Group A Predictions (Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Uruguay)

[StevieDay1983]

Group A will see host nation Russia begin their campaign against rank outsiders Saudi Arabia. Egypt and Uruguay are the two other teams in a group that could prove to be trickier than the hosts had hoped for before the draw was made. Let's hear what bets you guys are looking at for this group! 

[Dalan Quaice]

I think the Liverpool Salah will be a man to watch on the Egyptian side? Egypt will not go out like that. I think the table will end like this

Team     P     W    D.  L    PTS

Russia  3.       2   1.    0      7 

Egypt.   3.       1     2    0.     5

Uruguay 3.     1.     2    0.    5

Saudi A.  3.     0      1.   2.    1

[StevieDay1983]

Interesting call there, @Dalan Quaice! I'm not convinced by Russia at all. Their low-key display at last summer's Confederations Cup has only substantiated what I felt. I can see Uruguay going through as group winners and Egypt pipping Russia to second place. Saudi Arabia just being there to make up the numbers.

[waynecoyne]

with salah's injury:

Uruguay/ Russia straight forecast at around 2/1 looks the way to go

[StevieDay1983]

That's the curveball now. Will Salah be fit? If he is, how fit? Ashley Williams had a similar injury for Wales at the Euros and scored against Belgium less than a week later. I reckon Salah will be fine.

[nottingham21]

I think Russia have been highly overrated for this tournament due to being the home nation. I only make them favourites to go through over Egypt if Salah doesn't play - even if he doesn't, I don't think the Uruguay/Egypt forecast is a bad bet at 5/1. Also agree with you Stevie, pretty sure Salah will be fine.

[Tel79]

Somehow, Russia will find themselves into the next round, I think they will win their opening game although it will be close, if they need to get a draw from the Egypt game to qualify then I think they will do it, they won't go much further in the tournament after that. 

Uruguay should qualify as group winners, they are the strongest in their group, they have great players, just depends if they want to turn up. 

Egypt may have to rely on Salah but he may be marked out of all three games, they do not seem to have much else in terms of match winners. 

Saudi Arabia, I think it will all be over for them by the end of the second game.

1st Uruguay

2nd Russia

3rd Egypt

4th Saudi Arabia

[Sir Puntalot]

 to PL @Tel79   

[Tel79]

Thanks :-)

I am looking for tips for the world cup really, wanted to get other peoples opinions, give my own etc.

 

[StevieDay1983]

On 5/29/2018 at 3:51 PM, nottingham21 said:

I think Russia have been highly overrated for this tournament due to being the home nation. I only make them favourites to go through over Egypt if Salah doesn't play - even if he doesn't, I don't think the Uruguay/Egypt forecast is a bad bet at 5/1. Also agree with you Stevie, pretty sure Salah will be fine.

Uruguay and Egypt at that price is almost too good to turn down. I suppose home advantage is a big bonus but look at the 2017 Confederations Cup. Russia struggled to a 2-0 win over New Zealand and then proceeded to lose 1-0 to Portugal and 2-1 to Mexico. There was half the amount of pressure on that Russian side as there will be at the World Cup too.

[cammykaze]

I'm on Uruguay to top the group at 5/6 and separately 5/1 to win all their group games.

Uruguay are very strong with some world class players, Cavani hitting 10 goals in qualification and finishing 2nd behind Brazil and ahead of Argentina.

Most worried about the opening game vs Egypt and wouldn't be surprised to see a 0 - 0 or 1 - 1 given the opening games being tight affairs. At 5/1 with Saudi Arabia almost being a gimme it seems a decent price for them to win all 3.

Edited June 4, 2018 by cammykaze

[Icongene]

On 04/06/2018 at 7:04 AM, cammykaze said:

I'm on Uruguay to top the group at 5/6 and separately 5/1 to win all their group games.

Uruguay are very strong with some world class players, Cavani hitting 10 goals in qualification and finishing 2nd behind Brazil and ahead of Argentina.

