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World Cup 2022 is in full swing in Qatar, and on Thursday we will see the final eight teams play their first games at the tournament.
Brazil, the favorites to lift the trophy in next month’s final, will kick-start their campaign against Serbia, while there are intriguing matches involving Portugal and Uruguay too.
We have created our very own parlay with one pick per match. Why not play along and see if we can win together?
The odds for November 24 have been sourced from the FanDuel sportsbook, which is giving out a $1000 no-sweat first bet right now.
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A defeat on matchday one of the World Cup group stage is never fatal, but it does leave a team under huge pressure ahead of their second fixture. This is the type of match that is likely to be tense and cautious, especially as neither side is exactly prolific in the attack.
Switzerland will lean heavily on their defense at this tournament - not the worst strategy since a tight backline is usually a prerequisite for going deep at a World Cup. They will look to keep things tight at the back in their opening game, in particular, restricting Cameroon to half-chances and shots from distance.
The Indomitable Lions are much less convincing defensively, but they too are likely to adopt a cautious game plan here. As such, this is unlikely to be a high-scoring affair.
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Despite having a population of just 3.5 million people, Uruguay are once again among a group of potential outsiders to win this World Cup. Now led by Diego Alonso, who replaced the legendary Oscar Tabarez during the South American qualification campaign, the Celeste arrive in Qatar quietly confident of a successful tournament.
South Korea have undergone a change of identity under Paulo Bento. Previously a counter-attacking side who looked to get the ball forward quickly, Bento has encouraged his charges to build possession more slowly and hold the ball in the middle third for longer.
That strategy worked well in qualifying but it remains to be seen whether it will be successful against the higher-quality of opponents in Group H. Meanwhile, with Luis Suarez and Darwin Nunez upfront Uruguay will ask questions of South Korea’s backline from the very first whistle.
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In a four-selection parlay, it is often worth including a wager that you consider to have a pretty high chance of success. For example, picking four +150 bets would lead to a large potential return, but it is very unlikely to come through.
In this parlay, we recommend adding Portugal to beat Ghana. Fernando Santos’ side are by no means guaranteed to win: they have underwhelmed in recent tournaments and the manager’s tactical conservatism is at odds with a squad packed full of top-class technical talent.
But even though Portugal will not necessarily turn in a dazzling showing at Stadium 974, they should get the job done against a Ghana side that finished bottom of their group at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
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This will be the final game of matchday one, with the second round of group fixtures set to begin on Friday. It could also be one of the most entertaining of the tournament up to this point.
As five-time winners and the pre-tournament favorites to triumph this winter, Brazil need little introduction. A frontline of Raphinha, Neymar, Lucas Paqueta, and Richarlison should score plenty of goals at this World Cup, with the likes of Rodrygo, Vinicus Junior, Gabriel Jesus, and Gabriel Martinelli ready to come off the bench if needed. The strength in depth is remarkable.
But Serbia have plenty of firepower too, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Dusan Tadic, Luka Jovic, and Dusan Vlahovic among their options in offense. This promises to be a thrilling clash between two attack-minded teams, so stick over 2.5 goals in your bet slip.
Location: Qatar
Dates: November 20 - December 18
How to Watch: Fox Sports, Telemundo, fuboTV
Greg Lea is a freelance soccer journalist from London. He is the former editor of The Set Pieces, and has contributed to the Guardian, FourFourTwo, and ESPN. A Crystal Palace fan, he is a long-time subscriber to the belief that it's the taking part that counts. Email: [email protected]
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