“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making.
The Women’s World Cup is finally here, and you can watch all the amazing action unfold on FOX Sports and the FOX Sports App over the next month.
It’s no surprise to fans and bettors that the USWNT comes into the tourney as the favorite (+240, bet $10 to win $34 total). They’ve won the past two tournaments and are on a mission to make history and win three in a row.
With opening week upon us, I’ve identified a few futures bets to make before the fun really gets started.
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So let’s dive into my best bets to make before the grand spectacle begins.
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United States to reach semifinals (-160)
The USWNT has never failed to reach the World Cup semifinals, which should again be the case this year.
The U.S. is heavily favored to win Group E, giving the team a potential path of facing Italy in the Round of 16 and Japan or Norway in the quarters. The semifinal would be a test, as the list of likely opponents includes Canada, France or host nation Australia.
But anything short of another semifinal appearance would be both a surprise and a disappointment for the favorites.
PICK: United States -160 to reach semifinals (bet $10 to win $16.25 total)
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France to reach quarterfinals (-125)
It seems this is always the case, but there’s drama surrounding a French National Team. Essentially a player revolt led to a coaching change, so enter Hervé Renard. Drama aside, France is still one of the most talented teams on the field. And as I mentioned above, France could face the U.S. in the semis.
The players got the desired coaching change, but now they need to go out and perform. I like France to win Group F over Brazil, placing them in a Round of 16 match with the runner-up to Germany in Group H — Colombia, Korea or Morocco. And that would more than likely put them in the quarters.
PICK: France -125 to reach quarterfinals (bet $10 to win $18 total)
Top goalscorer: Fridolina Rolfö, Sweden (+5000)
According to the oddsmakers, Alex Morgan and Sophia Smith may be the top two choices to lead the tournament in goals, but I have my eye on someone way down the list to have a big month — Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfö.
Rolfö scored the goal which gave Barcelona the Women’s Champions League title last month, was tied for the team lead in goals during qualifying and isn’t afraid to try from distance. She will obviously have to compete with teammate Stina Blackstenius for goals, but if Sweden is to make a deep run, Rolfö will be a big reason why.
PICK: Fridolina Rolfö +5000 top goalscorer (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Italy stage of elimination: Round of 16 (-135)
I’ll keep this bet simple. Italy should finish runner-up to Sweden in Group G, which would line it up for a Round of 16 matchup with the United States — enough said.
PICK: Italy -135 to lose in Round of 16 (bet $10 to win $17.41 total)
Sweden to win World Cup (+1400)
After being trounced 4-0 by England in last year’s Euros, there may be a buy-low opportunity on a side that will win its group and has world-class players in Stina Blackstenius, Kosovare Asllani and Fridolina Rolfö.
One negative is that Sweden looks to be on the loaded side of the draw, where the four quarterfinalists could be Sweden, England, Germany and Spain. All of those squads are talented enough to win this event.
Historically, Sweden has a great track record, reaching the World Cup semifinals four times. Maybe this is finally their year.
PICK: Sweden +1400 to win World Cup (bet $10 to win $150 total)
New Zealand to advance from Group A (-120)
New Zealand has never won a WWC match, but this group offers hope for advancement. An opening match with Norway is by far the toughest match in the group, and if the Football Ferns can escape with a draw or even a 1-0 loss, they would be in very good shape. And that’s assuming they handle the Philippines as expected and get a point against Switzerland.
At this price, this is definitely a bet worth making.
PICK: New Zealand -120 to advance from Group A (bet $10 to win $18.33 total)
Chris “The Bear” Fallica has covered sports for nearly three decades. While college football has been his focus, he also enjoys the NFL, Soccer, Golf, Tennis, MLB, NHL and Horse Racing, with an “occasional” wager on such events. Chris recently won the inaugural Circa Football Invitational and finished in the Top 10 of the Golden Nugget Football Contest. He’s a multiple-time qualifier for the NHC Handicapping Championship. Remember, “The less you bet, the more you lose when you win!” Follow him on Twitter @chrisfallica.
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