Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia, Betting Tips, Predictions & Odds

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia meet in Group A on Wednesday afternoon, with the African side looking for a first win of the World Cup this summer. The emphasis will be on the South American’s however, with Saudi Arabia having performed supremely poorly in their opening clash against hosts Russia. It remains to be seen as to whether their defence can stand up to the significant attacking threat posed by Uruguay.

Match Preview

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia go head-to-head at the Rostov Arena on Wednesday evening, with the Group A rivals both still harbouring hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the tournament. Neither side were on top form in their opening match of the World Cup, meaning that the pressure is on this time around. Uruguay are the firm favourites for victory ahead of kick-off, however there are still plenty of attractive markets worth checking out before the match. For those still unsure of who to back, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with Uruguay.

Uruguay Team News & Form

The first match at the World Cup is always a tough one and Uruguay were made to work hard for the win against Egypt.  Despite creating some good chances to score, it appeared as though Uruguay were going to be forced to share a point until Jose Gimenez struck with a late winner.

Uruguay deserved the win but they were wasteful in-front of goal and will need to take their chances if they are to go deep in the tournament.  They come into this match undefeated in their last 5 World Cup games and know they should come away from this one with another win.

Saudi Arabia Team News & Form

The tournament could not have got off to a worse start for Saudi Arabia.  They were defeated 5-0 by Russia in the opening match of the World Cup and need to improve drastically if they are take anything from this game against Uruguay.

There was very little structure to Saudi Arabia’s play against Russia and they left themselves wide open defensively throughout the game.  They must tighten things up in midfield and defence if they are to keep Uruguay at bay but previous results suggest they are not capable of playing this way.

Saudi Arabia have seen over 2.5 goals in eight of their last ten World Cup matches.

Team News

Uruguay are unlikely to make any changes to the team which started against Egypt in their opening match.  Luis Suarez was guilty of missing some good chances but the Barcelona striker is one of their top players and will keep his place in the team.

Saudi Arabia could make several changes to their starting XI for this match.  Captain Osama Hawsawi and top scorer Mohammad Al-Sahlawi should keep their place in the team but those who didn’t start against Russia will be pushing for a place

Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia Head to Head

The two nations have met just twice in the past, coming on both occasions in friendly matches. The duo played out a 1-1 draw back in 2014, while Uruguay ran out 3-2 winners in an entertaining match-up in 2002. However, with no meetings for over three years, few conclusions can be made from the head-to-head record between the two sides.

Uruguay vs Saudi Arabia Betting Odds and Predictions

Despite struggling in their opening match, their recent form and FIFA world ranking means that it comes as little surprise that it is Uruguay who are the favourites for victory with the major online bookmakers. The South American side are available to back for victory at best odds of 1/6 with bookmaker William Hill, while a surprise victory for Saudi Arabia is priced at an attractive 20/1 on the same platform. Elsewhere, a draw between the duo is available at odds of 15/2 with Betway.

Top Uruguay vs Saudi ArabiaBetting Tip

Uruguay start this match as the huge favourites to win and should have little trouble in taking maximum points.  Uruguay are 1/6 with Ladbrokes to win the game.

The Uruguay defence looks mean and they will be determined to keep another clean sheet in this match against a Saudi Arabia team who lack quality in attack.  William Hill offer 6/10 for Uruguay to win the match to nil.

This could be the perfect game for Luis Suarez to get his first goals of the 2018 World Cup.  The Barcelona star will be eager to put the misses of the first match behind him and can be backed at 19/10 with Ladbrokes to score two or more goals.