The 2022 FIFA World Cup takes place in November/December 2022 in Qatar. This is your comprehensive guide to betting on the tournament and we will be looking at the best way to approach the ante-post markets as well as how to place a pre-tournament accumulator. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about wagering on this prestigious sporting event.
The World Cup is one of the most anticipated sporting events on the calendar. The tournament is the most watched sporting event and with teams representing every single continent, there is worldwide interest in the event. It is also one of the most popular events for sports betting and you can bet on a variety of pre-tournament markets as well as on a match-by-match basis. Now that each team has been assigned a group, it’s strongly advised to begin thinking about your pre-tournament wagers. It is now possible the plot the potential path of each team and calculate who is likely to face one another during the latter stages of the tournament. This makes it far easier to work out which teams may have been potentially undervalued in the ante-post markets. It also opens up the possibility of betting on markets such as ‘Group Winner’ or ‘To Finish Bottom of Group…’
Betting on the World Cup is hugely popular and you don’t have to wait for the tournament to get underway in order to place a wager. FIFA reported an estimated global betting turnover of $2.1billion at the 2018 World Cup with a total betting turnover of $136billion for the tournament as a whole and with the majority of Irish online bookmakers offering multiple markets, there are more ways to bet on the World Cup than ever before. Outright Betting The outright betting market is the most popular way of wagering on the tournament. It is often listed as the ‘tournament winner’ market and requires you to pick which team will lift the Jules Rimet Trophy at the end of the competition. This market is simple and straightforward to understand and the majority of bookmakers offer odds on the outright winner market all-year round. Although it may be viewed by some punters as ‘betting blind’, bigger teams such as Spain, Germany and France tend to qualify without any issues whereas the likes of Brazil and Argentina rarely fail to make the cut. Although the tournament tends to produce one or two surprises along the way, the competition is rarely won by outsiders, however, teams such as Croatia and the Netherlands have reached the final at bigger odds in recent years. There have only ever been 2 back-to-back winners of the tournament and the holders are rarely able to defend their crown. The bookmakers rarely take any risks with this market and holders France are always likely to start as one of the favourites alongside Brazil and Germany. England, despite having not won the tournament since 1966, always tend to be in the top three of the betting and tend to attract plenty of patriotic money from hopelessly optimistic England fans. The majority of online betting offer each-way terms 1-2 which means that you will be paid out at half of the odds if your chosen team manages to reach the final. Other Betting Markets Although placing single bets on the outright market is the most popular way to wager on the tournament, there are a number of other types of bets offered by online bookmakers. The Top Goalscorer market is popular with Irish punters, although this is rarely priced up until a month or two before the tournament is due to get underway. The tournament is traditionally held in June, and many punters tend to wait until the conclusion of the domestic season before conducting their research. This ensures that their chosen player hasn’t picked up a long-term injury during the final couple of weeks of the campaign. However, as this tournament is held in November and December, punters may have to take a different approach to this market. Players who represent the favourites such as France, Germany and Brazil tend to be priced up at the shortest odds as they are expected to get more game time than those who play for struggling sides. For example, Antoine Griezmann and Harry Kane are often favoured by punters as both France and England are expected to make the final four of the competition. It is also strongly advised to seek out designated penalty-takers or set-piece specialists. It is also possible to combine the Outright Winner and the Top Goalscorer market and if you can correctly predict this combination, you’ll be rewarded with sizeable odds. Although they aren’t as popular with punters, some bookmakers also price up the Top Assists and Stage of Elimination markets. Although it is possible to conduct your research in advance, these markets don’t tend to become available until the draw for the group stage of the tournament has been completed.
