... Saudis Group Total points Over .5 is juiced to the moon, so books already thinking they get a point. and they sure as h*ll wont be doing that by cleansheeting anyone. so ill take a shot with the goals.

Mexico - not quite sure HOW I should be looking at this squad. theyll still get attention from 4 years ago when the beat the Germans and gave Samba-boys quite the scare holding them scoreless for almost an hour during KOs. but this squad is old, and skill-level appears to have declined. (you can tell simply from their roster as most have left europe & are back playing in their homeland domestically). however, they now fit that criteria as Martino has a massive 17 on that roster from their domestic league. Corona ruled out, but he hadnt played since back in august so he wouldnt have been as effective anyways. havent watched much of Concacaf but tho they came in 2nd, their stats through qualifying are similar to 4 years ago. but they only collected 6 out of the 18 available vs the other WC reps from this region. honestly do not know what to do with this squad but i do feel they are over-priced. that opener is going to be huge for them.

Poland: Mich named 9 playing in Serie A so most of us are familiar with them, over half that roster pull paychecks from Power 5 clubs. Lews finale, happy to see him there; and Polish squad has made big improvements from 4 years ago and he has some decent running mates surrounding him with Millik & Piatek & Zielenski. Szczesny can keep them in games between the woodwork and opposite of what the public might think, they do have decent backline. the past 2 years theyve been stuck with facing the Waffles, Oranje, Lions, Hungary, Swedes. this Group is 1 to 2 levels down from that kind of competition. i have them finishing 2nd in this group. tho i do wonder of their ability to handle the heat because theres a steep drop off in skill on the bench. that opener is going to be huge for them.
if you plan to take them to advance, take the 'pick' on them in the opener. advancing basically means theyll need to get some kind of result there. prices are cheaper than using the 'advance' option but I really DO think these lines will move.
***EDIT*** good point. didnt we have this SAME EXACT discussion 4 years ago? with the Serbs and Swiss in the opener. and 'Cote/Japan in '14? when lines this tight we focused on domestic seasons? ..... strength of opposition. (kind of makes sense) Cote and Swiss rosters week in and week out had to face far stronger opposition the entire domestic season. we might even have help with the lines, as a few have mentioned when the numbers are = on both sides (2.81), the match hardly ever finishes level. currently 7 straight the past 3 WC's. go figure.
still early and line can move,if what you all are saying is true, looks like we might have FOUR coming up: Mex/Pol, Tun/Aus, Ecu/Sen, Ser/Swi

Gruppo D: as luck would have it, theyre paired together again. played to a scoreless draw 4 years ago but keep in mind, both already clinched advancement.
France: mot much to say as defending champs are back with almost the same roster 4 years ago. actually, there IS much to say. for me,, I dont like Kantes missing, hes an underrated MF constantly in the shadow of other teammates. Karim coming off one of the best seasons of his career and he might steal the spotlight from Mbappe - not to mention space - since he missed the squad last time. though I dont have them pegged to repeat it doesnt mean they wont go deep. or will it?
***** we wont have to worry about deja vu'... but its a funny thing to mention, along with that trend regarding defending champs at the top: Last time Les Bleus entered the WC as defending champs they not only failed to win a game but they also didnt even find the net. but that was a while back.**** but thruth of the matter is if they win this group theyll get put in the 'UEFA' side of that bracket, one would have to like their chances there.

Denmark - ditto France. the general public will overlook them but this squad is talented right on through the entire pitch out there. Euros definitely wasnt a fluke. solid backline now that Kjaer is healthy again, a very underrated midfield whom can play both ways and function well as a unit. the 'BIG' discussion is in regards to futures, if you think Danes can win the group might as well plunk some on them winning their 2nd group match now because it pays better than them outright group winners. they are going to be a tough out no matter what the seeding. definite future plays with them.

Australia - this is a bad pairing they got. no need to go deeper with them. theyve been in every WC since 06 - by default is you ask me - have just 2 wins and outscored 26-13. enough on their history. in the Qualifiers they were cleansheeted 3 times and found net just once vs fellow participants Saudi/Japan. heres another country whom doesnt belong here.

