World Cup 2022 Betting Tips, Best Odds & Analysis

The 2022 World Cup will take place in November and December after FIFA decided that the heat in the gulf nation would be unbearable in the summer. The group stage gets underway on November 21, and the final is slated to take place at the Lusail Iconic Stadium on December 18.

That will disrupt the club season in Europe, while the tournament is also mired in controversy due to allegations of bidding corruption and the treatment of migrant workers building the stadiums in a country with no footballing infrastructure. However, Qatar has now adopted new labour reforms, which Amnesty International called “a significant step towards protecting migrant workers”.

Europe will have 13 representatives at the tournament, while Africa will send five teams to Qatar. There will be at least four teams from South America, four from Asia and three from North America, but intercontinental playoffs will determine the other two spots. Qualification will run until June 2022, but big teams like France, England, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Brazil are already top of their qualifying groups.

Brazil have been installed as the narrow favourites to win their first World Cup since legendary striker Ronaldo put Germany to the sword in 2002. It is easy to see why. Tite’s men have won all their first six World Cup qualifying games in imperious fashion, leaving them six points clear of Argentina at the top of the table.

They suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Argentina in the final of Copa America this summer, but the future looks bright for the Samba Boys. Their under-23 team, led by overage stars Richarlison and Dani Alves, just beat a strong Spanish side to win the Olympic gold medal. The likes of Matheus Cunha, Paulinho, Malcom, Antony, Matheus Henrique, Reinier and Diego Carlos point to a bright future for Brazil.

Brazil have always been dangerous in attack. Neymar, Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus will lead the charge in Qatar, following in the footsteps of greats like Pele, Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Tostão and Zito. Yet Brazil are also now exceptionally solid at the back. They have the two best goalkeepers in the Premier League in Alisson and Ederson, while central defender Marquinhos is a titan. Thiago Silva is still going strong, the full-backs are excellent, and Real Madrid’s Casemiro screens the defence well.

Brazil will take some stopping. However, they are priced at just 11/2 with most sportsbooks, including Paddy Power, William Hill and 888 Sport, which might not be particularly appealing. You will find a lot more value if you look a little further down the list of contenders.

Reigning world champions France have drifted out to 6/1 with bookmakers like William Hill and Unibet after a disastrous showing at Euro 2020. Les Bleus won just one of their four games and crashed out in the Round of 16 after losing a penalty shootout to Switzerland. They boast a wealth of world-class talent in the likes of Kylian Mbappe, N’Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann, but there is disharmony in the squad. Some seemed upset about Karim Benzema’s recall, while Adrien Rabiot’s mother was apparently stirring up trouble. If they play to their full potential, France will destroy all of their opponents, but can you rely on them to do so?

A better bet might be England at 8/1 with Bet365, William Hill, 888 Sport and Unibet. The Three Lions had the second youngest squad at the 2018 World Cup, and they went all the way to the semi-finals. They had the second youngest squad again at Euro 2020, and they finished runners-up after losing the final on penalties. Gareth Southgate’s players should maintain their upward curve over the next 18 months. They are very strong in defence, and if Southgate can find a way to unshackle the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish in attack, England could finally end their trophy drought.

At odds of 8/1, you can afford to go each-way on England and still quadruple your stake if they finish the tournament as runners-up. Bookmakers have not yet released odds on how far teams will progress, but a wager on England to reach the semi-finals will be very appealing.

Spain (9/1) are attracting a lot of action, but they lack cutting edge in attack. Argentina might be interesting at 12/1, but their defence and midfield look a little lightweight. Belgium’s golden generation is on its last legs and Germany were dismantled by England at the Euros, so they do not look appealing from a betting perspective right now.

Italy at 11/1 with Unibet stand out as another leading contender for glory. They extended their unbeaten run to 34 games when they won Euro 2020. The fear is that Qatar in 2022 could be a bridge too far for veteran defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, but both men looked positively sprightly in the final against England. The Italians have a world-class midfield featuring Marco Verratti, Jorginho and Nicolo Barella, plus an abundance of exciting young talent, a superstar forward in Federico Chiesa and arguably the world’s best goalkeeper in Gianluigic Donnarumma, so 11/1 looks like a great price.

The Netherlands could be formidable at the 2022 World Cup. They were missing star player Virgil van Dijk for Euro 2020, but they still put in some encouraging performances before flopping in the knockout stage. Frank de Boer fell on his sword, and the Dutch should fare better under the leadership of Louis van Gaal. They have talented youngsters like Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenbach, Matthijs de Ligt and Donyell Malen, so the Netherlands at 20/1 with Betway could be a good long-shot.

Another interesting value pick could be Portugal at 18/1. They need to find a way to accommodate star forwards Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Jota, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and João Félix. If those players are firing on all cylinders, Portugal could beat any team in the world. Rúben Dias leads a tough defence, while midfielders Rúben Neves and Renato Sanches will be approaching their prime by the winter of 2022, so you cannot write Portugal off.

The USA have improved significantly over the past few years. The days of the Americans playing second fiddle to Mexico in the CONCACAF region are over. They beat El Tri in the final of the Nations League and the Gold Cup this summer, emerging as the undisputed regional superpower. The Gold Cup victory was even more impressive when you consider that the USA fielded a reserve team.

Their best players are now thriving for Europe’s top clubs, including Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Giovanni Reyna and Sergiño Dest. The USA have a young squad, and there are lots of promising youngsters coming through the ranks, including Daryl Dike and Timothy Weah. They are unlikely to win the World Cup – the goal for the Americans is 2026, when they will be a host nation – but a speculative punt on the USA at 100/1 with BetVictor or Betway could be fun. A better bet would be the USA to reach the knockout stage when that market is published. Mexico generally reach the last 16, and there is no reason to think that the USA could not pull it off in 2022.

Another interesting long-shot is Qatar at 500/1 with Unibet. Once again, they are highly unlikely to actually win the tournament, but they could go further than expected. They do not have a great deal of homegrown talent, but they have built a strong squad comprised of players born in countries such as Iraq, Sudan, Algeria and Ghana, who have now become nationalised Qatari citizens.

Qatar won the Asian Cup in 2019, scoring 17 times and conceding just once in the process. Their 3-1 victory over Japan in the final was resounding. They played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer and went to the semi-finals, where they suffered a narrow defeat to the USA, but still finished as the tournament’s top scoring team. Host nations often enjoy a strong World Cup – remember South Korea in 2002 – so Qatar could also spring a few surprises and reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

The odds will move about dramatically in the months ahead, and we will provide updated tips when the tournament approaches and more betting markets have been released.

Canada look to be in with a decent chance of qualifying for their first World Cup since 1986, having reached the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers for the first time since that same year.

Having topped their first qualifying round group with four wins from four, John Herdman's squad recorded a resounding 4-0 aggregate win over Haiti to advance to the third round.

They are one of eight teams in the final round of qualifying alongside the United States, Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Panama.

They must finish in the top three to seal automatic qualification for Qatar 2022, while fourth place would send Canada into an intercontinental playoff.

Recent signs have been encouraging, with Canada reaching the Gold Cup semi-final even in the absence of their star player - Bayern Munich wing-back Alphonso Davies.

They fell to a 2-1 defeat late in injury time against Mexico after impressively dispatching Costa Rica in the quarter-final.

Cyle Larin and Junior Hoilett provide firepower up front for Canada and with Davies added to the mix, they should be a match for anyone in the qualifying group.

They will also be boosted by returning to BMO Field in Toronto for home games, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Mexico and the United States will be expected to claim two of the top three spots but there are plenty of evenly matched sides and Canada will fancy their chances.