Accumulator and Parlay bets are an extremely popular way of betting on the World Cup. Although these are typically associated with 90 minute match betting, they can also be used on outright markets. Accumulator bets consist of multiple selections across a variety of markets. These combine into one bet and ALL selections must win in order to receive the full payout. As a result, an Accumulator will pay out at much higher odds and this is one of the main reasons for their popularity. At an international tournament such as the World Cup, an Accumulator bet also helps to keep an interest across the entire event. The most common World Cup Accumulator bets feature group betting markets, although it is possible to include any of the other markets. An example of an Accumulator for the 2022 World Cup: Bet 1: France to Win the Tournament Bet 2: Harry Kane – Top Goalscorer Bet 3: Switzerland to Reach the Quarter-Finals Bet 4: Iran to be Eliminated in the Group Stage Bet 5: Denmark to Finish Top of Group B Each of these selections must win in order to receive a payout. Accumulators can feature an infinite number of selections, however, with each addition, the odds are increased, yet the probability of success is reduced. Many Irish bookmakers offer ‘Acca Insurance’ which sees your stake returned if your Accumulator is let down by just one selection. Other online betting sites offer an Accumulator bonus for combination bets of 5+ selections. World Cup Parlay Calculator Although most online bookmakers automatically calculate the odds of an Accumulator bet, it is possible to use an online Parlay Calculator to manually work out your projected returns. You can input the odds of each selection and they automatically calculate your returns. However, most online bookmakers allow you to add selections to your betting slip and this also calculates your returns.
Odds are compiled by the bookmaker to reflect the probability of an outcome. They can be displayed in either decimal (4.00) or fractional form (3/1) and they tend to fluctuate as a result of market trends and outside influences such as team news. These odds enable punters to calculate their returns of their winning bet. Each individual bookmaker has a team of traders who price up an event according to the perceived probability of an event occurring. These can vary between bookmakers so it’s always important to shop around and ensure that you secure the best possible odds. Evens (2.00) suggests that there is a 50% chance of an outcome occurring. Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, the odds and probability of each team’s chances of success will be determined by a number of factors including: their performances during qualifying, their opponents during the group stage, their history in the tournament, perceived harmony of the squad as well as injuries/suspensions. World Cup odds calculator There are a number of online odds calculators available online which can be used to calculate potential returns. However, the majority of online bookmakers also offer this service. It’s also possible to add selections to a betting slip with the majority of online operators automatically calculating your projected winnings. Odds calculators are a handy way of determining which type of multiple will offer the largest payouts for the smallest possible stake.
The World Cup is always one of the most competitive events on the sporting calendar and it regularly throws up a number of surprises along the way. Don’t Discount Underdogs When betting on the outright market, it is vitally important to take a number of factors into consideration. Back-to-back winners are uncommon and there is often plenty of squad upheaval between tournaments. Outsiders are rarely victorious in this event, however, there are always one or two underdogs who are able to defy the odds and progress to the quarter-final stage. Settled Squads A settled squad and management team is arguably one of the most important factors when placing a bet on this tournament. Players and staff will be asked to spend four weeks (+ additional preparation time) in close quarters so it is important that there is harmony within the camp. Although this can be a difficult concept to gauge, managers will often drop clues in their pre-match press conferences and player interviews can often provide additional insight. Conditions and Climate Conditions and climate are also vitally important. The World Cup has been played across a variety of continents, however, this is the first time that the tournament is being held in an Arabic country. Although it is being held in December, the climate is still likely to be vastly different from previous tournaments which were held in Russia and Brazil. Some players will struggle with this environment and this should be factored into your bets. I’d recommend avoiding teams who are used to competing in cooler climates. Countries or players who frequently encounter these types of conditions are likely to fare better and could be worth betting on to score plenty of late goals as they will not suffer the same level of fatigue. The Group Stage Draw The draw for the group stage was completed on April 1st 2022 and it is now possible to plot the potential paths of each team. As a result, prices have shifted in the outright betting market with Germany having drawn alongside Spain in Group E. There is always the so-called ‘Group of Death’ and with the high-profile pair being joined by an always-competitive Japan side and potentially Costa Rica or New Zealand, this will surely be one of the most competitive sections. The group stage draw has also pitched both France and Denmark into Group D, which may make it more difficult for Les Bleus to finish top of this section and secure a simpler round of 16 tie. This is something which should be factored into any outright tournament bets. Group Stage Accumulators If you’re placing an accumulator on teams to finish top of their group, it’s strongly advised to consider one or two outsiders as this is a frequent occurrence. In 2018, Croatia were not expected to finish above Argentina in Group D whereas the aforementioned Sweden finished top of Group F at generous odds. This will also add some much-needed value to your accumulator. Shop Around for Bonuses and Boosts It is vitally important to shop around and consider a number of different online bookmakers when it comes to betting on the World Cup. Many betting sites will offer generous welcome bonuses and additional enhancements on the tournament. These can be a great way to get involved in the competition and these free bets and boosts are a great way to enjoy the tournament. There are also a number of sites which allow you to compare odds between Irish bookmakers and an extra bit of value can go a long way.
