2022 FIFA World Cup Betting Guide: Odds, Promotions, Predictions and Expert Analysis

It’s the biggest sporting event on the planet, sorry, Super Bowl, you don’t stand a chance, and it swings around all too rarely. 2022 sees the FIFA World Cup roadshow travel to Qatar for what promises to be a World Cup like no other.

Fifa World Cup bets & updates

Table of Contents

At Profit Squad, we endeavour to find you the best deals around as well as review the best betting offers that are in abundance up to and during the World Cup finals. Our expert team has decades of sports betting experience and is ready to pass on the fruits of our collective knowledge.

We are also well connected with the biggest brands and the up-and-coming providers that are making an impact in the sports betting market; this means we have access to exclusive deals and offers that will greatly improve your overall betting experience. 

The World Cup is an event like no other, and as such, a sports betting enthusiast, or a pro, needs to make great use of all the insider information and assistance they can muster, and that’s where we come in. 

Qatar Calling

Ever since Qatar was selected to host the tournament, and they won the vote to do so all the way back in December 2010, there have been conflicting emotions in the football world as a whole.

Some have railed against the awarding of the tournament to a nation with little or no footballing history, and many were angered by the fact that the usual summer window for the tournament was eventually moved to early winter (on account of the searing heat in the region).

On the whole, the footballing world has been more open to the venue, and millions will flock to the country on the Arabian peninsula.

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World Cup History

Since its inception, in 1930, the football World Cup has grown from strength to strength and now has a worldwide audience that far exceeds any other sporting event and is only getting bigger and better.

The original World Cup saw teams fight it out for the Jules Rimet trophy, which was then awarded to Brazil when they clinched a third success in 1970. Since then the nations competing have been fighting it out for the FIFA World Cup trophy.

Up until 2010, it could be argued that the winner’s list was something of a closed shop with the likes of Germany (or as West Germany previously), Brazil, Italy and Argentina having been the sole winners between 1954 to 2010 (with England and France being relative anomalies in 1966 and 1998 respectively).

However, Spain deservedly won their first World Cup in 2010 and in 2018 France won for a second time and as 2022 appears on the horizon there are arguably far more teams capable of winning the tournament than in most previous editions.

Moves to expand in other markets is part of the reason that the 2022 edition is taking place in Qatar and the overall interest in the World Cup as a whole continues to grow.

World Cup Hosts/Finalists/Result

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  • Uruguay 1930: Uruguay – Argentina 4-2
  • Italy 1934: Italy – Czechoslovakia 2-1 (ET)
  • France 1938: Italy – Hungary 4-2
  • Brazil 1950: Uruguay – Brazil 2-1
  • Switzerland 1954: West Germany – Hungary 3-2
  • Sweden 1958: Brazil – Sweden 5-2
  • Chile 1962: Brazil – Czechoslovakia 3-1
  • England 1966: England – West Germany 4-2 (ET)
  • Mexico 1970: Brazil – Italy 4-1​
  • West Germany 1974: West Germany – Netherlands 2-1
  • Argentina 1978: Argentina – Netherlands 3-1 (ET)
  • Spain 1982: Italy – West Germany 3-1
  • Mexico 1986: Argentina – West Germany 3-2
  • Italy 1990: West Germany – Argentina 1-0
  • USA 1994: Brazil – Italy 0-0 (3-2 Penalties)
  • France 1998: France – Brazil 3-0
  • Japan 2002: Brazil – Germany 2-0
  • Germany 2006: Italy – France 1-1 (5-3 Penalties)
  • South Africa 2010: Spain – Netherlands 1-0 (ET)
  • Brazil 2014: Germany – Argentina 1-0 (ET)
  • Russia 2018: France – Croatia 4-1

2022 FIFA World Cup

32 teams will do battle in Qatar, here is how the groups line up.

Group A – Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands
Group B – England, Iran, United States, Wales
Group C – Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland
Group D – France, TBD, Denmark, Tunisia
Group E – Spain, TBD, Germany, Japan
Group F – Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia
Group G – Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Group H – Portugal, Ghana, South Korea, Uruguay

Every group holds a good level of mystery and possibilities, but it would be fair to deem Group E and H as the ‘Groups of Death’.

The fact that powerhouses like Spain and Germany would fight it out in the group stages is evidence of a wider pack of potential winners of the tournament and arguably any team from Portugal, Ghana, South Korea, and Uruguay could come out on top in the final of the groups in the stage.