Tunisia - have most of that squad from 4 years ago back. gave the Lions a scare with Harrys injury timer in the opener (but that was more of England being England than anything Tunisia did). this might be a good group to toss some on that future of 1-2-3-4 placement as I have Tunisians finishing 3rd. which might come down to whom has the better chance of not being blown away by the other two above.

for those hammering futures, keep in mind Groups E & F. first round of KOs is 1 vs 2 in each. so you have Spain/Germany facing Belgium/Croatia in first KO round. that can blow up your semis/finals in a hurry. to make matters worse, I think they should all juiced to reach Qtrs (havent checked but should be about right). ill avoid tourney futures with these groups, going with totals.

Gruppo E: 6 months ago a few of us didnt think that looks right. books put prices with Enriques side to win this Group down there near evens, yet 4-digits to advance. of course theres the Germans but Japan are no creampuff.
Spain - (good discussion) agreed. I think Enrique is going to have a hard time to follow-up on that Euro success. peeking at the roster submittal tho, he has a really nice balance of youth & experience and a MASSIVE 18 of the 26 pull paychecks from Liga clubs. so yes, they can make a deep run in this thing. one of the problems I think Enrique has is they/hedont take enough chances. hes's hellbent on retaining posession and playing that ping-pong style which produced soo much hardware years ago. but he doesnt really have that kind of roster. blast a few attempts from outside the box instead of trying to make that "perfect" pass would do wonders for that offence & force defenders to spread out a little bit back there. and put those corners into the box Enrique. dont have much negative about them but you have got to be giving me more than 400s to reach the finals. not with the Waffles, Samba-boys, and Gauchos possibly standing in their way. they got to finish 2nd and get in on the other side of that bracket. and then we could REALLY have a discussion (laughing) so im passing on anything with them.

Germany - coming off the embarrassment of 4 years ago, I liked them to bounce back in a big way. but Timo being ruled out is significant, Reus as well. they still have enough to get out of this group. getting knocked out the previous WC is good motivation but getting Japan for the opener should make everyone nervous. think i will follow along with a few and take Serges in some way/shape/form, he missed previous WC and those two injuries above will give him several chances. as mentioned above, this group will be getting one of those two from Group F. so futures with Germany are risky.

Japan - these guys are a massive headache to figure out. tons of value on these future prices im seeing. keep the ball on ground and about as tactically skilled as any of the 32 in this thing. literally blew through Qualifications going 15-1-2 with a 58/6 GD mostly vs minnows. and have played extremely well in the lead up to this thing. might I remind they had a 2-0 lead at the hour mark vs Waffles during KOs 4 years ago. and that roster pulls paychecks from all over europe too, so this is a pretty experienced side. I dont even consider them a 'darkhorse' because of their results. but agree with everyone, 400s to qualify is waay off. if Enrique & Flick dont bring their squads 'A' game theyre going to be in a heap of trouble. i just dont know what kind of plays ill be making with them.

Costa Rica - senior citizens. i count 7 players on that rosted 34+ years of age. feels like Navas,Ruiz & Borges have been playing for them for 50 years. these guys advanced to KOs back in 14, and held Flopper & Co scoreless for 90 minutes and gave the Serbs a tough time during Groups 4 years ago. theyve played 8 WC matches and lost by more than a goal just once (vs Brazil) but I cant seen them having any kind of success this time around. the fact they were able to qualify shows how weak Concacaf is; but they cleansheeted all 3 of the other reps coming out of there during Qualifiers. I dont know what to make of them. if you are one whom put a lot of weight on 'experience'... well, heres your underdog/longshot then.

Gruppo F:

F: when City played Real in the semis last year I thought it was the end of an 'era'; the last Ill ever see the teacher vs student (which has now become teacher vs teacher): Luka & Kevin. the best of this generation. regular onlookers will never understand how hard it is to maintain playing at the level they have in the position they play for as long as they have. so im grateful to see them both one last time, even if Luka is at the twilight of his career whom will be rested at every chance.

(looks like we all can agree to disagree. laughing)
Belgium: i dont even know where to start with them (in regards to a deep run); took a peek at Robertos roster over half are 30+. Courtois is still a top 5 in my opinion and a massive advantage come PK sessions, but that backline scares me; midfield might have to settle back a little deeper than Roberto would like which takes away their affectivness on other end. can Luk even play a full 90? hes been struggling to be match fit all season long for Inzaghi. Waffles seem to have drifted away from their all-out attacking mentality from years past and comfortable with the slower game. but cazzo!! again, theyll have Spain or the Germans in first KO round. unlike 4 years ago, i find self having more questions than answers for these guys. they most certainly have the quality to reach the finals, but they also have those ??? which could shorten their stay. the one thing we seem to unanimously agree on is Kev still the best on this planet and has a computer chip in his melon.

