Intense soccer betting in the U.S. showed no signs of slowing down between the national team's first and second World Cup matches, and that momentum has continued into Thursday's less meaningful Group D finale against Turkiye.
Key Takeaways
- FanDuel and Caesars reported record soccer betting in the U.S.’s second match.
- Money continues to pour in on the Americans in the last match before the Round of 32.
- Bettors are backing two key goal-scorers for the U.S. on Thursday.
FanDuel told Covers this week that the USMNT's wins over Paraguay and Australia were the two biggest soccer betting events by handle and tickets in the online sportsbook’s history.
Caesars Sportsbook “generated the highest number of wagers we’ve ever seen on a single soccer game,” head of soccer Mark Bickerdike said.
Bettors crushed sportsbooks for a second consecutive match in the 2-0 win against Australia that helped push the U.S. into the Round of 32, as multiple operators reported that at least 85% of the money poured in on the home team.
The only thing that saved sportsbooks was Folarin Balogun failing to find the back of the net. He was an incredibly popular bet in the goal-scorer market.
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account“The betting activity on USA vs. Australia suggests that World Cup fever is well and truly building in the U.S.,” Bickerdike said.
Backing the home team
The match against Turkiye doesn’t affect the USMNT's standing in the next round. The squad has clinched the group and will almost certainly face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, but even without much on the line, betting action isn’t stalling.
"We’re still seeing a lot of patriotism from USA supporters following the first two matches,” Bickerdike told Covers on Thursday afternoon. “We’re currently seeing 87% of wagers and 95% of money on the U.S. in three-way betting. People are hoping to see a win and the USA go into the Round of 32 with high momentum."
With the U.S. a slight -110 favorite, BetMGM reported Thursday morning that eight times more bets have been placed on USA-Turkiye than any other of the day's matches, and there are eight times more U.S. moneyline wagers than any other team or draw. Balogun continues to be a hot-ticket item, as he’s seen three times more bets to score than the next most-bet player.
FanDuel reported this week that 83% of the bets and 92% of the handle for this match were on the USMNT, with Turkiye getting 7% of the tickets and a draw receiving 10%.
DraftKings has seen 96% of tickets and 95% of the money on the U.S. at -115. BetMGM reported 95% of the handle is on the -110 favorite, with a lower 88% of the bets and the over 2.5 goals being the most-bet total Thursday.
Popular players
Balogun and Christian Pulisic lead FanDuel’s bet count in the anytime goal-scorer market, while Balogun and Giovanni Reyna are tops in handle. Pulisic is hoping to play Thursday after missing the Australia match with a calf injury.
BetMGM said Balogun (+125) tops the goal-scorer market, with Pulisic third with odds of +180. U.S. sports betting fans also love one of those two to score the first goal.