Key World Cup 2022 Dates

  • World Cup Opening Ceremony & opening group game – 21 November 2022
  • Round of 16– 3 December 2022
  • Quarter-finals – 9 December 2022
  • Semi-finals – 13 December 2022
  • Third place – 17 December 2022
  • Final – 18 December 2022

2022 World Cup Betting

To say that the betting market during the World Cup is a busy one would be the biggest understatement ever made. In 2018 an estimated £123 billion was wagered on the World Cup. That is billions with a B.

The World Cup is such a big deal that even those who don’t have a big interest in sports betting fancy a flutter and that also extends to those who may not be all that knowledgeable about the game. This is because individuals will tend to back their nation to do well in World Cup games as a sign of their loyalty, regardless of just how likely the bet is to be a winning one.

That said, most of those who bet on the World Cup do so because they know the market and are enthusiastic sports bettors. Here are some tips that we feel may aid you in your personal endeavours to secure a successful World Cup betting strategy this year.

Key World Cup 2022 Dates

When betting on the World Cup you should perhaps plan some form of overall strategy where you plan out how you might use any stake you are willing to bet. For instance, if you are looking to back your nation through the tournament perhaps start with a long-term bet on their fortunes (such as how far they may go) and then couple this with individual bets on the matches they are set to play.

Bet With Your Head, Not Your Heart

A successful sports bettor is someone who doesn’t let their heart rule their head. This is applicable when backing your club just because they are your favourite team as it would be when placing money on your country to do well, regardless of whether they are any good.

While it’s good to show loyalty to your country, this shouldn’t be a blind opportunity to squander cash. If your country isn’t the best around, then maybe start with more reasonable bets like backing them to sneak through their group.

Don’t Chase Longshots, Unless You Are Prepared to Lose

The World Cup is so big that even those with no real knowledge or genuine interest in football will tend to place a bet or two. These bettors may well deliberately chase the odds and hope to secure a massive payout.

However, here’s one important salient point to remember. A longshot is a longshot because it’s very unlikely to come to fruition. If you are prepared, and financially able, to lose the stake you are going to place, then it’s fine but remember you are taking a risk.

The good thing about long-shots and miracle bets is that you don’t have to place a large sum in order to secure a significant sum. So with that in mind, it’s best to place small amounts on the bets that are truly unrealistic.

Make the Less Interesting Games, More Exciting

If you are a football nut and a real enthusiast then it’s likely you plan on sitting down to watch each and every game at the World Cup. One way of making the less glamorous games more interesting, we are talking about games like Canada vs Morocco or perhaps Qatar vs Ecuador, is to place a bet on them.

Again it doesn’t have to mean a massive bet but something that could make the game a little bit more meaningful and might end up with you winning some cash.

Types of World Cup Bets

Typical bets during the world cup can include the following

  • Outright Bets
  • Specials
  • Match Bets
  • Accumulators
  • Third place – 17 December 2022
  • In-Play Live Betting

Outright Bets

These may be in the form of bets that cover the entire tournament. For instance, you might back Spain to win the entire competition some weeks before the World Cup gets underway, thinking that doing so might be more financially prudent than placing the same bet once the group games have started.

Specials

Lots of the best bookmakers come up with interesting specials that make games and the tournament as a whole even more fun. These could be relatively straightforward such as whether a South American nation would win the World Cup.

They could be far more bizarre and unusual, for instance, you might bet on whether Cristiano Ronaldo will cry on the pitch at some point in the tournament. In the US, these are typically called prop bets, but they tend to be called specials in the UK.

Match Bets

The most common form of betting during the World Cup will be on the matches themselves and will simply be bets on the outcome of the games. These could come in the form of selecting a win, lose or draw but might be spiced up with correct score predictions or even a wager on the first goal-scorer.

Accumulators

This form of betting, especially during an unpredictable tournament like the World Cup, should be reserved for the more experienced sports bettors out there. Here you are literally combining a series of bets in the hope of securing a massive payout. There are a few ways of putting these accumulators together.

One might be a more well-thought-out series of bets that you feel might come off or secondly you may be selecting a number of bets solely in the hope of making a small fortune. Either way, tread carefully here.

Live In-Play Betting

This form of betting is fast becoming the most popular type around. Due to the fact that a lot of us make our wagers via our smartphones and other mobile devices, we are now able to make bets in real-time.

Live ‘in-play’ betting is exciting and offers you the chance to place bets as the action is going on. For instance, there may be just a few minutes left to play and you feel your team is going to pull off a late winner, so you want to bet immediately before it’s too late. Look for operators that offer the best in-play live interface and here you are looking for a service that is speedy and not glitchy.