Croatia - similar to Belgium, the "core" of this squad has been playing together for a long time. an experienced midfield whom collectively still one of the better units in this WC. but Brozovic isnt 100%, Kovacic playing thru injury with Chelsea, and Pasalic has struggled all season to find form in Serie A, along with Kramaric in Bunde. can Luka even play a full 90? (never mind 3 in 8 days) on paper it might look like they breezed through Qualifiers but they really struggled to find the net. just think the are over-valued based on past performances because this squad is playing nowhere near that level from 2 years ago.

Canada - still worth another mention

"CANADA..... WILL QUALIFY FOR THE 2022 WC IN QATAR!!!!!!!

dont laugh. mark my words..." that one play has made this entire year one massive "free roll". never thought Francescos Open victory @ Carnoustie would ever get bumped to 2nd. so I cant really toss them aside. but they are going to be severely outclassed in the middle of the park in this group. finding the net once is cause for a celebration. they havent beaten anybody outside their region in 4 years (does Qatar even count?). with their strength all up front they might be on the wrong end of of some high scoring matches with all those MLS players back there. but will finish at the bottom in this group.

(darkhorse #2)
Morocco - when the pairings came out 6 months ago I immediately glanced at this group; a strong, experienced side with a roster filled with players from each Power 5 league as well as the top clubs from Africa. 4 years ago unfortunate with an injury time own goal loss to Iran; gave Portugal all they could handle winning posession, corners, shots in an 0-1 loss. then blew the lead - twice - vs Spain. and here they are again paired with 2 of the more "public" sides whom are weakened from compared to previous years. if they can grab a point in one of the first 2 matches theyll get canada last and things might become very interesting.
the downside with them is like with all the other CAF squads, though many pull paychecks with european clubs its hard to gauge how theyll do in WC as they dont play countries outside their region often. a very live darkhorse one should consider.

Gruppo G: Serbia/Brazil/Swiss paired together again? how is that possible? (laughing). but this is my Group of Death nominee. of the 6 Group fav with 4-digit prices attached, Samba boys are actually the ones most likely to not reach KOs. nothing against Brazil, but the other 3 in this group you can make a decent argument to reach KO's. cant say that for any of the other groups.
Brazil - pfft. Like England, losing Copa America on their home soil last year has them good & motivated. if you like them to reach the finals then do it now; Gauchos most likely on their side of bracket and you wont be getting mid-200s if that match happens. I put in my writeup 6 months ago on how Samba boys cant be too happy getting these 3 paired with them; extremely physical sides. I am not sold on them cakewalking, books giving them too much love. Flopper has taken on a different role sitting back further, and hes going to be chewing grass a lot in group stages. Tites options up front are silly-crazy. if theres ONE thing you can consider 'negative' its that backline; a little suprised to see Alves & Thiago still on the squad at their age; and with 3 of them playing for us (Danilo,Sandro,Bremer) we know them very well, perhaps TOO well. outsiders, keep this in the back of your melons; we didnt even get out of the UCL KOs with those guys taking turns back there (hint hint). and as Arthur mentioned, something is not right with Allison this year, positioning mistakes and shots he easily pushed aside few years ago are now finding the net. GK's are only as good as the defenders in front of them. Samba boys will have massive problems the second they face an opponent not scared to come at them and punch them in the mouth first. theyre odds-on for a reason and it doesnt take a genius to figure out why this time around. breezed through qualifying and even won up in Bolivia 4-0 (which is something they hardly ever did. every 4 years its same thing, loaded on offense but yet as Markus mentioned, just 14 of their 30 WC matches sicne start of century have they won by 2+ goals. if you have the **** to fade them on the +HC with THIS frontline?, good luck with that. just make sure juice isnt attached. "this WC Brazil might have to simply outscore everyone. not because they can but because theyll have to". theres TWO ends on every pitch; theyre world class up front but that backline isnt 'trophy-material', but Tite does a good job of "hiding" their negatives.

