In 2006, Germany defeated Costa Rica 4-2 in the first match of the World Cup. Los Ticos haven’t forgotten, and they’ll have a great chance to take revenge on Thursday. Germany must win. Otherwise, they’ll be singing NSYNC’s hit Bye, Bye, Bye!
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports, and World Cup lines for Costa Rica vs Germany. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Germany by 2 (+350)
Yes, Germany has had a low start, but we can’t forget that we’re talking about a juggernaut when it comes to football, that’s why they come in as the betting online favorites despite being at the bottom of Group E. Win or lose, the Germans have scored in nine of their last 10 games in all competitions. During that span, they averaged 1.5 goals per game. That’s a lot considering that they’ve faced much better teams than Costa Rica.
No disrespect to Los Ticos, but they didn’t take a single shot on target against Spain. Four days later, they defeated Japan 1-0. That was their only shot on target. In other words, we aren’t talking about an aggressive team, that’s why Germany should have no trouble winning comfortably. Nowadays winning by two is winning comfortably.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Under 2½ and Both Teams to Score – No (+300)
Besides Germany winning by two goals, I expect the defense to lead the team to a clean sheet. We’re talking about a defensive unit that’s led by Manuel Neuer, considered one of the best goalkeepers in the world. There are also Antonio Rudiger and Niclas Sule, two highly respected center-backs that play for Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
As if that wasn’t enough, the defense regained a lot of confidence by limiting Spain to only one goal. Prior to the match against Germany, Spain scored seven goals against Costa Rica. They were highly motivated, which means limiting them to only one goal was a great feat.
Germany to Score a Penalty (+175)
Besides losing the game, Costa Rica also lost possession to Spain with 18%. Four days later, they managed to defeat Japan, but they still lost possession with 43%. In other words, the game will take place, mainly, on Costa Rica’s side of the field.
That increases the chances of a penalty considerably. Germany won’t stop attacking even for a second because defeating Los Ticos could not be enough to advance to the Round of 16. If they win and Spain vs Japan ends in a draw, the team with a better goal difference between Germany and Japan will advance. Right now, that would be the Blue Samurai. A 2-0 victory would be enough for Germany to advance in case Japan manages to win a point against La Roja.