Most worried about the opening game vs Egypt and wouldn't be surprised to see a 0 - 0 or 1 - 1 given the opening games being tight affairs. At 5/1 with Saudi Arabia almost being a gimme it seems a decent price for them to win all 3.

The thing is, Uruguay are not free scorers and these group games can be really tight even against poor teams. To win 3 group games at a World Cup takes real ruthlessness and im not sure I see it in them. They'll top the group but probably not on 9 points.

It wouldn't shock me at all to see them draw v Russia or Egypt. 

Also there's a chance the 3rd game is a dead rubber that they don't have to win.

[Icongene]

On 12/05/2018 at 7:29 PM, Dalan Quaice said:

I think the Liverpool Salah will be a man to watch on the Egyptian side? Egypt will not go out like that. I think the table will end like this

Team     P     W    D.  L    PTS

Russia  3.       2   1.    0      7 

Egypt.   3.       1     2    0.     5

Uruguay 3.     1.     2    0.    5

Saudi A.  3.     0      1.   2.    1

No chance.

[StevieDay1983]

The opening game of the 2018 World Cup is just a matter of days away. Throughout the tournament, we will be posting a preview for every single match. Every day of action will get its own thread (except this first one due to the first day only having one game!) so we want you all to post your tips and bets for those matches in the relevant threads!

This is all about making the most profit for us all during the tournament. We are the Punters Lounge community and it is our mission to get as many bets bang on as possible! Brace yourselves, it's going to be an unforgettable summer! 

[nottingham21]

Having a small punt on accas for every game in a 3 day span. Nothing serious! This is what I've got for the 14th and 15th:

RUSSIA VS SAUDI ARABIA - UNDER 2.5 GOALS bet365 8/13

EGYPT VS URUGUAY - EGYPT +2 bet365 1/3

MOROCCO VS IRAN - UNDER 2.5 GOALS bet365 4/9

PORTUGAL VS SPAIN - GOAL IN BOTH HALVES? NO 8/11

good luck everyone! 

[StevieDay1983]

Russia vs Saudi Arabia

The 2018 World Cup kicks off this Thursday afternoon at 4pm BST when hosts Russia take on unfancied Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow in what is undoubtedly the most under-whelming opening game to a major football tournament since the dawn of time.

Russia, ranked 70th in the FIFA World Rankings, and Saudi Arabia, ranked 67th, are the two lowest ranked sides in the competition. It only seems like yesterday that Andrei Arshavin was leading his nation's charge towards the Euro 2008 Semi-Finals. How so much can change in the space of a decade.

It's not been the best build-up to the tournament for the host nation. Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov has clashed with a number of influential players who, he claimed, had not bought into his philosophy. Experienced players not selected for the World Cup include Dmitri Kombarov, Denis Glushakov, and Aleksandr Kokorin. 8 members of the 23 man squad have earned 10 caps or less. It's a big gamble by Cherchesov.

If optimistic punters looking to back the host nation making waves in this tournament wanted positive signs then they can't be found in the pre-tournament friendlies. Russia haven't won any of their last seven matches. Granted, those friendlies have included playing the likes of Argentina, Spain, Brazil, and France but it's a severe lack of momentum and confidence heading into this tournament.

Saudi Arabia come into this game with hopes of emulating the class of 1994 that reached the 2nd Round against all odds. Qualification didn't come easily for the Arabic nation but they still made it out of their group automatically pipping Australia to second spot.

Head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi understands what it takes to win a major tournament having guided Chile to the Copa America Centenario in 2016. He's made sure his side have been busy preparing for the World Cup having already played nine friendlies in 2018 with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 5 defeats. Pizzi will certainly know more about his team now than he did at Christmas!