The last thing you want is to click ‘bet’ only to then see your screen loading for an age and the bet not getting placed in time.

World Cup 2022 Best Bookmakers

Best online football bookmakers

World Cup Best Bets

We here at Profit Squad consider ourselves to be relatively successful sports bettors and as well as offering you the fruits of our wisdom in relation to the best bookmakers and where to place your bets (as well as bringing you exclusive offers, promotions and offers), we’d like to give you a few tips that we believe are worth chasing up and backing.

Here are a handful of FIFA World Cup betting tips worth backing.

number 1 casino point

Bet on England to win the World Cup

Maybe football really is coming home? England has progressed well under Gareth Southgate and they are genuine challengers for the World Cup and therefore a bet on the Three Lions is no longer just a pipe dream.

number 2 casino point

Back Memphis Depay to win the Golden Boot

The former Man United man is a goal-machine when it comes to playing for his country and he’s been successful since moving to Barcelona. If you are going to make an outside bet for the Golden Boot, then this is one worth considering.

number 3 casino point

Wales Will Make it Out of Group B

Gareth Bale and co. have helped Wales to their first World Cup finals since 1958 and we predict them to make it through the group stage, and possibly further, so this is a bet worth chasing and not only if you happen to be Welsh.

number 4 casino point

Qatar to Fail to Secure a Single Point

In terms of nations to have hosted the World Cup, Qatar is by some distance the worst from a playing perspective. Even though they don’t face a hugely difficult group we don’t see them collecting a single point.

World Cup 2022 Odds

Below you’ll find the current odds for the biggest outright markets at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

World Cup Winner

World Cup Winner Odds

Odds Show As:
Decimal
Fractional
Team Name
Brazil
Team Name grosvenorboyle sports Prob %
Brazil
0.5
2.8
/
column 1 image

Brazil

5/1

column 1 image

France

6/1

column 1 image

England

13/2

column 1 image

Spain

8/1

column 1 image

Argentina

9/1

column 1 image

Germany

10/1

column 1 image

Belgium

12/1

column 1 image

Portugal

14/1

column 1 image

Netherlands

16/1

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Denmark

30/1

World Cup Golden Boot Winner

Harry Kane

6/1

Kylian Mbappe

8/1

Romelu Lukaku

14/1

Cristiano Ronaldo

14/1

Karim Benzema

14/1

Lionel Messi

14/1

Neymar

20/1

Memphis Depay

25/1

Lautaro Martinez

33/1

Antoine Griezmann

33/1

Diogo Jota

33/1

World Cup Golden Boot Winner

Harry Kane

6/1

Kylian Mbappe

8/1

Romelu Lukaku

14/1

Cristiano Ronaldo

14/1

Karim Benzema

14/1

Lionel Messi

14/1

Neymar

20/1

Memphis Depay

25/1

Lautaro Martinez

33/1

Antoine Griezmann

33/1

Diogo Jota

33/1

World Cup Promotions

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2022 FIFA WORLD CUP GUIDE

World Cup Team by Team Guide

We here at Profit Squad consider ourselves to be relatively successful sports bettors and as well as offering you the fruits of our wisdom in relation to the best bookmakers and where to place your bets (as well as bringing you exclusive offers, promotions and offers), we’d like to give you a few tips that we believe are worth chasing up and backing.

Here are a handful of FIFA World Cup betting tips worth backing.

Brazil national football team flag

Brazil (Display current odds and back-link to brand)

Fresh off an outstanding qualification campaign where head coach Tite’s side won 14 of their 17 games to top the South American group, Brazil is considered one of the favourites to secure a first World Cup title since 2022.

Tite has a squad mixed with experience and youth and with Neymar on board to offer that additional match-winning capability there is every chance that the Seleção could pick up their sixth World Cup success in Qatar.

France

The reigning World Cup holders have the nucleus of the same squad that triumphed in Russia and came through their qualification without losing a game and conceded just three goals in eight games.

Expect Kylian Mbappe to play a big part but veteran forwards Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud will also be on hand to provide cutting edge up front and at the back, they have the security of keeper captain Hugo Lloris to depend upon.

England

The perennial under-achievers are certainly moving in the right direction when it comes to finally bringing an end to their World Cup drought. It’s now 56 years since their sole success, that coming in 1966 when they hosted the tournament, but under Gareth Southgate, they’ve excelled.

Harry Kane can always be relied upon to get the Three Lions goals and the host of young talents, including Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka, to name just three, will provide the additional burst of energy that could see England go one step further than their semi-final finish in Russia.

