Portugal vs Spain Odds

Portugal vs Spain World Cup Odds

The Olimpiyskiy Stadion Fisht in Sochi is the venue for the Portugal versus Spain clash, which kicks off at 19:00 local time on Friday 15th June.

Portugal vs Spain Prediction

Portugal and Spain are the favorites to progress from Group B at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and this is a clash that would not look out of place much deeper in the tournament.  Spain go into this match as -120 favorites with a Portugal win priced at +350 and the draw at +250.

It should be a tight game as neither side wants to drop its share of the points, especially with minnow Morocco and Iran waiting for them in future group matches. The Spanish should be too strong for Portugal, but they should not just brush them aside. A 1-0 Spain win is favorite with Bovada at +500 with a 1-1 draw coming in just behind at +550. We also like the look of the Draw-Spain Half Time/ Full Time result at +350.

Portugal vs Spain Key Bites

• Spain sacked coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the World Cup
• This is likely Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup, will he go out with a bang?
• How will Spain react to having a new coach installed only a couple of days before this match?
• Andres Iniesta will likely retire from international football after the World Cup, expect fireworks
• Isco has the potential to be the player of the tournament

There should be a capacity crowd in attendance for this match as two of the best teams in Europe face off in their opening match of Group B. These two Goliaths have not met since the 2012 European Championships when Spain won on penalties after a 0-0 draw. Prior to that, Portugal ran out 4-0 winners in a friendly back in November 2010.

Spain were dire at the 2014 World Cup. They failed to get out of the group after never fully recovering from a 5-1 mauling by Netherlands. Portugal, too, failed to reach the knockout stages and both will be doing everything in their power to progress in Russia.

Both teams had excellent qualifying campaigns, although we favor Spain in this fixture if not only because of their superior record against Portugal. Expect a great technical game, but not one with a shower of goals.

Portugal vs Spain Betting Trends

Portugal vs Spain World Cup Preview

Portugal may be the reigning European Champions having won the 2016 European Championships in France, but the mood around the Portuguese camp is not one full of confidence as you may expect.

The main reason for a lack of enthusiasm is the way Portugal won Euro 2016. They drew six of their seven games over 90-minutes, needed a late injury time of extra time goal to beat France in the final and their only victory came against Wales in the semi-finals and even then they were unconvincing.

Several key members of that Euro 2016 squad will either not be in Russia for the 2018 World Cup or will be almost unrecognisable in regards to their performances. Renato Sanches looked like a world beater in 2014, these days he is lucky to even make it onto the bench of his club sides.

Raphael Guerreiro, Andre Gomes and Joao Mario have struggled for form and consistency since playing a major role in the Euro 2016 winning side, yet they still have tons of ability. It is a case of whether they can turn on the style on the big stage in Russia.

Any team that has Cristiano Ronaldo in it has a chance of glory. The Real Madrid star continues to smash records despite being 33-years-old. Ronaldo has 81 goals in 149 appearances for Portugal and it would take a brave bettor to wager against him scoring a hatful of goals at these World Cup finals.

Portugal have not had the best of warm ups for the World Cup. They beat Egypt 2-1, Saudi Arabia 3-0 and more recently Algeria 3-0 in their final game, but lost 3-0 to a poor Netherlands team and were held to draws against Tunisia, the USA and Belgium.

This Portuguese squad is aging rapidly, and it could be the last major tournament many of them compete in. They will want to go out with a bang. The question remains, do they still have what it takes to do that?

Spain were one of the favorites to win the 2018 World Cup but have seen their odds slashed after the sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the competition. Fernando Hierro will stand in as the interim boss during the tournament and he inherits a side that has not lost a game since Euro 2016.

The Spanish qualified for the 2018 World Cup with ease and remained unbeaten during their six international friendlies in their preparation for the finals. Score draws against Russia, Germany and Switzerland were sandwiched between a 1-0 win against Tunisia, a 5-0 mauling of Costa Rica and a 6-1 demolition of Argentina.

With a squad full of stars – the roster reads like a who’s who of world football – Spain have the potential to go all the way and win the 2018 World Cup. How they react to the bizarre firing of their coach remains to be seen. It could spur on the players to go out and win at all costs for their fallen hero, or it could see them fall apart as their great leader is no longer on the sidelines.

Another factor in Spain’s quest for success is the fact they have based themselves 1,325 kilometres from Moscow meaning they will have to travel more than 9,300 kilometres during the Group Stages alone.

We would expect a tight game here because of Portugal’s resilience mostly and the odds at Bovada reflect this. Spain are +105 to win, the draw is +220 and a Portugal victory is available at +305. The best bet that we have seen crop up recently is the half time / full time result of Draw – Spain which Bovada price at +375.

Portugal are likely to try and frustrate the Spanish, but Spain’s patient passing approach to the game will surely pay dividends at some stage, possibly towards the end of the game when all of the players are beginning to tire.

Category : Betting Picks

Tag : FIFA World Cup , Soccer