Serbia - we have been yakking away for past decade if Serbians ever develop firepower up front they will finally make a deep run, and here we are. agree with everyone, this is one of their most "complete" squads theyve ever assembled. its not even fair to consider them a longshot. with practically half their roster pulling paychecks from Serie A we know them well. this roster Dragan has is talented, and NASTY with the legendary Serbian mentality. Tadic everyone knows about with what hes done for Ajax, Mitrovic having his best season in his life up there in EPL and Dusan is a world class striker playing for a prehistoric coach and still finding the net for us but he is NOT at 100%. they finally have an offense. MF is a solid unit and very underrated with Serge, Kostic & Nemanja. but this is a TOUGH group. im being careful of not falling too much in love with them but the really DO finally have all the pieces in place and a system designed for a deep run. as everyone mentioned, can they handle the pressure though? that was a massive sending off they received. getting Sambas in their opener is a blessing in disguise. and if Tites boys dont bring their 'A' game they could be in for a big suprise. i have them 2nd behind Samba-boys. 

Switzerland - with their core unit of regulars getting up there in age im not entirely sure if that "window" has closed for them. but Murat has 17 on htat roster pulling paychecks from big boy leagues (including 5 in EPL). and theyve advanced in each of the previous 2 WC's and reached the Qtrs in euros (getting knocked out by Spain in injury time). these guys held Brazil to a point 4 years ago in Groups too. like most of us I honestly dont know what to do with them. prices with them to advance are lousy considering the group theyre in. but its a very experienced side

Cameroon - another CAF headache. if youve never seen this team play ur in for a treat. this is talented, athletic, and extremely physical side (whom are a good nominee for those card props). when they are full strength theyve beaten practically everyone down there in the past 18 months. made a deep run to the semis losing in PKs to egypt..... but they were the hosts. but as a few mentioned, their full throttle, pressure-on-the-ball all over the pitch could turn against them. and when your coach just also happens to be the president of your Federation? well... = drama. african-style.
***EDIT**** very nicely done. 2nd place in this Group has a decent shot at reaching the Qtrs. decent prices too.

Gruppo H: Uruguay booted Portugal from previous WC so theres the xtra motivation.
Uruguay - i think theyre the only nation whom qualified w/out a '+' goal differential. but a very underrated side, a peek at the roster and lot of experience in that starting 11. but i have concerens with the drop off after that. and theyve been all over the place since then (in regards to the results). these guys are up in age, tho they finished in 3rd they dropped points in over half their matches and had a goal difference of 0. Samba/Gauchos beat them 4 times by a combined 10-1. so im not so sure about that lofty FIFA ranking they have. theyyre hard to predict as can see them coming in 1st just as easily as 4th. Cavani,Chompers, and Godin will not be able to do a 3-in-9 days anymore.

Portugal - these guys are right up there with the Lions in regards to being slow starters. so I avoid team details (laughing). cause they end up making one look stupid. first of all, of the two regions where the winner will come from i do believe Fernando is only 1 of the 4 coaches in this thing whom have hardware in his trophy case (Tite, Scaloni, & Didier). so he has a system in place which has been successful and when you count the previous 2 WCs + Euros, Fernando has just 3 wins in the 12 group stage matches. and i dont think he has ever finished Groups at the top; he doesnt give a **** about that. let that sink in before you lay juice with them. so prices in those group forecasts with these guys in 2nd might be worth a shot. theyll advance tho, this team just do it differently than everyone else.... except the Lions of course. (cork popping)

Korea - with 16 of their roster playing in domestic league its hard to get a handle on them. Min has been a pleasant suprise for Napoli; along with Son it makes we wonder if they are that good, how many others over there are waiting for their chance. Korea have played a ton of matches already this year so thats a big advantage they have. theyve consistently been able to find back of net in every WC and create chances so this could be another suprise given Portugals tendencies and Uruguay in that transition.
***EDIT Son injured, there goes their offense. avoid them***

Ghana - i absolutely dont know a thing about this team. so theyll probably be the one from the CAF to advance (laughing). 5 playing in EPL and a few others on loan from EPL clubs so apparently theres a lot of quality within them. definitely worth a look at backing during group stages.

mass of plays for what most likely will be final WC.

Group A:
Qatar to concede in all their matches @-117
Netherlands 2nd half goals O3.5 @+115 (groups)

Group B:
England U 5.5 goals @-139 (Groups)
Iran to qualify @+300, Iran eliminated in R16 @+600
Iran total attempts on target: U8.5 @-120 (groups)
USA total conceded O3.5 @-120 (groups)

Group C:
Poland O3.5 goals @-118 (groups), to advance @-110
Lewandowski O1.5 @-111 (groups)

Group D:
Danes to score in all matches: Yes @+130 (groups), advance to Qtrs @+200
Australia to concede in every match @+105 - 4 straight WC's. 13 matches. conceded in each.