Spain

It’s been something of a period of transition for the Spanish in recent tournaments. Arguably the country’s football team saw a host of their best players end their careers at the same sort of time and a new generation of talents is now starting to emerge from their shadows.

One such talent is teenager Pedri, who is already a regular member of Luis Enrique’s squad and veterans like Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets still have a lot to offer a Spanish side that is sure to get far into the tournament.

Argentina

This might be Lionel Messi’s last chance to secure the big one and Argentina looked good in qualifying, failing to lose a single game, and there is plenty of exciting talent within the pool of players available to Lionel Scaloni for Qatar.

Lautaro Martinez is one player who could make a real impact and going forward Argentina could cause defences a real problem. At the back they are as safe as houses, conceding just five goals in their last 29 matches, with Nicolas Otamendi still a key part of the starting XI.

Germany

Though they were not seeded in the World Cup draw it’s worth noting the manner in which Hansi Flick’s side made it to Qatar. Germany won nine of their ten qualification matches, netting 36 goals in the process (only England managed more).

The blend of players in Flick’s squad is in many ways ideal for a big tournament. They have experienced world-class stars like Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Mats Hummels as well as younger talents like Jamal Musiala. Germany hardly ever disappoints at major finals and don’t expect that to change in Qatar.

Portugal

Arguably Portugal has overly relied upon Cristiano Ronaldo for years but their current crop of players means that the Man United veteran isn’t shouldering the entire burden for his country.

Premier League talents Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Jota are both capable of being match-winners and expect AC Milan youngster Rafael Leao, fresh from helping the San Siro side to their first Serie A title in over a decade, to arrive on the World Cup scene with a bang.

Netherlands

The Netherlands have a rich history when it comes to the World Cup, having finished as runners-up on three occasions, but they have had a few issues in recent times. Often their set-up has imploded and they have even failed to qualify at all (as in 2018), but things are looking better for the Oranje.

Memphis Depay is their impact player and under Louis van Gaal the Dutch made light work of a tricky qualification group that also included Turkey and Norway. Frenkie de Jong is another player who could really impress in Qatar.

Brazil national football team flag

Belgium

Under Roberto Martinez, Belgium has become a force to be reckoned with. The Spanish coach has a squad full of top talents who are plying their respective trades in the biggest leagues with the best clubs and they have excellent strength in depth.

In 2018 they fell at the semi-final stage, to eventual winners France, and it’s quite plausible that Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and co. can get that far again, if not further.

Denmark

As far as the current World Cup 2022 betting odds are concerned Denmark is among the ten most fancied teams. This may seem like something of a stretch but in terms of Dark Horses that might be worth backing, especially if you are a fan of longshots, the Danes might be a viable option.

Consider how they performed in last year’s delayed 2020 European Championships. They overcame the horror of almost losing Christian Eriksen, who almost died on the pitch, and managed to go on a strong run all the way to the semi-finals. They qualified for the World Cup with nine wins from ten and there’s every chance Eriksen will be part of Kasper Hjulmand’s squad.

World Cup 2022 Squads

TBD

World Cup 2022 Players to Watch

The Golden Ball is given to the player of the tournament and is the pinnacle when it comes to awards given in football. There are sure to be many players vying for the award and unlike the Golden Boot, which is reserved purely for the player who scores the most goals, the Golden Ball is given to whichever player makes the biggest impact as a whole. In 2018 the award went to Luka Modric who played a key role in getting Croatia all the way to the final, where they ultimately lost to France.

This year’s World Cup is sure to include many superlative laden displays and here are a number of players who are sure to be the ones to watch in Qatar.

Lionel Messi (Argentina and PSG)

The 34-year-old is set for his fifth World Cup and arguably he is yet to get close to his mercurial best. Yes, he did play a central key role in helping Argentina to the 2014 final, where they lost to Germany, but on the whole, he’s been found wanting.

This is in part due to the fact that Argentina has in the past overly relied upon the PSG man but there is a more rounded feel to Lionel Scaloni’s side this time around and that could benefit the former Barcelona man.

Pedri (Spain and Barcelona)

This 19-year-old has a scary level of potential and may well come of age at the 2022 World Cup finals. There is a lot of expectation on the teenager’s shoulders but, on the whole, he has delivered thus far.

He already has a dozen national team caps and he already has over 70 Barcelona appearances under his belt. New Nou Camp boss Xavi is doing a great job of easing him into things and he is sure to be one of the players to watch in Qatar.

Kylian Mbappe (France and PSG)

There was much speculation as to what the future might hold for the 23-year-old forward but now that Mbappe has committed his future to PSG he’ll be free to truly express himself at the World Cup.

