MLB Best Bets – Free (Wednesday 5/15)
Josh Gross
Switzerland World Cup Team Preview
Switzerland
FIFA Ranking: 15
Manager: Murat Yakin
Federation: UEFA
Group: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon
Odds to win World Cup: +9000, FanDuel
Odds to win Group G: +490, FanDuel
Odds to advance in Group G: -120, FanDuel
How did Switzerland qualify for the World Cup?
Switzerland won Group C of the UEFA’s World Cup qualifiers giving them an automatic spot into the field in Qatar. They did not lose a single one of their qualifying games.
Who is Switzerland’s most important player?
Granit Xhaka
The Arsenal midfield has been the heartbeat of his team for a few years with over 100 caps for Switzerland. His box-to-box style of play means he is essential on both ends of the pitch. While La Nati won’t rely on Xhaka for goal production, they do need him to create chances and slow their opponents’ best midfielders. He has been playing against the best of the best in a long career in the Premier League and will be up to the task of leading his team as captain.
What are Switzerland’s strengths, weaknesses, style of play and form?
Over the last handful of years, Switzerland has shown that their biggest strengths are chemistry and balance. They have transitioned to a more balanced 4-2-3-1 formation. They do not have many — if any — true superstars or standout players but they do have good players up and down the roster. This seems to bring them together to play in a true team-first fashion. Their defense is another strength as they only allowed two goals in their qualifiers, however, they have not quite been as tidy defensively in the Nations League.
I think Switzerland’s main weakness right now is in the attack. In past years, you could have argued that this was a strength, but guys like Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic and Xherdan Shaqiri have since fallen out of favor with their club teams. They did not score many goals throughout their qualifying campaign or the Nations League this summer, and questions will be asked about who can find the back of the net for them in the World Cup.
Switzerland have won their last three games and played against good competition including Spain, Portugal, and Czech Republic. A tune-up match against Ghana right before the tournament will be a good test for them.
What is Switzerland’s World Cup Outlook?
Switzerland will likely be fighting against Serbia to take second place in Group G. If they advance, they will need someone to have a hot hand in front of the net — maybe Noah Okafor — or else I worry about them being able to score enough to advance deep into the tournament.
Best Switzerland World Cup Bet
I had difficulty finding a best bet to put here for Switzerland. Their odds to advance won’t pay out well especially considering Serbia and Brazil could easily finish above them. You also can’t lay the juice on them not advancing. Betting them straight to finish as Group G runners-up at +170 is not terrible, but I am going with betting on them to finish with exactly four points on FanDuel at +270.
Switzerland Projected World Cup Roster
GK: Gregor Kobel, Philipp Kohn, Jonas Omlin, Yann Sommer
DF: Manuel Akanji, Eray Comert, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar, Silvan Widmer
MF: Michel Aebischer, Edimilson Fernandes, Fabian Frei, Remo Freuler, Ardon Jashari, Fabian Rieder, Xherdan Shaqiri, Djibril Sow, Renato Steffen, Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria
FW: Breel Embolo, Christian Fassnacht, Noah Okafor, Haris Seferovic, Ruben Vargas
Group A | Ecuador Senegal Netherlands Qatar
Group B | Iran Wales USA England
Group C | Mexico Saudi Arabia Poland Argentina
Group D | Tunisia Denmark Australia France
Group E | Japan Germany Costa Rica Spain
Group F | Croatia Morocco Canada Belgium
