Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will kick off their 2022 World Cup campaign against a young and exciting Ghana side. Here’s how to bet the Portugal vs. Ghana match, from the moneyline, spread and Over/Under total odds.
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports, and World Cup lines for Portugal vs Ghana. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Portugal vs Ghana Betting Lines
Portugal: Ronaldo’s Last World Cup?
Portugal get their World Cup campaign underway on Thursday as they take on Ghana at Stadium 974 in Doha. Fernando Santos’ side have struggled to live up to their 2016 European Championship success but have an interesting blend of youth and experience going into this tournament.
Achieving balance in his squad has long been an issue for the Portugal manager, with a number of world-class, attack-minded players potentially exposing the side. Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix are all playing at the highest level in Europe, a very intimidating roster that has a significant edge in talent over Ghana. The nation’s talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo, will dominate headlines ahead of Thursday’s match for the wrong reasons following a falling out with Manchester United.
They’ve proven themselves more attack-minded in recent years, with their defenders even getting in on the action. Cancelo has scored seven international goals, including two strikes earlier this year. Portugal’s last three competitive wins have featured a fullback scoring. Ronaldo has something to prove so we will include him in our soccer picks and parlays.
Ghana: Surprise Package
Following a brief absence from the World Cup in 2018, Ghana are now back where they belong and are already dreaming of qualifying in the knockout stages of the competition. They prepare for a fourth World Cup appearance since 2006, and only once have the African nation been knocked out at the group stage.
Ghana disappointed badly at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, registering no more than one point in three group phase games against the likes of Morocco, Gabon and Comoros. Their backline looked vulnerable in that tournament, allowing three goals in the last round’s loss to Comoros. It’s very important to note that Ghana have allowed two goals in each of three group stage matches at the World Cup in 2014, so if you’re betting online, make sure you fade them.
The Black Stars are the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, but they received a significant boost over the summer as a number of top players committed themselves to the national team. The addition of Inaki Williams, in particular, should aid Otto Addo’s cause given his team’s primary struggle has been goal-scoring. The likes of Leicester’s Daniel Amartey and Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu are extremely confident in building a low block.
Portugal vs Ghana Match Information:
- Match: Portugal vs Ghana
- Day/Time: Thursday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m. ET
- Location: Stadium 974 (Doha)
- Portugal vs Ghana Live Stream: fubo.tv
Portugal vs Ghana Picks & Prediction
- Worth Betting on the Moneyline?
Portugal are the big favorites to win their opening group game against Ghana for good reason. The Portuguese squad contains a nice balance of quality, experience and youth, which should pay dividends in Qatar. They are priced at -275 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while Ghana are priced at +875. Ghana’s back line does not thrill with confidence and we expect the hosts to have a field day on Thursday.
- Worth Betting Against the Spread?
Ghana will need to avoid conceding an early goal in hopes of landing a counter-attack to stay in this match. Portugal and Ghana have only squared off one time, back in the 2014 group stages, The European nation won 2-1 with the winning goals scored by the one and only CR7. Portugal should have enough to cover the -1½ spread at +115, but it’s their first game of the tournament so we will avoid this outcome.
- Worth Betting the Totals?
On paper, Portugal have a far better squad than Ghana and should beat their African opponents with relative ease, but Ghana proved a tough nut to crack defensively in recent matches and possesses plenty of youthful talent in the final third. The goal line is set at 2½ with the over being priced at -105. We expect a high-scoring affair with at least three goals on the scoresheet.
SCORE PREDICTION: Portugal 2, Ghana 1
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
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