First vs Last?
The 2022 World Cup action continues Wednesday with four exhilarating games, including Spain vs. Costa Rica. According to the latest betting lines, the European side is the favorite to win Group E thanks to a -120 price. On the other hand, Los Ticos are the favorites to finish at the bottom thanks to a -200 price. That makes sense, but it’s time to prove it on the field.
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports, and World Cup lines for Spain vs Costa Rica. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Spain vs Costa Rica Betting Lines
Spain: Renewed Team
It’s officially a new era in Spain. Of the team that won the 2010 World Cup, only Sergio Busquets will be playing in Qatar. Head coach Luis Enrique decided to bet on several young players, including Pedri, Ansu Fati and Gavi. I don’t blame him, they’re extremely good.
La Roja had no trouble fulfilling its role as the betting online favoriteduring the qualifiers. Led by Ferran Torres, who finished as the team’s top scorer with four goals, Spain won Group B with 19 points, four more than Sweden.
Defensively, they only allowed five goals, 0.6 per game. Talking about the Spanish defense, Jose Luis Gaya was injured during the first training session in Doha and is out. Another young, promising star will take his place. We’re talking about Alejandro Balde, who plays for Barcelona and is only 19 years old.
Last week, Spain defeated Jordan 3-1 in its last preparation match. Fati, Gavi and Nico Williams were the scorers. They almost finished the match with a clean sheet, but Ahmed Samir scored in stoppage time. La Roja won possession with 74 percent. That’s what they do, you can expect more “tiki-taka”’ on Wednesday.
Costa Rica: Fearless
Costa Rica suffered a bit more than expected during the qualifiers. In fact, Los Ticos had to face New Zealand in an international playoff that they ended up winning 1-0 thanks to Joel Campbell, who scored only three minutes into the game. Well, Keylor Navas also helped a ton, saving pretty much every attacking effort made by the All Whites.
Taking the long route to Qatar helped Los Ticos to work on their chemistry. Also, the coaching staff had more time to find some new pieces like Alvaro Zamora and Anthony Hernandez, two very talented young players that barely played during the qualifiers. Los Ticos expect them to be the X-factor.
Bryan Ruiz could end up being another X-factor. The veteran midfielder will retire after the WC, making this a very emotional journey for the entire squad. In other words, an extra dose of motivation.
Los Ticos, who defeated Nigeria 2-0 in their most recent match, has no major injury concerns. Oscar Duarte and Kendall Waston were the scorers. Waston could be another key factor. He’s officially a center-back but can play as a center striker as well.
Spain vs Costa Rica Match Information
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- Match: Spain vs Costa Rica
- Date: Wednesday, Nov. 23
- Time: 11 a.m. ET
- Location: Al-Thumama Stadium, Al Thumama
- Spain vs Costa Rica Live stream: fubo.tv
Spain vs Costa Rica Picks & Prediction
- Worth Betting on the Moneyline?
It’s a little bit risky since Spain is offering a -650 price in the sportsbook, but I do believe La Roja will end up fulfilling its role as the favorite. They only lost one of their last 11 games in all competitions, and while they’re used to facing teams like Portugal, Costa Rica is used to facing teams like Martinique.
- Worth Betting ATS?
Not really. Spain is -2 (-125), and while I do believe La Roja is going to win, Costa Rica will put up a good fight, so don’t expect another blowout like England vs. Iran (6-2).
- Worth Betting on the Totals?
Yes, if there’s something you can expect from these two, it’s goals. Spain has 21 consecutive games scoring at least one goal. On the other hand, Costa Rica failed to score only once in its last 10 games. Plus, the risk is much lower since the game total is set at three (Over +110) and Los Ticos scoring is offering a +180 (½ over) price.
- SCORE PREDICTION: Spain 3, Costa Rica 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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