The opening weekend of the 2018 World Cup in Russia will come to a close on Sunday, with a trio of games set to go. It’s a big day for those of you interested in getting a look at the 2018 World Cup Betting World Cup favorites, as both Brazil and Germany will be playing their opening games of the tournament. What that means is that we will be getting our first look at Group E and F. Once we get through Matchday 1 in all the groups, we will begin to get a clearer idea as to who the true favorites are in this tournament, but that is something we will discuss a little later. For now, let’s get to the previews and picks for Day 4 of the World Cup, based on the latest MyBookie Sportsbook insights.
Be sure to check the current FIFA World Cup Live Lines before placing your Peru vs Denmark wagers.
2018 World Cup Betting Preview & Predictions: Day 4
Costa Rica vs. Serbia
Brazil is the obvious class of Group E, but the remaining 3 teams all have a legitimate shot at sliding into that second spot, which would mean moving on to the knockout stage. It goes without saying that this is crucial, as a win for either team here would put them in the pole position, especially with Switzerland expected to go down to Brazil. Costa Rica is in as the underdogs for this one, but I think it is worth remembering that they are just 4 years removed from a quarter-final run in Brazil at the 2014 World Cup. They could be the dark horses in this group, and I am taking them for the upset win here.Possible Line-Ups
Costa Rica- 1-K. Navas
- 8-B. Oviedo
- 6-Ó. Duarte
- 16-C. Gamboa
- 3-G. González
- 2-J. Acosta
- 5-C. Borges
- 7-C. Bolaños
- 17-Y. Tejeda
- 10-B. Ruiz
- 21-M. Ureña
- 1-V. Stojković
- 3-D. Tošić
- 6-B. Ivanović
- 11-A. Kolarov
- 15-N. Milenković
- 21-N. Matić
- 10-D. Tadić
- 17-F. Kostić
- 20-S. Milinković-Savić
- 22-A. Ljajić
- 9-A. Mitrović
Germany vs. Mexico
Sunday morning will be the first look we will get at the reigning world champions. Germany is once again among the favorites to win it all, with the expectation being that they will top what could be a very tricky group. The strength of this German team is their depth, and let’s not forget that they won the Confederations Cup last summer in Russia while playing what was essentially a B squad. They will have their hands full with a talented Mexico side, but they should prevail. The opening game for Germany in each of their last 5 World Cup’s has yielded at least 4 goals, so let’s go with the OVER 2 ½.Possible Line-Ups
Germany- 1-M. Neuer
- 17-J. Boateng
- 5-M. Hummels
- 18-J. Kimmich
- 6-S. Khedira
- 8-T. Kroos
- 3-J. Hector
- 7-J. Draxler
- 13-T. Müller
- 11-M. Reus
- 9-T. Werner
- 13-G. Ochoa
- 2-H. Ayala
- 15-H. Moreno
- 3-C. Salcedo
- 18-A. Guardado
- 16-H. Herrera
- 6-J. dos Santos
- 23-J. Gallardo
- 19-O. Peralta
- 10-G. dos Santos
- 17-J. Corona
Brazil vs. Switzerland
Brazil is always a dangerous team at any World Cup, but perhaps more so than usual this time around. They are coming to Russia as a bit of a wounded animal after their 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in their own building in the semi-finals of the last World Cup. Brazil breezed through qualifying and have looked deadly in the warm-up games prior to this tournament. Neymar is back at full health and will be leading the attack with Gabriel Jesus. The Swiss are a team that simply doesn’t score enough to truly compete, but they are solid defensively. It may take Brazil some time to break them down, but they eventually will. My pick here is Brazil –1 ½.Possible Line-Ups
Brazil- 1-Alisson
- 3-J. Miranda
- 2-T. Silva
- 12-Marcelo
- 14-Danilo
- 15-Paulinho
- 11-P. Coutinho
- 5-Casemiro
- 19-Willian
- 10-Neymar
- 9-G. Jesus
- 21-R. Bürki
- 2-S. Lichtsteiner
- 13-R. Rodríguez
- 22-F. Schär
- 5-M. Akanji
- 11-V. Behrami
- 23-X. Shaqiri
- 10-G. Xhaka
- 8-R. Freuler
- 18-M. Gavranović
- 7-B. Embolo
