Today’s Best Bets
Sam Choudhury
The 2022 World Cup final is a virtual tossup. The latest betting odds barely favor France to beat Argentina in Qatar and win the championship for the second time in four years.
France has -120 odds (54.55% implied probability) at BetMGM to win the 2022 World Cup final. Argentina is technically the underdog with -110 World Cup odds in Sunday’s match.
There’s a good chance the World Cup final will have to be decided in extra time. France has +170 odds to win the final in regular time. Argentina isn’t far behind with +180 odds to win the championship without extra time. The odds of a tie at the end of regular time are +200.
If the World Cup final is anything like the last match between these two teams, Sunday’s contest is going to be a thriller. France ousted Argentina in the Round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup. Kylian Mbappé had two goals in the 4-3 victory.
Will France win back-to-back World Cups or is Argentina primed for its first title in over four decades?
Why is France Favored to Win the 2022 World Cup?
It’s easy to see why France has the best odds to win the World Cup. In addition to being the defending champs, the French national team is led by arguably the best player in the tournament. Mbappé has been outstanding in Qatar, registering five goals and two assists.
France advanced to the World Cup final by defeating Morocco 2-0 in Wednesday’s semifinal, ending the nation’s miracle run in Qatar. France had a close call in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 victory over England when Harry Kane missed a penalty in the 84th minute that would’ve tied the match. France clinched a spot in the knockout stage after its first two matches in group play and was able to rest its starters in a relatively meaningless 1-0 loss against Tunisia.
A victory for France would be historic, making it the first reigning World Cup champion in 60 years to successfully defend its title. Brazil was the last team to win back-to-back World Cups, doing so in 1958 and 1962.
Can Argentina Win the World Cup?
Argentina has been one of the World Cup favorites all year. The team got off to a rocky start in Qatar, but it quickly rebounded in hopes of making it to the final. Now, Lionel Messi is one step away from leading Argentina to a championship in what’s expected to be the legendary soccer players’ last World Cup appearance.
Argentina started the knockout stage with one of the biggest upset losses in World Cup history, falling to Saudi Arabia 2-1 in their opening match. Messi and Co. responded well to adversity, leading the club to a pair of 2-0 wins over Mexico and Poland. Argentina needed penalties to defeat The Netherlands in the Round of 16. By shutting out 2018 World Cup runner-up Croatia 3-0 in the semifinals, Argentina certainty looked like a future World Cup champion.
Argentina last won the World Cup in 1978. Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final.
