You're not going to find a better Round of 16 match in the Women's World Cup than the duel between Norway and England.
These two teams both had high hopes for a deep run in this tournament, but both are going to be tested dramatically on Monday night in Ontario.
ODDS ANALYSIS
There's only one match of the eight in the Round of 16 in which there isn't a clear cut favorite to advance, and it happens to be this one.
As proof of just how tight this fixture is, there are only 73 cents separating the price on favored England ( +152 ) and the biggest underdog likelihood, the draw ( +225 ). Norway finds itself right in the middle at +190 on the moneyline.
The Asian Handicap is not surprisingly quite tight as well. England has the slight nod at PK ( -134 ).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're very happy to have won and to have qualified for the next round. We've shown that we're a versatile team, applying various systems and giving lots of different squad members some playing time. My players have demonstrated that they're mentally very strong and ready for bigger challenges. Our set pieces have been very good, and that’s an important asset in really tight games." – England manager Mark Sampson summing up the Three Lionesses' performance in the group stage of the Women's World Cup
RECENT FORM
England did basically what it was expected to do in the group stage. The team was beaten by France, and it took care of business against Mexico and Colombia to secure the six points necessary to finish second best in a tough Group F. Sampson has been very careful not to overuse his squad, as there are very few players who have played in the whole 270 minutes to date, which could come in handy against the Norwegians.
Norway wasn't as impressive as Germany was against either Thailand or the Ivory Coast, but wins are wins. The only match of consequence to us was a 1-1 draw against the Germans, a match which really should have sent a message to the rest of the world.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is going to be a gritty match from the get go, and we suspect that there aren't going to be many chances on target for either side. The more disciplined side is going to be the one to get the upper hand in this one, as free kicks could be key. Both of these teams have multiple goals scored off of set pieces in this competition, and that could be crucial again on Monday.
In the end, we predict this match to be as tight as the spread indicates. There is a lot better than a 1 in 3 chance that this one is going to go to extra time, and we wouldn't be shocked if the lottery of the penalty shootout is awaiting these two teams.
Though Norway's net minder, Ingrid Hjelmseth hasn't been as good as England's Karen Bardsley in this tournament, we do think that the Scandinavian side will get through on those crucial PKs.
Regardless, we'll call for a 1-1 draw through 90 minutes, and even if Norway does go down at any point in extra time, we will have already cashed our winning ticket.
Norway 1 ( 4 ), England 1 ( 3 ) ( Norway wins on penalties )
BookMaker has live Women's World Cup odds for every clash of the season. You can find a moneyline price on England of +152 and a total of 2.5 ( under -145 ) right now! BookMaker is also going to have multiple betting options available for this nationally-televised match. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the soccer game now!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The fixture between England and Norway will take place at 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday, June 22, 2015 at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports 1.
