2018 World Cup Betting Guide
The 2018 World Cup gets underway on June 14th, with hosts Russia taking on Saudi Arabia in what will undoubtedly be a packed-out Luzhniki Stadium. The tournament is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event of the year, with 32 teams travelling to Russia in a bid to come out on top. Germany begin the competition as the reigning champions following their success in Brazil four years ago, however many of the world’s leading footballing nations will be quietly confident of lifting the famous trophy when the final takes place on July 15th.
Many have been eagerly anticipating the competition this summer, with a feast of action available to take in for fans. As a result, our 2018 World Cup betting guide is on hand to provide a complete breakdown of all aspects of the tournament, including some hugely attractive markets and potential winners. So no matter who you are supporting in Russia over the coming weeks, be sure to take in everything in which we have to offer, with our guide undoubtedly offering punters a better change of beating the bookmakers come the end of the competition.
The best 2018 World Cup Betting Sites
| Sportsbooks | Free Bets & Special Offers | Start |
|---|---|---|
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| Netbet T&C’s: +18 | New Players Only | Playthrough x6 (DEP. & BONUS) | T&Cs Apply. Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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| 888sport T&C’s: New customers only – Minimum deposit of £10 using deposit code 30f – A qualifying bet is a ‘real money’ stake of at least £10 (£20 e/w) placed on any sports markets – Minimum odds of 1/2 (1.5) – Free bets credited upon qualifying bet settlement and expire after 7 days – Free bet stakes not included in returns – Deposit method and withdrawal restrictions apply – full T&C’s apply | ||
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| Ladbrokes T&C’s: 18+. New customers only. Promo code ‘F50’ required. Certain deposit methods excluded. Min £/€5 on win or each-way bet excluding Tote or pools = match max £/€50 free bet. Min odds 1/2 (1.5). Bet must be made within 14 days. Free bet valid for 4 days. Free bet stake not returned. Single bets only. Free bet cannot be used on certain markets. T&Cs apply. Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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| Betfred T&C’s: New customers from UK & Northern Ireland. Stake £10 or more at odds of Evens (2.0) or greater on your first bet. £30 free bet credited in 48 hours of your first bet being settled. 7 day expiry. E-Wallet restrictions apply. Max 30 Free Spins on selected games. Full T&Cs apply. Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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| Betbright T&C’s: New Customers Only. 18+. Min Deposit £10. Max sports bonus £20. 5x wagering to release sports bonus. Min odds 1.8 (4/5). £20 casino bonus added within 24 hours of first sports bet settled. 40x wagering to release casino bonus. Fll T&Cs here. | ||
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| William Hill T&C’s: New William Hill online customers only. Min. unit stake of £10/€10 at odds of 1/2 or greater. Only the “win” part from EW bets will count. Free bet terms, payment method & country restrictions apply. Free bets credited as 3 x £10/€10. Free bet stakes are not returned as part of the settlement of successful free bets. All Free Bets must be wagered within 30 days. Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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| Betway T&C’s: *1.New Customers Only. 2. Min Deposit: £/€10. 3.1 x wagering at odds of 1.75+ to unlock Free Bet. 4.Credit Card, Debit Card & PayPal deposits only 5.Additional Terms Apply. Full terms apply. **1) Opt-in required, 2) Minimum total stake: £25 3) Enhanced prices exclude £10 4) Single Line Multiples including 3 or more Football selections only 5) Min. overall odds: 2/1 6) Real money bets only 7) Total amount of free bets awarded: £10 8) Two £5 Free Bets per customer, per promotion week 9) Free Bets credited in two instalments on Saturday and Monday 10) Additional Terms Apply. Full terms apply.Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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| 10Bet T&C’s: full T&Cs here. | ||
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| Karamba T&C’s: New customers only, Max one £10 Free Bet, qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 2.0(1/1) or greater , paid as bonus token with min odds reg, T&C apply. Please find the full T&Cs here. | ||
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Bet £10 & Get Your £30 Free Bet | Claim Now |
| Betsson T&C’s: 18+. T&Cs apply – full T&Cs here. | ||
2018 World Cup Betting Tips
Each and every match at this summer’s World Cup in Russia is set to attract a large amount of interest from betting customers, with all major bookmakers offering odds on such encounters. Whether it be holders Germany, favourites Brazil or a relative minnow such as Panama or Saudi Arabia, we cover all matches too, offering important match information, including team news, head-to-head records and attractive markets.
As well as simple match winner markets, we look at first goalscorers, number of goals and even potential red cards, with no stone left unturned in the process. There has never been a better time to enhance your knowledge before the World Cup gets underway, with our tips taking all factors into consideration, including available players, motivation and recent results.
2018 World Cup Offers
With the World Cup always attracting major interest from fans looking to add to their bank balance throughout the tournament, the battle of the bookmakers means that punters are able to take advantage of a variety of promotions. Such offers range from free bets and price boosts to accumulator insurance and money-back specials, helping punters to both maximise winnings and minimise losses.
