World Cup 2018

[Kevloaf]

I know this isn't general horse racing, but a big sporting event and lots of people will have a bet on it.

My outright winner is Spain at 6/1 (not backed it yet) Will do soon though

Not looked in to the top scorer markets yet but anyone else going to be punting on this?

[BigChaang]

Yes Kev , I don't do much football betting , but usually get involved in the Euro's and world cup . Mainly i do the half time / full time
Reversed , Unless it's Brazil v australia (example ) then i just do Aus H/T brz F/T.
You get my drift !, usually pays around 25-1 , so you only need a couple to pop in and
your'e in the money.

[BigChaang]

Other than that , just the England games , correct score / first goalscorer .

[Hurricane fly]

Can’t see past Germany for the winner and there is great value in Thomas Muller as top scorer e/w at 33/1

[HardyEustace]

Germany or Spain for the winner.

Cavani for top goalscorer at 25s - The Golden Boot is usually won in the group stages with four of the last six winners (five of seven if you account for joint winners in 1994) scoring at least half their total in the group stages, Uruguay are in a very weak group and should score a decent amount against poor opposition, Cavani top scored in South American qualifying and was top scorer in Ligue 1 this season, so he looks overpriced when compared to some of the bigger names at shorter prices.

[MrMcGoldrick]

I see Sky has a special offer, if you back an outright winner before the tourny and they are knocked out, you get your money back as a free bet.

[Kevloaf]

Germany or Spain for the winner.

Cavani for top goalscorer at 25s - The Golden Boot is usually won in the group stages with four of the last six winners (five of seven if you account for joint winners in 1994) scoring at least half their total in the group stages, Uruguay are in a very weak group and should score a decent amount against poor opposition, Cavani top scored in South American qualifying and was top scorer in Ligue 1 this season, so he looks overpriced when compared to some of the bigger names at shorter prices.

Like the reasoning there.

[Gamm76]

Fancy France or even Belgium to put in a good effort this time around and with Hardy giving some reasoning on the golden boot (Cavani) - Skybet have a France to win (as prefer their possible route to the final over Belgium’s) and Cavani top scorer 200-1 I will put some loose change on I think! Plus will also do them as singles - France 6-1 and money Back offer on Skybet and Cavani 28-1

[charlie]

Name the semi finalists starts at 33/1. Gonna have a look at the groups and potential knockout stages tomorrow

[Hurricane fly]

William Hill doing bet £10 on the winner get a £5 free bet every time they win a game
Also
£10 top goal scorer get £5 every time they score


Would be shocked if you don’t have your money back after the group stages if you back France or Germany.

I’m still fancying Muller top goal scorer but the England fan in me might have to back Kane with the offer

[Quevega]

I've backed Coutinho for top scorer. 80-1 bet365.
His goalscoring rate is improving all the time and he's scored 10 in 22 (not all starting) for Barcelona, despite not being the main man (not on penalties or free kicks) and also being substituted regularly around the hour mark.
I think he's likely to play just behind the strikers for Brazil and should be the main playmaker. Of all the attacking midfielders in the big teams capable of going all the way, then he looks most likely to score well.
If neymar is not fit then he may even get in on the set pieces or penalties.
The group looks ok and potentially Brazil could score goals in the group.
Anyhow 80-1 looked big for one of my favourite players.

[HardyEustace]

Another market I’ve been looking at is the Golden Ball (for best player). This is obviously a lot harder to predict with it being so subjective and voted for by the media and marketers, while it can sometimes go to a name rather than the actual best player in the tournament, as highlighted by Messi winning it last time when being far from the best player in the tournament.

Anyway, one angle I have identified, and this might just be me being a massive cynic, is that the last four winners (Messi, Forlan, Zidane and Kahn) have all been sponsored by Adidas…one of the key sponsors of the World Cup.

With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Messi won it again, regardless of performances, but I’m tempted to chuck a few darts at some of the more marketable/bigger name players sponsored by Adidas at longer odds – Pogba (40), Silva (33), Kroos (50), Muller (33), Suarez (33).

[Faugheen_Machine]

My first bet. Sterling top goalscorer at 100/1.

[charlie]

Thomas Müller @ 25/1 (Skybet) stands out by an absolute mile. Won the Golden Boot in 2010 with 5 goals and Silver Boot in 2014 with 5 goals. Since 1966 the average number of goals is 6, and he is one of only three players to have netted at least five goals in his first two World Cup's. He is only 28 (I thought he was early 30's) so in his prime and part of a German team that has the right mix of talent and experience in major tournaments. The one potential negative is Germany's World Cup Group which is far more competitive than others, and historically more of the goals scored to win the golden boot are scored at the group stage. That being said, the 2014 World Cup delivered almost three goals per game on average in the first round, compared to less than two goals per game in South Africa four years before, and I can see a similar trend this time around. Yes, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea are tougher opponents, but I expect Germany to dispatch of all of them and Müller to be banging them in left and right.

[MrMcGoldrick]

I know very little about footie so I usually try to give myself an interest in this and have done ok on occasion. I always try to look for something "outside the box", see what I did there. Anyway one small bet I've placed is for Costa Rica to make the quarter finals at 14/1, plus a bet on them winning a group game, which would cover my other bet. Probably a bit mad but you never know, I will pinch some ideas from you guys who have much more knowledge of this than me.