Live in-play betting is available throughout the course of the tournament. All major Irish bookmakers provide live betting opportunities on every match at the World Cup and these are available on both the desktop site and the mobile app. Whether you’re planning to watch every single match on TV or you wish to keep up-to-date on your break at work, the live betting odds and stats provide the perfect platform to get involved at any point during the 90 minutes. Live betting markets have constantly fluctuating odds and this can result in temporary market suspensions. It also means that bets can take slightly longer to be confirmed. Some bookmakers also offer you the chance to wager on in-play enhanced odds on selected markets. Other Features Cash Out: This allows you to either partially or fully cash out your winnings even if the match or tournament is yet to conclude. If you’ve had a bet on the outright market and your chosen team has managed to secure their place in the final four, you will be able accept a portion of your projected winnings. The bookmaker will automatically generate a cash out value based on the amount of time remaining and the probability of the outcome. This can be affected by team news, red cards and potential upcoming opponents. Bet Boosts: Bet Boosts have become incredibly popular over the last few years and these offer enhanced odds on selected markets. These are usually available on most major matches as well as pre-tournament. It’s a great way of extracting some additional value out of the market.
Statistics are often associated with commentators who regularly furnish viewers with various record and numbers from previous tournaments. However, if used correctly, they can be incredibly important when placing a bet on the World Cup Although some historical stats can be disregarded, information such as England have been eliminated at the quarter-final stage eight times and Germany have exited at the semi-final stage on five occasions can tell us a lot about the mindset and mentality of a team. This can help us form an opinion on the outright market. Knowing that the defending champion has crashed out in the group stage in each of the last three tournaments is also important information when it comes to picking the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Although player stats are important, they tend to take on less significance than when applied to the domestic leagues due the significant gap between tournaments.
Betting on underdogs in the outright market can be tricky, however, each tournament tends to throw up one or two overachievers. Croatia were not expected to reach the final of the tournament and they knocked out some decent opponents en-route to the showpiece event. Nevertheless, I’d recommend looking for underdogs on a match-by-match basis. For example, South Korea’s 2-0 victory over Germany at the 2018 World Cup was completely unexpected and they were available pre-match at around 18/1. Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 victory over Egypt was another unexpected result. The third and final group games can often throw up unexpected results with many teams having already secured their place in the knock-out round.
Every online bookmaker has odds on the 2022 FIFA World Cup and there is plenty of choice when it comes to placing a bet on the tournament. We’ve compiled a list of the best online betting sites when it comes to wagering on international football.
If you’ve never previously placed a bet on the World Cup, it can often be difficult to know where to start. However, it is a very straightforward process and we’ve put together a number of simple steps to help you get started. Pick a Bookmaker: It’s important to compare markets and ensure that your chosen bookmaker offers competitive odds. Ideally, you’re looking for a bookmaker who has multiple World Cup markets and offers additional features such as in-play betting, cash out and bet boosts on the tournament. Sign Up and Take Advantage of the Welcome Offer: Once you’ve made your decision, you can begin the sign-up process. The majority of bookmakers will offer a welcome bonus, however, these tend to come with terms and conditions, so it’s important to check these before proceeding. For example, you may only have 7 days to claim your welcome bonus, so it’s best to sign up for an account within a week of the tournament getting underway. Take Your Time / Be Patient: Now that the draw has taken place, it is the perfect time to begin placing ante-post bets. However, there is no need to rush as there is plenty of time until the tournament gets underway. If you can plot the potential path of each side, you can work out which of the favourites has the easier route to the final and this is often the best way to extract some value when it comes to ante-post betting. Decide on Bet Type: It’s important to have a strategy and this will include deciding whether to stick to single bets or dabble in multiples/accumulators. There is no right or wrong approach, however, you will probably want to adjust your stake accordingly. Place Your Bets: Add your selection(s) to the Betting Slip and make sure that you are happy with your teams/players. Sit Back and Enjoy the Tournament!