As a result, we will constantly update fans on new bookmaker offers, which are often available to both new and existing customers. Our website is constantly updated with useful and relevant information surrounding the competition and betting platforms, perfect for those treating the tournament as a money-making opportunity.
2018 World Cup “How To Bet” Guide
Whether you are an experienced betting customer or something of a newbie within the industry, our World Cup betting guide is perfect for those looking to learn everything there is to know about the competition, including how to place successful bets. Be sure to check out our guide and match tips, before backing your favourite teams and players throughout the tournament.
2018 World Cup Location
Russia beat off strong competition from leading nations in order to gain the honour of hosting the 2018 World Cup, with this year’s competition being the first in Europe in 12 years. Taking place from June 14th to July 15th, matches will take place in 11 different cities, including the capital of Russia, Moscow. A total of 64 games help to make up the entire tournament, with the final taking place at the Luzhniki Stadium.
2018 World Cup Stadiums
12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities will help to host this summer’s World Cup, with the famous Luzhniki Stadium being the stage for both the first and last match of the tournament, with 81,000 people set to be in attendance for both. As well as this, stadiums in Saint Petersburg and Sochi are among the arena’s staging matches, with the complete list found below:
- Luzhniki stadium – With a capacity of just over 81,000, the Luzhniki Stadium was renovated back in the 90’s, making it one of Europe’s leading arena’s.
- Spartak Stadium – The home of Spartak Moscow has a capacity of over 43,000, with Argentina’s clash with Iceland the first match of the tournament to take place here.
- Nizhny Novgorod Stadium – One of the newly built stadiums for the Finals, a capacity crowd of over 45,000 is expected to enjoy matches such as England vs Panama and Sweden vs South Korea during the group stage.
- Mordovia Arena – Situated in Saransk, the Mordovia Arena is another of the stadiums built especially for the Finals. With a capacity of over 44,000, Euro 2016 winners Portugal will take on Iran here on June 25th.
- Kazan Arena – Having been opened in 2013, the Kazan Arena is designed by the same architects that worked on both Wembley and the Emirates, meaning that it has a familiar feel to it for English football fans.
- Samara Arena – Located over 600 miles from Moscow, the Samara Arena will host Costa Rica and Serbia first off, with over 44,000 fans able to pack into the newly built stadium.
- Ekaterinburg Arena – One of the oldest stadiums in Russia, the Ekaterinburg Arena has received a facelift ahead of the tournament, however still just 35,000 fans are catered for here.
- St Petersburg Stadium – Home of Zenit St. Petersburg, this stadium has a capacity of over 68,000, meaning that it comes as little surprise that it will host the first semi-final and third/fourth place playoff.
- Kaliningrad Stadium – With the smallest capacity in the tournament, this stadium is based on the home of Bayern Munich. Having once looked set to be a 45,000 seater stadium, now just over 35,000 fans are catered for.
- Volgograd Arena – Another purpose built stadium for the Finals, the Volgograd Arena will host England’s opening match against Tunisia, although no matches during the knockout phase of the competition.
- Rostov Arena – FC Rostov are set to use this as their new home after the Finals, with over 45,000 fans set to enjoy Brazil’s opening match of the competition against Switzerland.
- Fisht Stadium – Opened in 2013 with a capacity of around 47,000, the Fisht Stadium was used as the centrepiece for the Winter Olympics in 2014.
2018 World Cup Betting Markets
With this year’s World Cup set to be the biggest and most viewed in history, bookmakers are also looking to get in on the act, with the amount of betting markets available to customers also greater than ever. As well as match winner options, customers are able to bet on first goalscorer, golden boot winner, match goals and number of corners, as well as a host of other areas.
Outright betting is also another popular market both before and during the competition, with the likes of Brazil, Germany and Spain among the current favourites. Let’s take a close look at some of the most popular markets surrounding this summer’s tournament.
2018 World Cup Group Stage Betting
The group stage of the World Cup is viewed by many as the best possible opportunity to earn some winnings by backing your favourites.
This is due to the fact that many of the leading nations will take on nations that are ranked relatively poorly in the FIFA world rankings, meaning that they have a strong chance of winning at the end of 90 minutes. The following is a breakdown of the groups drawn this year, as well as some markets worth checking out:
- Hosts Russia have been joined by Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in Group A, with little separating the four teams leading into the competition. However, bookmaker Ladbrokes are offering Uruguay odds of 4/5 to come out on top after their three matches.
- Euro 2016 winners Portugal are joined by neighbours Spain in Group B, with the opening clash between the duo potentially going a long way to determining who will finish top of the standings. Spain are 1/2 with William Hill to finish on top.
- France are the undoubted favourites in Group C, with Australia, Peru and Denmark already looking set to battle it out for the runner-up position in the standings. Didier Deschamps’ men are 2/7 on with Coral to qualify as group winners.
