USWNT-Netherlands betting recap: Draw huge win for sportsbooks

Patrick Everson

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

Team USA dodged defeat on the field against a stingy Netherlands squad. However, those who bet on the Red, White & Blue took a loss in the Women’s World Cup odds market Wednesday night.

The U.S. Women’s National Team fell behind 1-0 early on but got the equalizer in the 62nd minute and settled for a 1-1 draw in a rematch of the 2019 Women’s World Cup final.

WynnBet trader Dominick DeBonis provides insights on a winning night for U.S. sportsbooks.

Let’s dive into the betting recap.

Tie Goes to the Bookmakers

When it comes to soccer, bookmakers love a draw outcome in the three-way moneyline market. That’s because draw consistently takes limited action, with bettors more enthused about wagering on a team to win. Especially when that team hails from the United States.

WynnBet opened the USWNT as a -120 favorite (bet $10 to win $18.33 total), with Netherlands a +320 underdog and draw +285. Team USA took far more tickets and money – about 80% of both at WynnBet – while moving out to -160 (bet $10 to win $16.25 total) by game time, with Netherlands going to +500.

And who could blame the bettors? After all, the U.S. entered the match on an 18-game unbeaten streak, including 13 consecutive victories.

Those few who bet the draw, which closed at +260, were the only ones who cashed.

“Draw was an excellent result for us. The Dutch holding onto the outright lead would have been excellent, as well,” DeBonis said. “It was a big decision. We took as much [money] as we’ve had on any event this year that wasn’t football or basketball.”

BetMGM reported that 78% of bets made and 87% of dollars wagered were on Team USA. Netherlands took just 12% of tickets/7% of money, and draw saw 10% of tickets/6% of money.

United States vs. Netherlands recap

Rob Stone, Carli Lloyd and Alexi Lalas break down everything you need to know in the United States vs. Netherlands matchup.

It’s Never Under Till It’s Over

One of the hottest trends on the 2023 Women’s World Cup odds board has been the Under hitting on each match’s total goals. Heading into the USA-Netherlands match, the Under was a stout 16-5.

Make that 17-5 now, with the total staying below 2.5 in the 1-1 contest. However, most public/recreational bettors believed this match was destined to see the Over hit. So the Under added to sportsbooks’ haul.

“Anytime you get draw and Under in a big soccer game result, you’re doing well,” DeBonis said. “We took some larger-than-usual bets on Over, on both the 2.5 and some alternate totals. A second U.S. goal would have made a big difference [for bettors].”

A trend even more torrid than the Under? The Yes/No prop bet of Both Teams To Score. The No on that prop was a scorching 19-2 through the first 21 matches. But with both the U.S. and Netherlands finding the back of the net, a Yes wager cashed for just the third time in this tournament.

Yet DeBonis said the Both Teams To Score prop didn’t attract much interest at WynnBet. However, at BetMGM, the customers got a win by defying the trend, as 95% of money wagered was on Yes +120.

Next up for the USWNT is the third and final match in Group E against Portugal at 3 a.m. ET Tuesday on FOX and the FOX Sports app. A win assures a spot in the 16-team knockout stage, and oddsmakers certainly project a U.S. victory.

Most sportsbooks don’t have USA-Portugal up yet on the Women’s World Cup odds board. But The SuperBook has the three-way moneyline at U.S. -310/Portugal +800/draw +370. DraftKings is in the same ballpark, with a moneyline of U.S. -295/Portugal +700/draw +390.

Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.

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