OddsharkEngland get their World Cup campaign up and running this coming Monday (18 June) in the city of Volgograd. Unbeaten in their last 10 games and winning seven of those outings, Gareth Southgate and the Three Lions will be confident of picking up all three points in their curtain raiser in Russia.
First things first
Before we go any further, swing by the Oddsshark website, choose your preferred betting agency and sort your username and password for your account. As a brand new customer and plenty of World Cup group games to come, there should be a whole host of offers on the table.
Where can I win money?
England may not be able to boast the same sort of star names they have in recent competitions, but they still have a strong side. Southgate has created s side with a strong defence and their technical class in the final third makes them the clear favourites to make a winning start.
Considering the most straightforward bet you can make – the outcome of a game – backing England would appear the smart thing to do. The Three Lions are at a short 1.44 to take all three points, whereas Tunisia are at 9.00 to do the same, on the Oddsshark site.
The Tunisians are furthered hampered by the absence of creative star Youssef Msakini, meaning their offensive ambitions have already been dented severely before a ball has even been kicked. With that in mind, Tunisia may well look to sit back and play for a draw, with a stalemate in this game priced at 4.50.
There is no denying who England’s star man will be, however. Tottenham’s Harry Kane is the favourite to get on the score sheet, with the striker at just 1.83 to net during the game, and 3.60 to score either first or last, alongside teammate Jamie Vardy.
Besides England and Tunisia, Group G also includes Belgium and Panama, and the European teams are likely to fancy their chances of clearing the first hurdle. England are priced short at 1.12 to qualify from the group, although they are at 2.37 to top it, behind Belgium who are at 1.72.
England have a young and exciting squad with the potential to cause more than a few surprises. Southgate’s men can be found at 3.20 to be eliminated at both the round of 16 and quarter-final stage, the latter looking like the par for this team, meaning you could more than triple your initial investment on a probable outcome.
Tunisia, for their part, looked strong during the World Cup qualifying process, getting the better of Congo DR, Libya and Guinea to reach the tournament, but now they will come up against a different calibre of opposition altogether. Trying to predict the actual result of a game is always a tricky business, but a smash and grab from Tunisia managing a 1-0 win is priced enticingly at 15.00.
However, there is no denying the fact that England are the more likely victors. These two teams have history when it comes to the World Cup, having played in the group stages at the 1998 edition of the tournament in France.
England prevailed 2-0 on that occasion, and an identical outcome 20 years later is priced at just 5.50. Given the fact that Tunisia have never beaten England, that leaves the odds firmly in the favour of the European side.
Tunisia did however hold European champions Portugal to a 2-2 draw to show that they are not exactly pushovers. A score draw in this one is priced at 6.50, and if you think the game could end goalless then you can back that outcome at the raised price of 8.50.
But when they played Spain Tunisia looked far more toothless, and it is tough seeing them causing England too many problems shorn of their greatest creative outlet. You can also bet on the half-time result as well as at the final whistle, and you can back England to be leading at both the interval and the conclusion of the game at just 2.10, giving you more than a double return on your initial investment.
You can also back England to win to nil – without Tunisia scoring – at 2.00, and to score in both halves at 2.50. Given the superiority England enjoy over their first World Cup opponents, both options look like avenues well worth exploring for a chance to double your money.
Odds: Tunisia (9.00), (England (1.44), draw (4.50)
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP FIRST ROUND GROUP GAMES
Thursday, 14 June
4.00pm – (1.45) Russia 5 x 0 Saudi Arabia (9.12)
Draw (4.39)
Friday, 15 June
1.00pm – (7.50) Egypt 0 x 1 Uruguay (1.57)
Draw (3.90)
4.00pm – (2.25) Morocco 0 x 1 Iran (3.90)
Draw (3.10)
7.00pm – (4.20) Portugal 3 x 3 Spain (2.05)
Draw (3.30)
Saturday, 16 June
11.00am – (1.25) France 2 x 1 Australia (12.00)
Draw (7.00)
2.00pm – (1.33) Argentina 1 x 1 Iceland (12.00)
Draw (5.25)
5.00pm – (3.30) Peru 0 x 1 Denmark (2.40)
Draw (3.25)
8.00pm – (1.72) Croatia x Nigeria (5.75)
Draw (3.70)
Sunday, 17 June
1.00pm – (5.00) Costa Rica x Serbia (1.90)
Draw (3.30)
4.00pm – (1.50) Germany x Mexico (7.50)
Draw (4.50)
7.00pm – (1.40) Brazil (1.40) x Switzerland (9.50)
Draw (4.80)
Monday, 18 June
1.00pm – (2.05) Sweden x South Korea (4.33)
Draw (3.25)
4.00pm – (1.18) Belgium x Panama (21.00)
Draw (7.50)
7.00pm – (9.00) Tunisia x England (1.44)
Draw (4.50)
Tuesday, 19 June
1.00pm – (1.72) Colombia x Japan (6.00)
Draw (3.60)
4.00pm – (2.40) Poland x Senegal (3.30)
Draw (3.25)
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