Making an online wager on World Cup games is going to be wildly popular. Every four years people get excited to bet World Cup games. This year the World Cup begins on June 11th and online wagering odds are already on the board.
Online wager odds list each of the opening games, odds to win the overall World Cup and the individual groups. There are 32 teams in the 2010 World Cup that will be played in South Africa. The opening match will have host South Africa playing Mexico on June 11th in Johannesburg. One month later the final will be played at Johannesburg. The matches will be televised in the United States by the ABC-ESPN networks and on Univision.
When you make an online wager on the World Cup you will notice eight groups of four teams each. The teams in each group play a round-robin in the first round. The top two teams in each group advance to the final 16. After the first round each subsequent match is a knockout game where overtime is played and a penalty shootout if needed.
This will be the first time an African nation has hosted either the World Cup or the Olympics. South Africa is the host country and matches will be played in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, Polokwane, Rustenburg, Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Nelspruit. When you think of South Africa you think of hot temperatures but it is winter time in South Africa so the temperatures will be cool.
The favorite in online wagering odds to win the World Cup is Spain who is ranked number won in the world. Spain won the European Championship two years ago. They have a lot of talent and are a slight favorite with Brazil a close second. Brazil has a record five titles and they are capable of winning the 2010 World Cup. Other teams that should get some attention from those making an online wager are the Netherlands, Portugal, Argentina, Germany and defending champion Italy who has the best player in the world in Lionel Messi. England could be a factor as well if they can get healthy. The United States reached the quarterfinals in 2002 before losing to Germany. They have star players in Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. The good news for the U.S. is that they are in a winnable group with England, Algeria and Slovenia.