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2022 World Cup Group C Futures

Argentina Clear Favorite to Advance to Knockout Round

In advance of the big kickoff in Qatar later this year, Group C for the World Cup really is a mix between world-class players and heavy underdogs. You can live-bet on the entire 2022 World Cup action by using our sportsbook.

The Favorites: Argentina

Last summer, Argentina ended a 28-year wait for a major trophy as they won Copa America, beating rivals Brazil in the final. It was celebrated as the first international trophy for Lionel Messi. They were runner-up at the World Cup in 2014, but got knocked out in the round of 16 in Russia four years later, beaten by eventual winners France in a thrilling encounter.

2022 World Cup Group C Futures
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Lionel Scaloni’s side currently finds itself just inside the top-five favorites — between Spain and Germany — to win the tournament, having moved to shorter odds after the draw, being priced at +900 with the latest soccer odds. And it’s not a bad place for them to be — not considered massive outsiders but not having too much pressure on them to succeed.

Argentina are unbeaten in the qualifiers, but they were unable to win the group as a result of too many draws, dropping points in six matches. They were drawn in Group C alongside Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland, and will certainly fancy their chances of topping the group. Their first game will be against Saudi Arabia before matches with Mexico and finally Poland.

Scaloni’s side might lack the star quality of some previous Argentina squads, but they look much better balanced. Messi is their main weapon but they don’t rely on him as much as we’ve seen in the past, which is a great thing. One man does not make the team. There are, of course, 10 other players who will need to share Messi’s burden and rise to the challenge. Messi’s season at Paris Saint-Germain has been branded as poor. However, if he has not quite found his stride domestically, it is not the case at the international level.

There is plenty of additional talent on Scaolini’s side, with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo De Paul, Paulo Dybala, Inter Milan’s Joaquin Correa and Villarreal’s Giovani Lo Celso ready to write history for their country. They are priced at -250 to win their group.

The Runners-up: Poland or Mexico

Poland and Mexico will both fancy their chances of progression and are both likely to put up a stiff challenge. Poland have never won a knockout tie at a major tournament without going to penalties. Superstar striker Robert Lewandowski won the battle against Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic to earn Poland a spot in the finals via the playoff route following a 2-0 victory.

Poland’s squad is fully packed with experienced players who are playing for the top European teams. From Aston Villa’s Matty Cash, Juventus’ Wojciech Szczesny to Napoli’s duo of Piotr Zielinski and Arkadiusz Milik to AS Roma’s Nicola Zalewski and Fiorentina’s Krzysztof Piatek, Poland is a tough team to play against. We like them to score in each game so if you’re betting online, make sure you follow the winning picks. Poland are priced at +450 to win the group.

Having qualified for seven World Cups in a row, Mexico is a familiar face at the tournament. Mexico found qualification something of a slog with only two points picked up from the four games against the United State and Canada. There’s a ton of pressure on coach Gerardo Martino as the experts predict them to be eliminated early in the tournament. Gerardo Martino managed both Argentina and Barcelona. He should know plenty about his home country and its sporting icon Messi.

They are third favorites to win their group at +500. They have a well-established formula that sees them qualify and progress in the knockout stages before exiting at the next phase, so if the history repeats, +500 is an amazing price. El Tri have a decent squad at their disposal and will rely on some great individuals such as Wolves striker Raul Jimenez and Atletico Madrid’s Hector Herrera, Napoli’s Hirving Lozano and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez.

The Outsiders: Saudi Arabia

The Saudis won their Asian qualifying group, beating out Australia and Japan, but they were disappointing at the Asian Cup and look two classes below their Group C opponents. They shouldn’t be underestimated, but they should be one of the teams to fade and bet against them in our soccer picks and parlays.

They are possibly the best team in Asia, they are very organized and experienced and they always have a defensive approach when playing against the big guns. They conceded a single goal in their 10 third-phase group games. They are the only team at the World Cup in which every player is performing in the domestic league. Herve Renard is the only coach ever to win the Africa Cup of Nations with two different countries. Saudi Arabia are priced at +2000 to win the group.

Pick: Argentina to win Group C -250 

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