Free Soccer Picks (Today's Tips, Odds, Predictions)

Iran vs Nigeria Group F Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 6/14/2014

Knowing that Argentina is pretty much a lock to win the group, both teams will come out defensive-minded, not wanting to risk allowing an early goal that could leave them with a loss after one match. Both would settle for a draw, but Nigeria will be thinking about three points as well once the second half gets underway.

Argentina vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Group F Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 6/13/2014

Argentina wants a fast tempo. They will run as if it were an up-and-down basketball game. Their strength is going forward, so expect to see the majority of play in the Bosnia half of the pitch. The underdogs won’t back down, however. There won’t be any slowing Argentina down during the group stages based on how dominant they are at asserting their style of play, so it’s a matter of whom, if any, can best them at their game.

France vs Honduras Group E Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Josh Schonwald - 6/13/2014

France has world-class players at every position. Honduras does not. While the World Cup does offer a ton of enticing match-ups, it also produces some big time mismatches, and this is one of them. The French won’t be slowed nor stopped here. Expect a one-sided affair.

Switzerland vs Ecuador Group E Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Tony Sink - 6/13/2014

Ecuador no longer can rely on the high altitude to prevail against weakened lungs of their opponents. That was a huge asset during the South American qualifying process. Switzerland, despite France being the favorite of the group, is actually the top rated seed in this group, and they’ll carry the momentum from their own UEFA qualifying success into this opening match.

Ivory Coast vs Japan Group C Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Josh Schonwald - 6/12/2014

This is going to be one of the more entertaining matches of the group stages. I think both teams, despite Colombia being the favorite in Group C, believe they can claim the top spot. They’ll bring that approach into the match, both knowing that three points from this match would be crucial to the cause. Expect both sides to attack early and often in a back-and-forth affair.

England vs Italy Group D Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Tony Sink - 6/12/2014

England is +200 to win the match, and alternatively can be had as a PK (draw is a no bet) for +105. Italy are +160 and likewise can be bet as a PK at -125. The total is 2 goals with +110 being on the ‘over’ and -130 for the ‘under’.

Uruguay vs Costa Rica Group D Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 6/12/2014

Uruguay will look at this match as a must win with its latter two group stage matches against England and Italy providing more difficult challenges. The price to win certainly reflects that. I think this will be an entertaining match with both teams producing goals.

Columbia vs Greece Group C Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Josh Schonwald - 6/12/2014

The Greeks play a very defensive and methodical style of football. Some could even label it as negative with their strong sense of sitting back to defend and creating defensive a shell around their goal. Still, with a physically imposing side, they always pose a threat from set pieces and balls sent into the box from out wide.

2014 World Cup Betting Props: Scoring Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 6/11/2014

Total tournament goals — “over/under” 154.5: On the surface the under would be the clear play here. In 2010 there were a total of 145 goals scored, and that was just two fewer than the 147 in 2006. The one thing that can elevate the totals, though, are a large number of lopsided blowouts in the opening round. So, are there enough of those to justify an over bet? In 2006 there were seven games decided by a margin of three goals or more in the opening round. There were five in 2010.

2014 World Cup Betting: Most Interesting First-Round Games
by Trevor Whenham - 6/11/2014

As we sit here on the eve of the great spectacle that is the World Cup, here are the five games in the first eight days of the first round action that have me most excited from a betting perspective along with some reasoning for my excitement:

2014 World Cup Betting Picks for MVP and Golden Ball Winner Props Odds
by Trevor Whenham - 6/11/2014

Sportsbook.ag offers an impressive list of potential World Cup MVPs — the Golden Ball — to bet on. In the dozens of names you can bet on are obviously very many players who can be ruled out almost immediately and others that are more intriguing. Before we get into looking at individual players, though, let’s look back at the last 10 World Cups to see what trends emerge amongst the winners of this award:

2014 World Cup Handicapping: Interesting Parlay Bets for Group Winners
by Trevor Whenham - 6/11/2014

Bovada has made betting on parlays for group winners in the World Cup very easy. They have offered a wide range of three-, five-, seven- and even eight-team parlays to choose from. The obvious concerns about parlays also apply here. Parlays are typically not the best way to find value because the odds of the parlay are typically far worse than they should be given the odds of the individual events involved.

2014 World Cup Betting 101: Wagering on Soccer Based on the Odds
by George Monroy - 6/10/2014

When it comes to soccer, there is a huge elephant in the room: the fact that most people don’t know anything about the sport. With the World Cup set to begin in a few days with a June 12 opening matchup between Brazil and Croatia, soccer fever will once again hit America. For bettors, that means there will be an event to help bridge the gap between the end of basketball season and the beginning of the football year.

Chile vs Australia Group B Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 6/10/2014

Chile are heavy favorites at -225 to beat Australia in this match. The Socceroos are +650 underdogs in their Group B opener. The draw is listed at +300. The total for this match is 2.5, +105 for the ‘over’ and -125 for the ‘under’.

Spain vs Netherlands Group B Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Josh Schonwald - 6/10/2014

Spain are favorites in Group B and begin their World Cup as -120 chalk. Netherlands are dogged at +350 to begin their group play schedule. The draw is listed at +225. The total for this match is 2 goals, -120 for the ‘over’ and EVEN for the ‘under.

Mexico vs Cameroon Group A Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Tony Sink - 6/10/2014

Mexico are solid favorites in Group A’s second opening round match at +125. Cameroon are listed at +225 to win the match. The draw is listed at +210 while the total is set at 2 goals, -105 for the ‘over’ and -115 on the ‘under’.

Brazil vs Croatia Group A Free World Cup Picks & Odds
by Tony Sink - 6/9/2014

Brazil are heavy favorites in the World Cup opener at -333. Alternatively, you can bet Brazil on the goal line spread of -1.5 (EVEN). Croatia are sizeable underdogs at +900 and the draw can be had for +400. The total listed for this match is 2.5 (-110), both on the 'over' and 'under'.

2014 World Cup Betting: Team USA Prop Odds and Picks
by George Monroy - 6/6/2014

The World Cup may be the biggest betting event in all of sports—with all due respect to the Super Bowl—and beginning June 12 bettors will have their fill of wall-to-wall sports gambling actions for a over a month. Soccer has never been something American’s dominate—even team USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann recently said his squad has no chance of winning this year’s cup—but that unfortunate truth should not stop bettors from wagering on the event and looking for spots to make a profit over the summer.

World Cup Betting Props: Which Teams Will Advance
by Trevor Whenham - 6/3/2014

As we anxiously await the start of the World Cup — a tournament that seems like it will never get here — all we can do is look at all the prop bets that emerge to see if there is any value to be had. More props are emerging all of the time, and many of them are very interesting. One of the more interesting sets of props available is the ability to bet on whether each of the 32 teams is going to advance out of their groups and into the elimination rounds. It’s a straight “yes” or “no,” but it provides some interesting opportunities (odds are from Bovada):

2014 World Cup Predictions: Exacta Betting Props for Groups
by Trevor Whenham - 6/3/2014

I love betting on the World Cup. I love betting on horse races. The opportunity, then, to combine the two in a very interesting set of props is an opportunity I can’t pass on. At Bovada you can bet on not just which team will win each group but also which two teams will advance and which order they will finish in. In other words, it’s an exacta bet just like in a horse race. You have a couple of advantages over a typical racing exacta, though, that makes this bet more attractive — the field is limited to just four teams, and we know the payoff in advance, so the value is easier to spot.