Group A features Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador, and Qatar. It'll be interesting to see how Netherlands performs after missing the previous World Cup. Senegal looks formidable after their performance leading up to this tournament.
South American teams are always tough, so we could see Ecuador make some noise. The biggest wild card here is how Qatar plays as the host nation. Can they find some magic in their first time on the big stage?
While this isn't the famed "Group of Death," it's always intriguing to watch the host team face off in the World Cup. In this article, we'll provide a rundown on Group A odds.
Head to The Game Day for the latest sports betting odds.
Betting odds are current as of July 26, 2022 from BetMGM Sportsbook.
World Cup Group A Winner Odds
Netherlands (-200)
Senegal (+350)
Ecuador (+600)
Qatar (+1100)
Netherlands is heavily favored as the European giant in this group. The Oranje won their UEFA group in qualifying, grabbing 23 of 30 points with a +25 goal differential.
Senegal cruised through their CAF qualifying group, winning five of six matches. They also won the African Cup of Nations, defeating Egypt on penalties.
Ecuador locked in a spot at the 2022 World Cup with a fourth-place finish in their CONMEBOL group, narrowly edging Peru by two points. Qatar received an automatic bid as the host nation.
World Cup Group A Preview
Netherlands (-200)
Netherlands is flush with talent throughout their roster, including defender Matthijs de Ligt, midfielder Frenkie de Jong, and attacker Memphis Depay.
They are the heavy favorites in this group and will look to turn in a strong tournament in their first World Cup since Brazil 2014. The Dutch have the eighth-best odds to win it all at (+1200).
It would be a surprise if they aren’t able to win Group A, especially given their success in qualifying. This is a team that looks poised for a strong run.
Senegal (+350)
Senegal is projected to be the toughest African side at the World Cup, which is no surprise after easily winning their group in qualifying and capturing the African Cup of Nations.
Former Liverpool star and recent Bayern Munich transfer Sadio Mane highlights a team that is best equipped to challenge Netherlands in Group A. The two teams go at it in an opening match that will be pivotal in deciding the top seed.
If the team known as "The Lions of Teranga" are able to get a positive result against Netherlands in that first game, we could see them challenge for this group.
Ecuador (+600)
It is always tough to qualify from CONMEBOL since there are only four guaranteed spots with a fifth getting a chance through a play-in game, so Ecuador should be praised for this achievement.
The team was a bit underwhelming in Copa America 2021, however, going winless in a group that featured Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Their most notable player is Villareal star left back Pervis Estupiñán, who can anchor the defense and help on the attack.
The squad they call “La Tri” opens their tournament against host nation Qatar. This is an opportunity for them to take an early lead in the group while the two favorites, Netherlands and Senegal, face off in their opener.
Qatar (+1100)
Host nation Qatar will look to shock the world by advancing out of the group stage in their first World Cup. Since they automatically qualified for this tournament as hosts, we can look at their friendlies to get a better sense of their chances.
At the time of this article, they have gone unbeaten in their last three fixtures. This includes draws against Egypt and Slovenia along with a 2-1 victory over Bulgaria. It's good to see the hosts coming in with strong form.
It's also helpful that they won't have to take on Netherlands or Senegal in the first fixture. Getting three points against Ecuador would go a long way towards a surprise qualification for the next round.
World Cup Group A Winner Best Bet
Senegal (+350)
It's never a good idea to lay (-200) juice, especially on a futures prop, so we're going to avoid Netherlands here. Instead, we'll take the (+350) value on Senegal, who have a strong team in their own right.
When you look at this roster, you see high-level talent like Bayern Munich winger Sadio Mane, Chelsea defender Kalidou Koulibaly, and Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Idrissa Gueye. There's star power here, putting them firmly in play to win this group.
The key for Senegal is to get at least a draw in their first match against Netherlands before racking up wins and improving their goal differential against Ecuador and Qatar. We've seen Netherlands disappoint in tournaments before, so this is in the realm of possibility. Senegal is a live dog here.
Click to bet on this prop at BetMGM. Get up to $1,000 Risk-Free when you create a new player account or use promo code GOAL1000.
World Cup Group A Props
Qatar to Qualify (+525)
WAGER: 1 Unit
We'll stick with the theme of finding value by going with Qatar to qualify from this group. It's not a good idea to lay heavy juice on the Netherlands (-1000). We also don't want to take Senegal (-133) because we already have them to win the group.
We've seen host nations shock the world before. In 2002, for example, Korea advanced out of their group, knocking out European giants Italy and Spain in the next two rounds. It's worth a sprinkle to take Qatar at this value.
