World Cup 2022 betting markets kick off

September 1 - With three months to go, the betting markets are increasingly busy with bookmakers and bettors looking for top positions. Brazil are still high on most bookmakers' list of favorites, but other markets are opening up for the Golden Boot, the Ball and the upset. packages.

Favorites to win

Topping the World Cup winner odds are Brazil, who have the most total wins in World Cup history with five, but last won it in 2002 The current Seleccao is certainly stronger than at the last World Cups, but it has hardly been tested against European opposition.

Among European teams, the story is against defending champions France, as no team has ever won the competition twice in a row. However, they are still a very serious contender.

England have the capability, having reached the semi-finals last time out and narrowly missed out on the European Championship title. Seething under those three, Spain or Germany would be surprise winners, but not that surprising, while Belgium or Portugal could win in a pinch, but probably won't.

The Golden Ball

Awarded to the best player in the competition, this prize went to Croatian Luka Modric last time, and in five of the last six tournaments it has been awarded to a player from the second in the final.

It doesn't have to be an attacking player, but it usually is - the only recent anomaly being Germany goalkeeper Oli Kahn in 2002. One thing we can say is that it will probably end with a player whose team reaches the final or is going to close.

That probably rules out Cristiano Ronaldo or Kevin de Bruyne, but it wouldn't be a big surprise to see a name like England's Jude Bellingham or Frenchman Karim Benzema on the list.

The Golden Boot

While the Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best player, the Boot goes to the tournament's top scorer - so there is no debate as to whether the winner is deserving.

History shows that the winner of this award usually scores most of their goals in the first games, while the weaker teams are always in competition. Last time out, Harry Kane was the winner and he only scored once in the Round of 16. This prize could therefore be awarded to a player who is not involved in the tournament well beyond the last 16.

A player taking penalties for his team will be a solid bet, meaning Kane is a decent candidate, as are Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Also watch out for players who tend to score in patches; if Romelu Lukaku scores once in a game, he often gets another one.

Surprise Packages

Although some sportsbooks have odds that teams will reach a certain point in the competition, you can't always rely on them. If you want to support a team to exceed expectations, the best place to look is the markets for teams. to qualify in a certain group.

Generally, the groups probably have two qualifiers each, and the other teams will have to create a surprise to eliminate them. Interesting teams in this regard include Canada, who face Belgium and Croatia and are expected to finish behind both.

These two teams, however, may be nearing the end of their golden years and may be due to underperformance. Ghana could also surprise a few people by beating Portugal or Uruguay.

One thing is certain: with this World Cup falling in the middle of the European football season, it is something of a novelty and may see more than the usual few surprises overall.

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