There wasn't a more fortunate team early in the women's World Cup than Canada, which needed a penalty kick late on to beat China.
The host nation would like to sweat a lot less in this second match against New Zealand.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Canadian women are once again heavily favored in this match, which shouldn't be considered all that surprising. They are -200 moneyline favorites in this duel, and they are again favored by a single goal on the Asian handicap as they were against China.
The total is a little high considering the fact that both of these teams played in 1-0 games to kick off the tournament. The number to beat is 2.5 (over -140).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"It was a good start to the tournament for Canada. We had double the amount of possession they did and outshot them by double. The girls have now had that experience of coming out and playing in front of 50,000 people, and that's not easy." – Canada head coach John Herdman on his team's effort in the opening game of the tournament against China
RECENT FORM
Herdman can say all that he wants about how it was a good start to the tournament for Canada, but this team needs to do a better job of finishing at the cup. Bringing Adriana Leon into the match late on was crucial for the Canadian women, as she was the one who got into the penalty area and ultimately drew the penalty which won the match. Still, it wasn't a great result for a Canadian team which has had problems scoring goals quite a bit since the lead-in games to this tournament.
New Zealand wasn't terrible against the Netherlands in that opening match, but the Kiwis just weren't able to get the job done in a 1-0 loss. That's now seven straight matches without a victory for the New Zealand women's team, and the squad hasn't scored a goal since March against Spain, four matches ago.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is a really short spread in this match in favor of Canada, and we just don't see how it isn't going to win this one. The Kiwis have proven that they are going to be badly outplayed by the best teams in the world, especially when they were beaten 4-0 by the United States in April in a friendly in St. Louis.
The fact of the matter is that Herdman is right that Canada did its job in terms of shots in that opening match. Taking 14 shots against a solid tactical Chinese team could pave the way for a lot more in this match.
If Canada is going to get 62 percent of the possession once again in this one as it did against China, this could be a long day for New Zealand. We know that the Kiwis aren't going to be creating many scoring opportunities, and that will see them essentially be eliminated from this tournament early on with no points from two matches.
Canada 3, New Zealand 0
The women's World Cup lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker Sportsbook with Canada lined as a -200 moneyline favorite and a total of 2.5 (over -140). Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time moneylines, spreads and totals. Live betting is open during every step of this match!
Need to fund your account before the big game but don’t have your computer? No problem! BookMaker Sportsbook now offers a mobile betting cashier so you can deposit money directly from your smartphone. Don’t miss out on getting paid because you couldn’t bet. Click here and deposit at BookMaker now! The fixture between Canada and New Zealand is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. ET at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
