The knockout rounds of the Women's World Cup will begin on Saturday afternoon, and the opening match might be the most anticipated one.
Germany, in spite of the fact that it was one of the most dominating sides in the group stage, has a horrible draw, beginning with a very dangerous Sweden team which underachieved in Group D.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The oddsmakers realize just how dangerous this match is for the Germans. Yes, they are -260 moneyline favorites, but the fact that they are only goal and a half favorites on the Asian Handicap proves to us that they believe there could be an upset in the cards if they aren't careful.
The moneyline price in 90 minutes on Sweden is a healthy 8 to 1, while the total is somewhat high at 2.5 (over -120).
QUOTE TO NOTE
"I'm very disappointed that we never got more than one point… We didn't lose in the group, and we scored four goals, but we didn't do enough to win the group. I said before the matches we have four very good teams, and that proved to be the case. We had the hardest group and didn't lose, but at the end of the day, it wasn't enough." – Sweden manager Pia Sundhage on her team's disappointments in Group D
RECENT FORM
Sweden might not have lost a match in the group stage, but it didn't win one either. The team broke to the knockout rounds in spite of a third place finish in the "Group of Death," and as it turned out, that draw against the United States ended up being vital. The Swedish ladies haven't led since blowing leads of 2-0 and 3-2 against Nigeria in the opening round, and we're really not all that sure that they ever truly recovered from that opening match.
Germany ended its second match of the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Norway which felt like a loss, but aside from that, it just toyed with its foes. The Germans crushed Thailand 4-0 (though they didn't cover the 6.5-goal spread), but their opening match against the Ivory Coast was their most impressive game, a 10-0 thrashing in which a pair of players had hat tricks.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Theoretically, both Celia Sasic and Anja Mittag, two of the best attackers in the world, should have some space in this match. However, we just aren't so sure that the stout Swedish defense is going to be willingly giving way.
Sweden was pressed the hardest in the World Cup by teams which really came to the forefront attacking with a lot of speed. Germany is a lot more methodical in its attack and will use its size and strength more than quickness to create opportunities.
That's not to say that there isn't a clear edge in this match, because there certainly is. Germany, for our money, has one of the best sides in the entire world. However, after struggling with one Scandinavian team in Norway, this could once again be problematic with Sweden.
We love that 8 to 1 price tag on the women in yellow and blue, though we do recognize that it is going to be a steep, uphill battle to eliminate the mighty Germans from this competition.
Sweden 1, Germany 0
The Women's World Cup lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker Sportsbook with Germany lined as a -260 moneyline favorite and a total of 2.5 (over -120). 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 Germany and Sweden is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 4:00 p.m. ET at TD Place Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The match will be televised live on FOX Sports 1.