This is a bizarre preview to make as a first game. It's hardly inspiring. Russia's odds are far too short to back as outright winners even though my gut feeling is to back them to win by one goal in a nervous affair. Backing Saudi Arabia for an Asian Handicap looks more sensible because I just can't see Russia cruising to victory here.

Saudi Arabia AH +1.5 @ 1.75 with Blacktype

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.70 with 188Bet

@harry_rag, @nottingham21, @matt-e-matticle, @Mindfulness, @Trotter, @waynecoyne, @allyhibs, @markus808, @Tiffy, @sajtion, @Icongene, @bookiebasher, @Marek76, @Dalan Quaice, @Tel79, @cammykaze, and @HastGill1, what do you all think of these tips for the opening game?

[harry_rag]

My opening salvo is Smolov not to play the whole game at 2.6 with 888

Essentially a bet on whether a player is subbed (or sent off). Maybe easier to quantify in club foorball (bigger sample size) but still a few bets that look ok across the opening set of fixtures (seems to be one player per team being priced up).

As you say, not the most enticing appetiser to get the competition underway. I suspect Russia will grind out a win but it may not be pretty. May be other bets to follow when I take a closer look.

[StevieDay1983]

8 minutes ago, harry_rag said:

My opening salvo is Smolov not to play the whole game at 2.6 with 888

Essentially a bet on whether a player is subbed (or sent off). Maybe easier to quantify in club foorball (bigger sample size) but still a few bets that look ok across the opening set of fixtures (seems to be one player per team being priced up).

As you say, not the most enticing appetiser to get the competition underway. I suspect Russia will grind out a win but it may not be pretty. May be other bets to follow when I take a closer look.

If you're going to bet on a player to be subbed off then it's always worth betting on a striker too. I like those odds.

[sajtion]

my tips

russia to beat saudi arabia 2-1

portugal to beat spain 1-0

suarez and cavani to get on the scoresheet against egypt in 2-0 win

[nottingham21]

58 minutes ago, StevieDay1983 said:

Russia vs Saudi Arabia

The 2018 World Cup kicks off this Thursday afternoon at 4pm BST when hosts Russia take on unfancied Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow in what is undoubtedly the most under-whelming opening game to a major football tournament since the dawn of time.

Russia, ranked 70th in the FIFA World Rankings, and Saudi Arabia, ranked 67th, are the two lowest ranked sides in the competition. It only seems like yesterday that Andrei Arshavin was leading his nation's charge towards the Euro 2008 Semi-Finals. How so much can change in the space of a decade.

It's not been the best build-up to the tournament for the host nation. Head coach Stanislav Cherchesov has clashed with a number of influential players who, he claimed, had not bought into his philosophy. Experienced players not selected for the World Cup include Dmitri Kombarov, Denis Glushakov, and Aleksandr Kokorin. 8 members of the 23 man squad have earned 10 caps or less. It's a big gamble by Cherchesov.

If optimistic punters looking to back the host nation making waves in this tournament wanted positive signs then they can't be found in the pre-tournament friendlies. Russia haven't won any of their last seven matches. Granted, those friendlies have included playing the likes of Argentina, Spain, Brazil, and France but it's a severe lack of momentum and confidence heading into this tournament.

Saudi Arabia come into this game with hopes of emulating the class of 1994 that reached the 2nd Round against all odds. Qualification didn't come easily for the Arabic nation but they still made it out of their group automatically pipping Australia to second spot.

Head coach Juan Antonio Pizzi understands what it takes to win a major tournament having guided Chile to the Copa America Centenario in 2016. He's made sure his side have been busy preparing for the World Cup having already played nine friendlies in 2018 with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 5 defeats. Pizzi will certainly know more about his team now than he did at Christmas!

This is a bizarre preview to make as a first game. It's hardly inspiring. Russia's odds are far too short to back as outright winners even though my gut feeling is to back them to win by one goal in a nervous affair. Backing Saudi Arabia for an Asian Handicap looks more sensible because I just can't see Russia cruising to victory here.

