Groups G and H get underway on Nov. 24. On the day, we’ll see Switzerland vs. Cameroon, Uruguay vs. South Korea, Portugal vs. Ghana, and World Cup favourite Brazil vs. Serbia.
This day should give us a pretty good indication of what the two groups will look like heading into the next round of action. Brazil, Uruguay, and Portugal are favourites to in their respective groups with potential dark horses in South Korea and Switzerland as ones to watch.
Here are the match day odds courtesy of bet365.
 | Match Odds |
|---|---|
| Switzerland vs. Cameroon | Switzerland (-138), Draw (+240), Cameroon (+450) |
| Uruguay vs. South Korea | Uruguay (-138), Draw (+250), South Korea (+400) |
| Portugal vs. Ghana | Portugal (-250), Draw (+375), Ghana (+750) |
| Brazil vs. Serbia | Brazil (-200), Draw (+320), Serbia (+550) |
Switzerland vs. Cameroon betting preview
| Match Odds |
|---|---|
| Switzerland vs. Cameroon | Switzerland (-138), Draw (+240), Cameroon (+450 |
| Total Goals | Over 2.5 (+120), Under 2.5 (-150) |
| To Score Anytime | Breel Embolo (+260) |
Though it is the favourite in this match, Switzerland comes in as an outright odds underdog. But remember, the Swiss shocked everyone by taking down France before ultimately losing to Spain in the quarterfinals of the Euro championships.
Of course, Switzerland is nowhere near the underdog that Cameroon is. This is Cameroon’s first World Cup appearance since 2014, though is has only made it past the group stage once (1990). Even against the Swiss, Cameroon will face an uphill battle to qualify out of Group G.
Switzerland wins if: It keeps the fight that took the nation deep in the Euros. Xherdan Shaqiri has been a bright spot for the club, though Breel Embolo and Granit Zhaka are more than capable of pulling their weight as well.
Cameroon wins if: Andre Onana is on top of his game. The Inter Milan goalkeeper has allowed just 14 goals in 27 national team games. With a hot keeper, there is no telling where a team can go, even if it’s Cameroon.
Mismatch to watch: Shaqiri has been one of the hottest members of the Swiss team, a unit that is picking up momentum at the right time with wins over Spain and Portugal in Nations League action. He will be one of the feature names for a Swiss team that looks to make it out of the group stage and into the Round of 16.
Prop to watch: The talk is typically about Haris Seferovic, but the value bet may be with Embolo. The talented Swiss player is +260 To Score Anytime in what should be a tightly-contested contest. If anyone is going to get on the board, it should be him (though there is competition from a few of his teammates).
Uruguay vs. South Korea betting preview
| Match Odds |
|---|---|
| Uruguay vs. South Korea | Uruguay (-138), Draw (+250), South Korea (+400) |
| Total Goals | Over 2.5 (+130), Under 2.5 (-163) |
| To Score First Goal | Luis Suarez (+450) |
Though Uruguay isn’t one of the major threats in this year’s World Cup, it will have an easier draw here. The team enters the tilt as -138 favourites to win outright.
South Korea, meanwhile, is making its 10th straight World Cup appearance. Though this country typically exits in the group stage, it has the game to advance to the knockout stages. With a strong, veteran roster they can quietly make noise.
Uruguay wins if: It figures out its goalkeeper situation. Fernando Muslera has been the constant, but he’s getting older, and his left knee is a question mark. Sergio Rochet may be the next man up, but there is uncertainty.
South Korea wins if: Son Heung-min is the driving force for this team, but he’s been battling injuries. He should be ready to go and is the team’s best player, not to mention the captain. He needs to be the driving force.
Mismatch to watch: Luis Suarez is quietly in the running for top scorer in the tournament. He’s going to be the driving force for the Uruguay offence; limiting him will be one of the necessary factors for a South Korean win.
Prop to watch: Suarez To Score Anytime is just +200. It’s a great value bet and one of the safer bets to make. If you want to get bold, taking him to score the first goal of the match at +450 is the way to go.
Portugal vs. Ghana betting preview
| Match Odds |
|---|---|
| Portugal vs. Ghana | Portugal (-250), Draw (+375), Ghana (+750) |
| Total Goals | Over 2.5 (-110), Under 2.5 (-110) |
| To Score Anytime | Cristiano Ronaldo (+120) |
As much of a mismatch as the Brazil versus Serbia game is, this one is not far off. Portugal is -250 to win, with Ghana +750 to walk away the as the victors. Portugal comes into the tournament with the ninth-shortest outright odds to win the tournament (+1400) and has something to prove coming out of this group.
A lightning rod of controversy right now, Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo will be looking to make his presence felt. He is one of the top scorers entering the tournament and will look to prove that the ugliness with Manchester United is a mistake on the part of Man U.
Portugal wins if: It doesn’t play sloppily. The talent disparity between the two sides is cavernous, and the Portuguese have the weapons to make Ghana pay early and often. Unless Portugal makes a ton of mistakes, the opportunities should be there.
Ghana wins if: It plays mistake-free from start to finish. Because Ghana doesn’t have the offensive firepower that Portugal has, it will need to be patient and wait for mistakes, taking advantage with impunity.
Mismatch to watch: All the talk will be about Ronaldo, but don’t overlook Matias Goncalo Ramos and Miguel Andre Silva. Both talented in their own right, they will get a chance to fly a bit under the radar, doing major damage along the way.
Prop to watch: Ronaldo To Score Anytime is just +120 and free money. He’s going to be fired up to prove Manchester United wrong in their recent spat, making Portugal’s presence known in this year’s World Cup.
Brazil vs. Serbia betting preview
| Match Odds |
|---|---|
| Brazil vs. Serbia | Brazil (-200), Draw (+320), Serbia (+550) |
| Total Goals | Over 2.5 (-138), Under 2.5 (+110) |
| To Score First | Neymar (+375) |
It’s hard to not like Brazil, the outright favourites to win it all (now +300) in 2022. It’s no understatement to say that Serbia has its hands full in this match.
The Brazilians are absolutely loaded up front. Junior Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Jose Vinicius Junior, and more all give the Brazilians the deepest attack in the tournament. Even with a subpar performance, it should be Brazil’s game to lose.
Brazil wins if: It shows up in the least. Brazil is the most stacked team in the tournament and Serbia just doesn’t have the depth to compete. Take your pick of offensive weapon and Brazil is ahead of the game. A total mismatch across the board.
Serbia wins if: Everything goes right. Defensively, the Serbians have to win the small battles and make no mistakes. Being patient is a must or Brazil will make them pay.
Mismatch to watch: The game as a whole. Brazil has so many weapons and Serbia will have to play the game of a lifetime to walk away with the victory.
Prop to watch: It is not a matter of if Brazil will score first, but who will score first. Neymar is the best bet in any case with +375 odds To Score First and +130 To Score Anytime. Given his status as one of the biggest scoring threats in the tournament, it looks like a solid bet.