- 2014 finalists Argentina will once again take on Nigeria at a World Cup, while Croatia and debutants Iceland will provide strong competition. Lionel Messi and Co are offered odds of 8/13 by Ladbrokes to win Group D.
- Brazil, favourites with many to win the 2018 World Cup, will take on Switzerland, Costa Rica and Switzerland, with the trio not expected to offer much of a threat to Tite’s side. The South American giants are available to back at 2/7 with 888Sport to finish top of the pile.
- Reigning champions Germany are joined by Mexico, Sweden and South Korea in Group E, in what is one of the more interesting in the tournament this year. Sweden are 5/4 with Ladbrokes to qualify for the knockout stages.
- England will take on Tunisia in their opening match of the tournament, before battling it out with both Panama and Belgium in Group G. Gareth Southgate’s men are 6/5 with 888Sport to win the group.
- Perhaps the most competitive draw comes in Group H, where Colombia are joined by Poland, Senegal and Japan, with the South American’s available at odds of 11/8 to win the group with bookmaker NetBet.
2018 World Cup Golden Boot Betting
The likes of Ronaldo, Davor Suker and Thomas Muller have finished as the leading World Cup goalscorer over recent years, with some of the leading marksmen in the game hoping to write their name into the history books in Russia this summer. Colombia’s James Rodriguez found the back of the net six times in Brazil four years ago in order to claim the crown, however competition is perhaps fiercer than ever this time around. Let’s take a look at some of the favourites for the prize this year, as well as their current odds:
- Lionel Messi @ 9/1 with Ladbrokes
- Neymar Jr @10/1 with William Hill
- Antoine Griezmann @12/1 with Betfred
- Timo Werner @ 14/1 with 888Sport
- Cristiano Ronaldo @14/1 with Betway
- Gabriel Jesus @16/1 with NetBet
- Harry Kane @16/1 with NetBet
- Romelu Lukaku @18/1 with Ladbrokes
2018 World Cup Match Betting
Match betting, no matter what stage of the tournament, is also set to be hugely popular this year, with bookmakers offering odds on all encounters in Russia. Matches involving the likes of Brazil, Germany and France are set to be especially appealing due to their favourite tag within their respective group, however the following are just some of the match betting markets worth considering:
- Reigning champions Germany are priced at 4/9 with Ladbrokes to defeat Mexico in their opening World Cup encounter.
- 2014 hosts Brazil are also odds on to claim all three points when they take on Switzerland on the same day, with William Hill offering Neymar Jr & Co odds of 1/3 to take the win.
- For those hoping England can finally make it to the latter stages of the World Cup once again, an opening draw for the Three Lions against Tunisia can be found at 1/3 with 888Sport.
Meanwhile, there is little to separate Group B rivals Portugal and Spain, with the European giants available at respective odds of 16/5 and 10/11 with 888Sport to claim all three points when they meet.
2018 World Cup Outright Winner Betting
It is looking like the usual suspects will battle it out for the main prize on offer in Russia this year, with few predicting an outsider to shock the world and lift the trophy. The following nations are among the leading contenders this summer, while their pre-tournament odds are also listed alongside them:
- Brazil 4/1 (888Sport)
- Germany 9/2 (Betway)
- Spain 6/1 (Betway)
- France 13/2 (888Sport)
- Argentina 9/1 (Coral)
- Belgium 12/1 (888Sport)
- England 17/1 (Unibet)
- Italy 20/1 (NetBet)
- Portugal 28/1 (William Hill)
- Uruguay 33/1 (888Sport)
- Chile 40/1 (NetBet)
2018 World Cup England Betting
Having crashed out in the group stage four years ago following defeats to both Italy and Uruguay, England will be hoping to give a much better account of themselves this time around, with Gareth Southgate having instilled a new confidence into the national team. The Three Lions qualified for the Finals in Russia thanks to an unbeaten record in their respective group, while recent victories over the likes of Holland and Nigeria demonstrate their potential, should the likes of Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling shine on the international stage for the first time. There are certainly some appealing markets surrounding Southgate’s teams chances this summer, which include the following:
- Having been named as England Captain ahead of the tournament, Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane is undoubtedly the biggest goalscoring threat for England. The striker is priced at 16/1 with Paddy Power to claim the prestigious golden boot award in Russia, however the Spurs hitman is worth considering when backing England’s first goalscorer in their opening match with Tunisia. The 24-year-old scored five times during qualifying.
- At odds of 17/1 with UniBet, England are certainly outsiders to lift the trophy in Russia, however odds of 5/6 from NetBet for Southgate’s side to reach the quarter-finals are well worth considering ahead of the tournament. However, for those predicting another frustrating competition for the Three Lions, England can be backed at odds of 13/2 to crash out in the group stage for the second successive time.
- Elsewhere, England are certainly a team who do not mind getting stuck in during matches, meaning that they are expected to pick up their fair share of yellow cards. Dele Alli is 7/1 on NetBet to earn the most booking points, which given his fiery character, is not an unlikely outcome.