Saudi Arabia AH +1.5 @ 1.75 with Blacktype

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.70 with 188Bet

@harry_rag, @nottingham21, @matt-e-matticle, @Mindfulness, @Trotter, @waynecoyne, @allyhibs, @markus808, @Tiffy, @sajtion, @Icongene, @bookiebasher, @Marek76, @Dalan Quaice, @Tel79, @cammykaze, and @HastGill1, what do you all think of these tips for the opening game?

Completely agree; as I think we both said in the Group A preview thread odds on Russia in both the group outrights and WDW markets are appalling. Home advantage is of course a factor but not enough to offset the fact that their squad is mediocre at best. I really don't think they'll be goals in this game - maybe 0-0 at HT would be worth a go if looking for something a bit more speculative?

[Icongene]

Agree that Russia should score a tight win here but don't see any worth in them outright nor do I trust this Russian team.

Under 2.5 goals looks a decent shot.

[DrO]

Correct score 1:0 @5
Russia half time/full time X-1 @4.50
Penalty in the match YES @4
Red card in the match YES @4.50

All for small stakes because odds are high and bets are pretty risky

[Sir Puntalot]

Call me bonkers, but the Saudis at 9/1 (10.00) is nothing short of outrageous!  

Take out the Peru match and they lost 2-1 to both Italy and Germany, and beat Algeria and Greece 2-0 - that's decent form!

Russia are sooooo over-estimated in my opinion, they are hopeless and winless in 7 matches (last 4 being atrocious) now and they'll be bang under it come kick off.

This isn't about historical trends of shocks in opening matches, this is just a match that is horrendously priced and I wouldn't back Russia against Barnet right now.

Saudi Arabia Win @ 9/1 (10.00) Bet365

[waynecoyne]

Russia have conceded in 9 of their last 10 games

I started off thinking maybe 2-0 Russia but at 5/1 it offers no value so I switched to 2-1 '@ 9/1

and have also backed 2-2 @ 41/1 which maybe be fanciful but the price is tempting

both small 1pt bets

[Tiffy]

@harry_rag

whats your option on a buy of Russia first goal at 54-58? Think it may relate to the tournament rather than the match!

[harry_rag]

It certainly is, only 51 to buy elsewhere. Worth a buy if you think they might be shut out by Saudi Arabia. More to the point, channelling the pro SA sentiment above, it might be worth selling time of their 1st goal at 138!

[harry_rag]

Will mull it over a bit more tomorrow but I've sold the time of 1st Saudi Arabia tournament goal at 138 with SPIN.

Bear in mind they play Uruguay after Russia and you're into losing territory if they haven't scored 48 minutes into their second game.

[Icongene]

First bet of the tourney. 

Saudis +2 @ 1.60

Russia are weak, and the Saudis are going to keep it tight as fcuk at the back.

If Russia go 1 goal up they will close up and sit tight defensively so just cannot see them chasing goals here.

Any win will do for Russia and in any of the 3 games. Performances mean bugger all. If the Saudi's score Russia probably wont have an answ er so fancy this bet to come in.

[StevieDay1983]

Here's an interesting one, even for those of you that think Russia will win...

Saudi Arabia to score first @ 4.75 with Bet365.

No matter what the end result, I think those odds are really decent. Can see the underdogs stunning the hosts early.

[sammydubs]

I would be strongly inclined to not touch the opening match. Only value I see is in Saudi Arabia getting a point or better because Russia are poor and opening day pressures! 9/5 Bet365

Morocco are playing good football but Iran are a little bit of an unknown to me. That said I think the value lies in Morocco getting at a win at 13/10 based simply on the fact I think they will score and Iran won’t! 13/10 Bet 365

No idea what Urguagy team will show up so will swerve.

Am I alone in thinking Portugal are overrated?? On paper Spain look far far stronger and I’ll be taking Spain -1 at 5/2 Bet365 again.

GL !