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Costa Rica vs. Serbia Game Info & 2018 World Cup Betting Pick.

Costa Rica vs. Serbia Game Info & 2018 World Cup Betting Pick

Written by on June 14, 2018

Soccer Betting News
2018 World Cup betting action began last Thursday, but now it’s time to focus on Day 4. Get the full preview by MyBookie for Group E before it begins. It is tempting to play every single game at the World Cup but doing so can make it tough to make money over the long haul. There are going to be surprises along the way that will kill many a betting slip, so I think it’s a better idea to look for value and play that way. That often means ignoring the games that feature the favorites, unless of course you are convinced that one of the smaller teams is going to spring the upset at the World Cup Odds. Group E is almost certainly going the way of Brazil, as I don’t see any of the other 3 teams in there able to touch them. With the battle here likely to be for second place, the games that don’t feature Brazil become all the more important. Costa Rica and Serbia can give themselves a real leg-up with a win in their opener, as it will put the pressure very heavily on the rest of the chasing pack. According to MyBookie Sportsbook, a win here is pretty much essential if they want to advance, which is why I think we might be in for a good game here, with both teams going for it.

Game Info & 2018 World Cup Betting Pick: Costa  Rica vs. Serbia

  • When: Sunday, June 17, 8 AM EST
  • Where: Samara Arena, Samara
  • TV: FOX
  • Radio: TuneIn
  • 2018 World Cup Betting Odds: Serbia -112 / Costa Rica +361 / Total 2 goals

Why bet on Costa Rica?

  • Confederation: CONCACAF
  • Head coach: Óscar Ramírez
  • Captain: Bryan Ruiz
  • FIFA Ranking: 23
I am somewhat surprised to see Costa Rica in as the big underdogs in this group, as they still have the core group of players that made it all the way to the quarter-finals in Brazil 4 years ago. It was by no means a lucky run either, as they needed to get past the likes of Uruguay and Italy before finally losing to Holland in a penalty shootout. Every team needs a potential game-winner in the line-up, and Costa Rica has that in their world-class goalkeeper, Keylor Navas. He has the ability to steal points with a big save at a crucial moment in the game. The biggest question mark for this team is the health of Marco Urena, who underwent facial surgery early last month. He had been playing well for LAFC in the MLS prior to that injury, so his inclusion here would be a bonus.

Possible Line-Up

  • 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

Why bet on Serbia?

  • Confederation: UEFA
  • Head coach: Mladen Krstajić
  • Captain: Aleksandar Kolarov
  • FIFA Ranking: 34
Life as a coach in soccer is not that easy, as winning essentially guarantees nothing. Coach Slavoljub Muslin did a fine job in leading Serbia to the World Cup, but he was fired shortly after clinching a spot. The concern with him was that he was a little too attack-minded, which often led to the Serbian defense resembling Swiss cheese. Aleksandar Mitrovic and Serbia comes in as the 2018 World Cup Betting favorites against Costa Rica. Their new manager, Mladen Krstajic, played most of his career in Germany in the center of defense. His job will be to have the defense more organized and tougher to break down. This does not necessarily mean that the Serbians will bunker down, as they have a legitimate attacking threat in Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Possible Line-Up

  • 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

Team’s Recent Games

Costa Rica

  • Belgium 4 – Costa Rica 1
  • England 2 – Costa Rica 0
  • Costa Rica 3 – Northern Ireland
  • Tunisia 1 – Costa Rica 0
  • Hungary 1 – Costa Rica 0

Serbia

  • Serbia 5 – Bolivia 1
  • Serbia 0 – Chile 1
  • Nigeria 0 – Serbia 2
  • Serbia 1 – Morocco 2
  • Korea Republic 1 – Serbia 1

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Given that both of these teams need a win here, I think things will open up after a cagey start. Both of these defenses are leaky, so the OVER looks like the bet here, but I also have a sneaking suspicion that Los Ticos might get the result. Score: Costa Rica 2 – Serbia 1

All The 2018 World Cup Betting at MyBookie Sportsbook

The FIFA World Cup will take over the sports betting industry for the next weeks. Whether you’re a huge football fan or a sports enthusiast, all eyes will be glued to these 32 international teams starting June, 14th, and concluding July, 15th. MyBookie has all the information you need to keep up winning big during the entire tournament. There’s plenty of ways to keep it exciting, from World Cup prop bets to moneyline wagers and point spreads. We can assure you that you’re going to have an intense betting month, and it’s all worth it because it comes once every four years. If you want to keep things interesting, you can do it by starting your own FIFA World Cup Pool using the MyBookie World Cup printable bracket, this way, no matter where you go or what you do, the 2018 Russia World Cup will be with you.

Prime Source

  • If you want to make the most from this tournament, keep track of the World Cup betting lines and trends.
  • We are going to update our FIFA World Cup News page every single day during the tournament, so you can get the latest World Cup news, betting predictions, tips, and previews.
  • Last but not least, go to our Podcasts Page to tune in all the episodes about the 2018 World Cup. Our panel will bring you the latest news and analysis, covering everything you need to know to stay fresh during the entire tournament.
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