Outside of the final group games in Group G and Group H, the next round of the World Cup has been all but set. Two weeks into the tournament and we’ve already seen our share of shocking results—a lot of which have had direct impacts on our pockets.
Now that we’re preparing to enter the next stage of the World Cup, let’s look back at the early betting winners and losers of the World Cup. Granted, the tournament is far from finished but we at least get a good indication on how the tournament has gone and what we should expect moving forward.
Winner(s): Leo Messi and Neymar
The Barcelona teammates were penciled in as favorites to win the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer. At the close of their group stage games, Messi (7/1) and Neymar (10/1) are tied for the lead of goals scored in the tournament at four apiece, rewarding those who backed either of the two with tremendous chances of cashing in on impressive odds. Germany’s Thomas Muller can join on top with a goal against the US tonight and if he does, it’s going to be sweet music for those who backed the Bayern forward who came into the tournament with 28/1 odds to win the Golden Boot.
Loser(s): Luis Suarez and Uruguay
Luis Suarez just can’t seem to get out of his own way. Before Uruguay’s game against Italy, Suarez was the toast of the World Cup, single-handedly eliminating England from the tournament with a virtuoso brace against the Three Lions. But all that goodwill and begrudging admiration being showered on Suarez dried up when he decided to go hamburger mode on the shoulders of Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini. This latest biting incident has put Suarez’s World Cup status in jeopardy because he’s probably going to be suspended for the rest of the tournament. If Suarez gets banned for the rest of the tourney, you can pretty much kiss Uruguay’s chances, too. You don’t need to look far to see how listless Uruguay was when Suarez isn’t on the pitch (they lost, 3-1 to Costa Rica) so if he’s out for the rest of the World Cup, it’s not hard to think that Uruguay will follow him out the door soon. Say goodbye to those 25/1 pre-tournament odds.
Winner(s): Colombia’s goal-scoring celebrations
If you haven’t been paying attention, FIFA awards a Most Entertaining Team award after the tournament. At this point, that team has been Colombia. From their elaborate and hysterical goal celebrations, all the way to the seamless and successful way they retooled their style after star striker Radamel Falcao’s injury; Colombia has been the picture of must-watch football in the group stages. You still get decent 12/1 odds if you bet on them now, but those 50/1 pre-tournament odds were especially juicy.
Loser(s): Any bet on England that doesn’t include them exiting early
To think we dedicated a whole piece on prop betting options for England’s World Cup chances. Not only did the Three Lions fall flat on their faces, but they managed to win a grand total of zero matches in the group stages. Heck, the team didn’t even have the lead for a single second in any of their three group stage matches. It was a pitiful performance that underscored the sorry state the country’s national team is in these days. If you happen to have been enticed by those England props we showed, please accept our apologies for wasting your time.
Winner(s): COSTA RICA!
Group D was quietly touted as another wide-open group ahead of the World Cup. Italy, Uruguay, and England were all grouped together and picking two of the three to advance caused a lot of heated debates. The other team in the group was Costa Rica. Or as we’re going to call them now, COSTA RICA! Not only they left for dead even before the tournament began, they actually had 2,000/1 to win Group D. At one point or another, they were either described as not being good enough to hang with Italy and Uruguay and were clear inferiors to England. Well, they beat Italy, 1-0. They also demolished Uruguay, 3-1, before finishing a goal less draw against England in a game that had no bearing to them because they had already won Group D! COSTA RICA!
Loser(s): Spain
It’s hard to explain how the defending champions and the team regarded as the blueprint to beautiful football was one of the first teams to be eliminated from the competition. But that’s what happened to Spain after back-to-back spankings at the hands of the Netherlands (5-1) and Chile (2-0). They did salvage some pride by dismantling Australia, 3-0 but that game was nothing more than a glorified friendly between two teams that were already eliminated even before the game began. It’s tough watching Spain exit the way they did but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
