After over 3,600 minutes of soccer the 2010 World Cup boils down to just four teams – Germany, Netherlands, Spain and Uruguay – battling it out for the greatest prize in the game.
The odds to win the World Cup at 5Dimes sportsbook can barely separate the three European sides, all priced around 3.10* with Uruguay the big under-dogs at 11.35*. The all important semi finals take place on Tuesday – with the Netherlands vs Uruguay – followed by Spain vs Germany on Wednesday. Then the tournament reaches its climax on Sunday, when the 19th World Cup winner will be crowned.
Make sure you get the best outright World Cup betting at 5Dimes sportsbook. Whichever teams make it to the knockout round, you will find the best last 16 World Cup odds at 5Dimes sportsbook, including 1×2′s with a 97% payout, and last 16 odds to advance to the quarter finals.
World Cup Semi Final Betting – One Game From the Final
As the group phase of the 2010 World Cup draws to a close the draw for the knockout stage is beginning to become clear. It is often said that at this stage, the tournament starts again, with form in the group stages forgotten, so don’t let your judgement be too clouded by what has gone before.
The top section offers the easiest passage with one of Uruguay, South Korea, USA or Ghana making it to the semi-final – something to bear in mind when looking at their odds to win the World Cup.
Last 16 Game 1 (June 26): URUGUAY vs SOUTH KOREA odds – Uruguay 1.870*, South Korea 5.00*, Draw 3.510*
Uruguay qualified as surprise winners of Group A, capitalising on the disarray in the French camp, but did so on merit, going through their three games undefeated.
Diego Forlan was instrumental in their success, and it will be essential for South Korea to shackle the Atletico Madrid forward if they are to have any chance of repeating the success of reaching the semi-finals in 2002.
Uruguay haven’t progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals since 1970 so self-belief will be an important issue, and they come into the game as favourites against a side for whom playing in the last 16 is bonus.
The Koreans rode their luck against Nigeria in their final Group game, and though things can be very different in the knockout stages, the 4-1 defeat by Argentina is a key line of form. Odds to progress to quarter finals: Uruguay 1.427*, South Korea 3.130*
Last 16 Game 2 (June 26): USA vs GHANA odds – USA 2.680*, Ghana 3.000*, Draw 3.180*
The USA are the team that refuse to lie down. They came from behind to draw with England and Slovenia, and never gave up against Algeria, needing a win to progress.
The crucial goal came in the 92nd minute from Landon Donovan, sending the American fans delirious, and putting the USA through as Group C winners, setting up a clash with Ghana, runners-up from Group D.
The Black Stars look like being the only African nation in the last 16, so will have huge local support, but it was a nail-biting finish to Group C as Ghana lost to Germany in their final game, and were fortunate that Serbia couldn’t get a point against Australia.
Both teams will be happy to have avoided the big-guns, and will know that only Uruguay and South Korea stand in the way of a semi-final place. These sides met in the Group phase of the 2006 World Cup where a 2-1 win for Ghana sent them into the knockout-stage so the USA will be out for revenge, and the World Cup match odds at 5Dimes sportsbook has the Stars & Stripes as favourites to progress. Odds to progress to quarter finals: USA 1.877*, Ghana 2.050*
There are some important things to bear in mind for last 16 World Cup betting, these are one-off elimination matches, where a draw in 90 minutes takes the game into 30 minutes of extra-time, and if necessary the drama of penalties.
Though it may seem perverse, for some teams, penalties can actually be an attractive option as most of any differential in abilities is wiped away, so don’t be surprised to see many under-dogs playing very defensively, banking on the lottery of penalties. Of course you can betting the excitement of the last 16 knockout stage with live World Cup odds at best sportsbook priced to just 102%, giving you the best chance to win more.