OT: Your World Cup pick(s) / Best bets?
World Cup officially kicks off in less than two and a half hours with Saudi Arabia vs Russia!
Who is your official pick to win it all?
For futures, does anyone have any bets placed?
I'll start. I like France to win it all, but for futures I didn't place anything on a team to win it all as I think "The Big 4" are all priced about right.
For future bets, I got:
Group H - Winner of Group: Colombia +135
South Korea stage one points under 2½ -160
Tunisia stage one points under 2½ +120
Group C - Peru +155 to advance to knock-out stage
Golden Boot - Kylian Mbappe +2800
Group A - Winner of Group: Uruguay -150 (double units on this)
Hell yeah! Been waiting 4 years for this day.
I am a Brazil fan as I have some family there and ever since I was a young kid, one of my aunts would send us Brazil jerseys. I will always root for them to win it all. 2014 was a major disappointment, in their home country.
My pick for the 4 finalists: Germany, Spain, Brazil and (wildcard bitches!) Belgium (en lieu of France).
Hoping to see some amazing soccer and perhaps some wild upsets?
After seeing France play last week, I would not be surprised to see Belgium over France in the final four!
Enjoy the opening game!
France has so much young talent, it is absurd. I just don't trust them to put it all together honestly. I would not be mad if they shocked us all and went to the Final
France in the final wouldn't be a shock. In fact, their draw is pretty favorable. I expect them to reach the semis.
Don't judge a team by its warmup friendlies. Germany and Spain also looked lethargic. No one goes all-out one week before the WC.
Choices for awards as followed:
Golden Ball - Neymar
Golden Boot - Lukaku
Golden Glove - De Gea
I want Argentina and Messi to win. He deserves it.
I'll go with Germany as the best bet.
I'm picking Belgium as a darkhorse to win it all. Probably won't happen as they routinely struggle to pull it all together on the biggest stage. Their talent is HUGE though and if they can all play from the same sheet of music I think they could do something special.
Realistically, Germany. That team is stacked.
France will under achieve per usual.
I'm rooting for England because LOL, why not? They can't win, won't win, but I like their style of play and maybe this time, since the pressure is mostly off, they will do something special. Quarter-finals would be a successful tournament for them in my opinion.
CANNOT WAIT!!
Per usual? France reached the quarters in 2014 (losing 1-0 to the eventual champion) and then the final of the Euro in 2016, losing in extra time. You're setting the bar pretty high if that's underachievement.
SPAIN
They got that special something that worked for M basketball in '89.
Not sure how a Michigan fan could root for anyone else this year. It is destiny.
Vamos Espana!
I'm rooting for El Tri - vamos!
Go USA!
Welp,
In four different brackets I have: Brazil, France, Germany and Brazil again.
So yeah I have no idea.
I predict a lot of this...
U.S not in... don’t care. Good luck on your bets.
I really wish they were in as well from a viewer stand point.
But they just simply don't deserve to be in. If you can't put together a sufficient team in a nation of over 300 million people to qualify in CONCACAF of all qualifying regions, then I really just don't know how this program is going to evolve. Go draw with Panama and lose to Trinidad & Tobago again you hacks.
Don’t know anything about Soccer so sure I agree. I just won’t watch.
Rossiya
I also want to see Egypt get past the group stage just so we can witness the greatness of Mo Salah. Hope he is 100% fit for tomorrow.
I expect today's opening game to be absolutely brutal. I wish both teams could lose.
Belgium has a great collection of talent.... but I'd really like to see France crush them, just for personal reasons...as every single Belgian I've known are horrible people, who truly hold Americans in contempt. Not just a few, either.
Deutschland back to back! I've been a huge Germany fan, due to my heritage, since I began watching the World Cup in 2006. Back-to-back!!
USA won't make it out of the group stage this year.
I'll go you one further--tbey won't manage a single goal!
Bold. Not quite as bold as your play for Svestapool, but bold nonetheless.
I am hoping Peru does well. Spent a few weeks there and met some truly awesome Peruvians.
If they can beat Denmark in the first game they have a chance of making it out of groups. Their chances got better once they got Paolo Guerro back from suspension.
I think if they can force a draw with Denmark they have a chance. Both will (probably?) lose to France and beat Australia...could come down to Goal Differential.
Getting Guerrero back was huge, obviously. Keeper and defense are both solid but if it comes down to GD with Denmark, they might not have the offensive firepower to put 3-4-5 in vs Australia.
I got a few wacky exact order groups at 5000+ like Costa rica brazil Switzerland Serbia
But my favourites are
Least goals Iran 900+
Last European team England 1000+
Argentina to win 900+
African team wins 6600+
Nice . I really like your Iran one. I think they’re the worse team in the WC and are just gonna sit back the whole time with a boring style
I was kinda shocked at how long they had set it for Iran.. Mind you Im pretty sure a push at zero goals is most likely..
Vamos Peru! A popular outsider pick now...If they can manage a draw with Denmark on Saturday, I think they can move into the second round.
My not very confident pick is Germany. France could it it all over lose all three matches...neither would surprise me. Looking forward to a great month of soccer.
Last World Cup I did most of the opening of daily threads but work being much busier this time around, someone else might have to take the lead.
Can’t say it will be me.
Today and tomorrow I will be able to watch the matches but the rest of the slate I’ll be busy working during the matches on week days
Gazinsky! Goooooaaaaalllllll!!!!!!!!!!
Brasil!!!
Cheryshev! Goooooaaaaalllllll
The Krauts --- mark it down. Noch ein Meistershaft!
I suspect the Russians will make a run at it. Using nefarious means to do so of course. I'm pulling for England to surprise. I just love watching good futbol though, so I'm tuning into Spain, France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Uruguay whenever I can.
One of those countries don't belong.
Yeah I was expecting this comment, but I like watching them.
Dzyuba! Goooooaaaaalllllll
I’m a Mexico fan through and through but they have a tough draw.
Germany probably has the best team. Brazil always gets the flare factor but haven’t delivered in a while. France is getting a lot of talk but is very young and reports are already going around that not every player is on board with their coach. I personally like Portugal. They won the Euros and Ronaldo is probably at the top of his game at the moment.
Cheryshev! Goooooaaaaalllllll Again!
Golovin! Goooooaaaaalllllll
The Saudis got dispatched with authority. Not very kind, Russia.
France over Brazil in semis.
Spain over Germany in semis.
France over Spain in the final.
Rooting for Costa Rica! Los Ticos!
So, Saudi Arabia looks like it might not really be a World Cup-caliber team. And they're going to add sixteen more spots in the future?
Yeah, the 48 team WC is going to have some ugly games. Saudi Arabia looked like a 3rd division team. Hard to play a possession game when you're incapable of possessing the ball.