The 5 Best Bets and 1 to Avoid for the 2022 World Cup: Cameroon Crowded Out of Group G

The long wait for the 2022 World Cup is nearly over, with Qatar and Ecuador set to get the tournament underway in just a matter of days.

World Cup odds have been on the board and moving for a while but with it just about time for Qatar 2022 to get underway, there are plenty more markets to pick from.

We dove into the markets to bring you our best World Cup picks ahead of the tournament — and one to avoid. 

Best bets for the 2022 World Cup

Group D forecast - Denmark 1st, France 2nd

France are the clear favorite in Group D, sitting at -228 to finish on top, after winning their second World Cup four years ago in Russia. With world-class talent and unparalleled depth on the international stage, the holders have a justifiable placement. Also justifiable, however, is the idea Denmark will challenge France and dislodge them from atop the group. 

Despite France’s tremendous depth, they were brutalized by injuries ahead of the tournament. Most notably, midfielders N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, who combined to dominate the midfield four years ago, are both missing through injury. Karim Benzema, after missing out in ‘18, has been limited to just seven games with Madrid as he struggles with injury.

With Benzema’s complicated history with the national team in mind, it’s fairly easy to believe France can overcome his absence. The absences of Pogba and Kante, however, will be incredibly difficult to overcome — especially with Blaise Matuidi, who was effectively the third member of the midfield in Russia due to his outstanding versatility, out of the picture. 

With Tunisia and Australia rounding out Group D, France's second-best will be good enough to get through — but not to top Denmark.

This is a Danish team that made the semifinals of the Euros just last year and did it without their talisman, Christian Eriksen, after the horrors of the opening game. He rounds out a midfield three, along with Thomas Delaney and Pierre-Emil Hojbjerg, who could very well be superior to France's midfield. With tactical flexibility and strong defensive stability, Denmark have the hallmarks of a strong international side.

The winner of Group D will be the winner of Denmark vs. France (should there be one) and we've already seen the Danes handle that this year — against a stronger French team at that. In Nations League play in June, Denmark went away to Paris and won 2-1 then did one better in the return leg in September winning 2-0 at home.

Denmark can get a result again this France team for a third time and they will top the group. 

Best bet: Group D forecast - Denmark 1st, France 2nd (+333 at bet365)

Zero total points - Cameroon

It may not have the dueling heavyweights like Group E, with Germany and Spain, but man life in Group G is going to be hell — for Cameroon specifically. So much so, in fact, that The Indomitable Lions will go home without a point, just as they have in their two most recent appearances (in 2010 and '14). 

Let's go opponent by opponent, starting with Brazil. OK, now onto Switzerland.

The Swiss have made the Round of 16 in consecutive World Cups and, most recently, knocked France out of Euro 2020 in an incredible comeback before they were sent home by Spain in the quarters. They've had stiff competition already in '22, in a Nations League group with Spain, Portugal, and Czechia — beating Spain in Spain and both Portugal and Czechia at home.

There are certainly concerns around the lack of a high-level striker but otherwise, this is a talented squad at every level of the pitch. 

Yet, for as talented as Switzerland are, they may not progress either. That's because Serbia, rounding out Group G, are damn good in their own right. Similar to Poland, Serbia used the luxury of world-class talent up top to become a defensively solid team, with the knowledge opportunities didn't need to be plentiful to score. 

That worked brilliantly as Serbia condemned Portugal to the World Cup playoff after topping their group undefeated with six wins and two draws, 18 goals scored, and just nine conceded.

So, it's Cameroon to face the World Cup favorites, as well as two strong European sides who not only cut their teeth against the continent's elite but were successful in doing so. That stiff competition for a team that needed a miracle to get here — they fell behind in the 118th minute of their playoff before scoring the winner in the 124th — will be far too much. 

Best bet: Zero total points - Cameroon (+300 at bet365)

Group B qualifier - Wales

This pick of Wales to come out of a Group B that also includes England, Iran, and the USA is as much an endorsement of Wales as it is an indictment of the USMNT (+100 to qualify). 

Wales went the hard way to Qatar, reaching the UEFA playoff and eliminating a spirited Ukraine to end their World Cup drought. With two highly impressive tournament runs in the last six years, we've seen this trick out of Wales before and they're positioned to do so again. 

There are the less tangible factors to point to, like the tremendous togetherness the Welsh team has boasted during this historic era, as well as the tournament nous they showed in 2016 and then again last summer. More specifically, this is a well-balanced team.

In attack, they have the technical ability of Gareth Bale and Harry Wilson complemented by the rapid pace of Dan James and Brennan Johnson, all playing off the towering 6-foot-5 Kieffer Moore. They have a superb passing range in the defensive third, from centerback Ethan Amapdu and midfielder Aaron Ramsey, to spring attacks. And they have a committed, well-drilled defense that brings it all together, with the skill of the team allowing them to stack numbers behind the ball before countering.

As Wales have proven in consecutive European Championships, when the door is left even a little ajar, they're going to smash through that sucker. The U.S. will leave it ajar. They are too wasteful of a team in attack, as evidenced throughout WCQ, to punish teams at this high of a level.