Mbappe helped France to win the World Cup back in 2018 and has continued to mature into one of the deadliest strikers in world football. He’s already achieved so much in such a short period of time and there is a lot more to come.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal and Manchester United)

On the face of it, you could argue that the perception is that the veteran forward had a bad season on his return to Manchester United, however, the facts don’t really back that up. The 37-year-old Portuguese legend scored 18 Premier League goals (only two players managed more) and a total of 24 across all competitions.

Those are the kind of numbers any other player would be happy with but perhaps not Ronaldo. Much like Messi, the 2022 FIFA World Cup offers the former Real Madrid man perhaps a final chance to deliver the goods on the biggest stage.

Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands and Liverpool)

Perhaps the best centre back in world football, Virgil van Dijk will get the chance to make his World Cup finals debut and has been a key member of Louis van Gaal’s set-up. The Netherlands has experienced something of a resurgence over the past 18 months and a lot of that is down to the Liverpool man.

There are few more talented defensive minds in the game and his cool and calm demeanour may come in handy during the more closely-fought encounters the Dutch are likely to experience in Qatar.

Vinicius Junior (Brazil and Real Madrid)

While all eyes will, quite rightly, be on Neymar when it comes to Brazil’s progress in Qatar, the young Real Madrid man will certainly be ready to make a big impact on the world stage after his standout campaign at the Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old made over 50 appearances this past season, helping Carlo Ancelotti’s side to a La Liga and Champions League double and scoring 22 goals in the process. Vinicius Junior is very capable of making a real impact at the finals.

Kevin de Bruyne (Belgium and Manchester City)

Chelsea must still be cursing their decision to allow the Belgian to leave back in 2014, such was the monumental rise of the Man City playmaker, and having put in a series of superb displays at the 2018 World Cup you can fully expect the free-flowing goal-scoring midfielder to do similarly well in Qatar.

The 30-year-old has added a killer touch in front of goal over the past season, netting a career-high 19 goals in all competitions for the Premier League winners in 2021/22.

Sadio Mane (Senegal and Liverpool)

The Senegalese forward’s Anfield future remains uncertain and there is every chance that by the time the Qatar World Cup hones into view he may already be at Bayern Munich where he’s been viewed as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

Sadio Mane is arguably one of the most consistent performers in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool set-up and is a decent bet to pick up the Ballon d’Or after an exemplary season for club and country. Expect the 30-year-old to be a real headache for defences at this World Cup.

Thibaut Courtois (Belgium and Real Madrid)

For some reason, the Belgian keeper doesn’t get as much praise as he is undoubtedly due, but that may have come to an end following his astonishing display against Liverpool in the Champions League final.

The former Chelsea man is one of the best in the business and offers a real barrier behind the Belgium back-line and you can back Courtois to secure a clean sheet or two in Qatar.

Jude Bellingham (England and Borussia Dortmund)

It’s refreshing to see a number of England’s top talents plying their trade across Europe and in Jude Bellingham, the Three Lions have one of the most exciting prospects in the game today.

The midfielder is still shy of his 19th birthday but is already a mainstay of the Dortmund set-up and has made 90 appearances in two seasons in Germany. Gareth Southgate has shown a lot of faith in the teenager and he is likely to be a starter as England looks to go one better than their 2018 semi-final finish.

How Does the World Cup Work?

After an exhaustive qualifying campaign, which saw 211 nations battle it out, the number of teams that will take part in the finals will number 32. These originate from the different competing regions within FIFA.

The 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four, all of whom were seeded ahead of the draw, and in order to make it into the knockout stages of the tournament, a nation must finish in the top two places.

The knockout stages are precisely that, knock-out matches that will go into extra time before ending in penalties if that’s what is required to split the teams.

The final of the tournament takes place on the 18th of December at the majestic Lusail Stadium.

FIFA World Cup 2022 FAQs

The 2022 World Cup starts on the 21st of November. While previous World Cups have started with a single game taking place on the opening day of the tournament, on this occasion, there are four games on day one, a real football feast.

This upcoming World Cup takes place in Qatar.

Indeed you can. The great majority of the betting at this year’s World Cup will come online and it’s often where you can get access to the best odds and exciting betting opportunities that may not be available in physical bookmakers.

There are dozens of reputable sports betting options when it comes to betting on the World Cup online.

There are many ways to bet on the 2022 World Cup, some of which have been covered in our earlier World Cup Betting section above, and betting online offers you a larger variety of betting types and offers (as well as exclusive promotions and bets that may only be available online).