South Africa, the first African nation to host the World Cup, is counting down the days to the opening match of the world’s most prolific sporting event.
Opening the 2010 World Cup’s proceedings will be the clash of the home nation and Mexico to be held at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg on the 11th of June.
Spanning a month in which the world will come to a standstill to watch, the final will be held on the 11th of July back at the Soccer City Stadium, after the 32 teams starting the 2010 World Cup are culled down to just the final two.
While it may seem a while away, World Cup betting is certainly hotting up and Sportsbet have some great soccer betting odds on the tournament, with a range of exciting markets.
Currently going into the tournament as favourite for the outright win is Spain at $5. With a rock in goal through Iker Casillas and the powerful David Villa upfront – the nation’s squad is one of the strongest and deepest coming into the tournament and may well be a safe bet.
Currently going into the tournament as favourite for the outright win is Spain at $5.
Close behind in the World Cup betting odds is the South American dominant soccer force Brazil at $5.50. The side’s toughest competitor in the Group stage is Portugal; however Brazil should not face too many difficulties, with Korea DPR and Côte d’Iviore making up Group G.
Third in the current FIFA world rankings are the Netherlands, who go into the 2010 World Cup with long odds, at $16. The Dutch side may struggle in the Group stages having Denmark, Japan and Cameroon to contend with, the latter the most successful African nation at the World Cup.
With World Cup betting options at Sportsbet, punters can wager on which side will finish top of each Group, with reigning World Cup Champions Italy topping the odds for Group F at $1.42.
Also on offer, perhaps more enticing to the passionate Socceroos fans, is which stage the Aussie side will make it to before getting eliminated. The odds are favouring the Group stage at $1.45, however for the loyal punter, placing a bet on Australia finishing as runner up would give a lucrative payout with the odds at $67.
Other markets on offer are which Australian player will be the highest goal scorer at the tournament, specials regarding New Zealand’s World Cup campaign, and which two teams from each group will qualify for the top 16.
So to place a bet on your favourite side, or to check out these great markets on offer, head to SportsBet now!