Group E:
Germany O5.5 goals @-118 (groups)
Gnabry O1.5 goals @+149 (groups)
Japan O2.5 goals @-163 (groups)
Spain to win group @-115

Group F:
Canada to concede in all matches @-122
Morocco O3.5 pts @+130 (groups), Morocco to qualify @+200
Belgium O 5.5 goals @-115 (groups)

Group G:
Serbia O3.5 goals @+103
Serbia O3.5 pts @-138 (groups)
Serbia to reach Qtrs @+500 - assuming they finish behind Brazil, theyll get the winner of H. collected 4 from Portugal during qualifiers and match up well with the other 3.
Switzerland to score in all matches @+210 (groups) - this is a big value play. our neighbors next door have flown in under everyones radar always. theyve found the back of net in each group match past 2 WCs, and if you want to include Euros then its 10 out of 12 (just france & italy have been able to cleansheet them). and if you want to be detailed about it and include KO's, thats 13-4 overall. 13-3 during recent qualifications for each and recently beat full Enriques & Fernandos full strength sides few months ago in Nations league. though I have the Serbs slotted to finish 2nd in this tough group i just HAD to find something to toss on the Swiss. an experienced roster

Argentina/Brazil/Belgium/France score in all matches @+439

Group with most goals: E @+400, C @+640

Cards and referee: just copying from previous years. as always, avoid cards in 1st round, cherry pick 2nd, hammer 3rd. hammer KOs. most want to avoid suspension. slate gets wiped clean for KO rounds.
Over 220.5 cards @-118 (tourney) books were way off 4 years ago as this # ballooned to 219 (up from 180s) and have adjusted accordingly. still low
Group with most yellows: G @+520 - agree. risky without knowing ref assignments. but if youre going to go by styles, those 3 physical sides are going to be hacking away at Tites boys speed up front.
Total Offsides O159.5 @-118 (tourney) - this is going to blow over that number again.
PKs awarded: O23.5 @-120 - waay too low. 29 in Russia. since VAR, this had practically doubled from previous WC. and has ballooned in each respective regions tourneys.

Group G O22.5 cards @-125

Group results: taking bunch of chances here. these will hopefully determine what to play in the 3rd matches.
Group A: Netherlands, Qatar @+750
Group B: England, Iran @+800
Group E: Germany, Japan +900 (dual)
Group F: Belgium, Morocco @+560, Croatia/Morocco @+1000(dual)
Group G: Brazil, Serbia @+206
Group H: Uruguay, Portugal @+305

will try check in when return in few days.    good luck to all 

BOL spec

Good to see you back Spec. Hope all has been well. 

Belgium's backline is THE issue, combined with Martinez being Martinez. Hazard, Mertens, Vertonghen and Debast shouldn't even be there. If Lukaku doesn't get re injured we stand a chance to take on a good team in the knockouts, but without him I don't see it. Martinez has cost us a legitimate chance for silverware these last 8 years, he will be replaced when this WC is over. 

@specimen24

 thats a writeup...anyway ive bet 100 quid on tunisia at 1000/1 on a back to lay....

kiss kiss

group stages have got dodginess written all over them..think dutch have 'easiest route'...argentina could be worth a shout..but short price...the rest ..fek knows...

lets the games commence.....

good to see back Spec   

Spec!!!! 

Hell of a write up as always 

[Quote: Originally Posted by specimen24] Senegal: 6 months ago I typed how that trend of host nations will be put to test. this african squad is reason. thats pretty strong "backbone" down the middle of the pitch to build a squad around which they have. Mane will get a lot of media-attention and from those whom dont understand the sport;[/QuoteHi Spec, how's it going? Mane is out for the tourney

Spec-great stuff as usual-good to have you back! agree Canada a great story, but in real tough with 2 veteran squads in their group and a big step up from CONCACAF....look forward to it!

trend of host nations will be put to test. this african squad is reason. thats pretty strong "backbone" down the middle of the pitch to build a squad around which they have. Mane will get a lot of media-attention and from those whom dont understand the sport;[/Quote]Hi Spec, how's it going? Mane is out for the tourney

Thursday MRI results and doctors say no go.

I guess we can't edit posts anymore? Probably the highschool student maintaining the Covers forums forgot to unit test before last implementation.

so Mane is out, officially for the whole tourney:  https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/senegals-mane-ruled-out-world-cup-2022-11-17/

I feel sorry for the Senegal to advance or make the quarters bettors.

Welcome back Spec