Ultimately, the other Group B qualifier will likely come from the winner of Wales and the USMNT, and Wales have to love the way that is shaping up. It's very easy to picture Wales punishing the way the U.S. uses their midfielders to cover wide areas, hitting a ball over the top of a broken press, and springing an attack.

I am out of the business of doubting Wales at major tournaments. 

Best bet: Group B qualifier - Wales (+110 at bet365)

Group stage elimination - Mexico

Quinto partido — the fifth game — has hung over Mexico for three decades. Seven World Cups in a row, El Tri have advanced from the group stage. And seven World Cups in a row, they failed to reach that fifth game, knocked out at the Round of 16.

As Mexico head to the World Cup with one of their worst squads in modern history, forget the fifth game. They would happily take a guarantee of a fourth game. Unfortunately, neither that guarantee, nor a fourth game at all, is coming.

It's hard to overstate the hysteria that marked Mexico's World Cup qualifying and still marks the team, with embattled head coach Tata Martino at the heart of it all. Martino's failure to bleed in young players during this cycle has been heavily criticized and now, it looks like that criticism has been proven correct. 

Though injuries made matters worse, there is a shocking lack of attacking talent in Mexico's team. Raul Jimenez is, understandably, a shell of his former self since a skull fracture but remains their best option at striker. It's out wide, however, where Mexico funnel their attack through, that offers the most pessimism.

Tecatito, who is still their most dangerous attacker, will miss the tournament with an injury. And while they do have Chucky Lazano, he hasn't produced in recent years in Serie A, and certainly hasn't reached the heights many expected after his time with PSV and his goal against Germany four years ago.

Mexico's modern nadir coincides with potentially the best team Poland, their main competition for progression in Group C, have produced during Robert Lewandowski's career. They have fantastic depth up top, will be able to rely on an incredibly in-form Piotr Zielinski to connect midfield and attack, and Matty Cash has been a revelation as they've solidified their backline.

This is a Polish side capable of progressing and with Argentina the top dogs, that leaves Mexico on the outside looking in. 

Best bet: Group stage elimination - Mexico (-125 at bet365)

Group A qualifier - Ecuador 

With the Netherlands -800 to qualify out of Group A and host Qatar a longshot at +333, the second spot will come down to a fight between Ecuador and Senegal. This pick, of Ecuador to qualify as opposed to Senegal (who are -110 to advance) is as much about the latter as it is about the former.

Any team that survives the brutal CONMEBOL qualifying should be taken seriously, and that's the case with this Ecuador side. They were able to develop tactically in playing expansive, front-foot soccer against the region's smaller teams while playing more deep, defensively solid against giants like Argentina and Brazil.

Whichever way you shape it, Ecuador look dang good standing within their region. They scored joint-second-most in qualifying, with their 27 equal to Argentina's. Defensively they have been fantastically sound, conceding 19, with Brazil and Argentina only maintaining a better record. 

Senegal, meanwhile, snuck through African qualifying by defeating Egypt in penalties. Though they are such a known quantity — an athletic, high defensive line with the sweeper play of Edouard Mendy behind them, a compact midfield three, and cutting runs in behind from wide attackers — they were dealt a killer blow this week.

Sadio Mane, their captain, talisman, and best-ever player, will miss the tournament due to an injury. Not only is that a massive emotional blow but tactically, it kills them. Senegal attack through their wide attackers and frankly depend on them to connect midfield and attack. Ismaila Sarr is a quality player on the other flank... but one winger has six goals in the Championship this season and the other just finished second in the Ballon d'Or. 

Losing Mane on the eve of the tournament is an absolutely killer blow to Senegal, and Ecuador will capitalize. 

Best bet: Group A qualifier - Ecuador (+100 at bet365)

Best bet to avoid for the 2022 World Cup

Golden Boot winner - Karim Benzema

Full disclosure: I bet on Karim Benzema to win the 2022 Golden Boot in the summer, when the French striker was priced at +1,600. Now, with the third-shortest odds (+1,200), I am telling you to learn from my mistakes and avoid this future — not because of a changed line but rather a changed outlook.

When I took Benzema — and thought it was quite silly he wasn't closer to the favorite, Harry Kane, at +700 — he had just finished almost single-handedly dragging Real Madrid to another Champions League triumph. In 46 games across all competitions, Benzema had netted 44 times and added 14 assists.

This was the best striker in the world, at the height of his powers, to lead the line for the World Cup holders and one of the favorites to win again in Qatar. Unfortunately, the stability in both France and Benzema lessened in unison during the start of the 2022-23 season.

Due to a lingering knee injury, Benzema has played just 28 minutes in November, coming in a sub appearance vs. Celtic way back on Nov. 2, while his last full 90 will have been more than a month when France gets underway in Qatar (Oct. 19). 

France, meanwhile, have seen multiple pillars miss out on the squad due to injury, while yet another crisis looms over the program — a worrying return to their doomed defense in '02. Not only is my confidence in Benzema being at his best in Qatar gone but so too is my confidence in France to mount an admirable title defense.

Pages related to this topic