2022 FIFA World Cup Group A Betting
Host Qatar is part of the World Cup for the first time as a result of its automatic entry into the tournament for holding the competition within its borders. Qatar is trying to avoid becoming the second host nation (after South Africa in 2010) not to make the knockout rounds, but the oddsmakers don’t like their chances of making the Round of 16. They have the longest odds to win the World Cup of any team in Group A and are the biggest underdogs in the group too.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will begin on Monday, November 21 and run through the final on Sunday, December 18. All the action can be seen on FOX or FS1.
World Cup Group A Betting Odds and Preview
The Netherlands were the lucky Pot 2 team that were drawn into Qatar’s group. The Dutch are odds-on favorites to win Group A after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Oranje will look to win their first World Cup, and they have been very close in the recent past. Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie helped lead the Flying Dutchmen to a third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup and a runner-up finish at the 2010 World Cup. We have seen the Netherlands finish runner-up in 1974 and 1978 too, and they made it to the semifinals in 1998.
Senegal is taking part in its third World Cup. The Lions of Teranga stunned the soccer world by making it to the quarterfinals of the 2002 World Cup, and they were the best team to not make the knockout rounds in Russia four years ago. Sadio Mane lifted his team over Liverpool teammate Mo Salah and Egypt to make it to Qatar, but it didn’t come without controversy due to the use of dozens of laser pointers in both legs of the showdown.
This will be the fourth trip to the World Cup for Ecuador. They were one of the last South American teams to qualify for the most prestigious tournament in international football, as they didn’t make it to the World Cup for the first time until 2002. Ecuador has only made it to the knockout rounds of this tournament once, and that came in 2006 when they knocked off Poland and Costa Rica to make the Round of 16.
Qatar is making its World Cup debut. They are seen as the weakest host since South Africa in 2010, and they are the longshots to win the group. However, Qatar can’t be ignored as this nation was able to dominate the field at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. Almoez Ali scored seven goals in the Group Stage on his way to winning the Golden Boot and being named the best player at the tournament. Qatar was superb on defense in 1-0 wins over Iraq and South Korea in the first two knockout rounds before hammering the United Arab Emirates and Japan to claim their first international title.
2022 FIFA World Cup Group A Schedule
Senegal vs. Netherlands – Sunday, November 20, 2022, 5 a.m. ET at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha (FOX)
Qatar vs. Ecuador – Monday, November 21, 2022, 11 a.m. ET at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor (FOX)
Qatar vs. Senegal – Friday, November 25, 2022, 8 a.m. ET at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha (FS1)
Netherlands vs. Ecuador – Friday, November 25, 2022, 11 a.m. ET at Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan (FOX)
Netherlands vs. Qatar – Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 10 a.m. ET at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor (FOX)
Ecuador vs. Senegal – Tuesday, November 29, 2022, 10 a.m. ET at Khalia International Stadium in Al Rayyan (FS1)
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