On Monday, the soccer world will be treated to the 23rd World Cup Final. Spain’s La Roja and Argentina’s La Albiceleste will face offin a battle of clashing styles. Kick-off is at 12 PM ET at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
After pulling off an upset against France as +130 underdogs in the semifinals, Spain now commands a new level of respect in global soccer and has additional bragging rights as the first to stamp their ticket to the final. Their highly-structured system has been nearly flawless up to this point in the tournament, especially on the defensive end. With Unai Simon in net, and Pau Cubarsi and Alymeric Laporte in the back-four line, they’ve managed clean sheets in six of seven games, conceding a goal just once, in their 2-1 victory against Belgium in the quarterfinals.
Even France’s elite frontline of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, and Desire Doue struggled to get a clean shot against La Roja, as they were consistently stifled by Spain’s high-possession and high-pressure game. And while Spain’s scoring opportunities were also limited, they managed to net a penalty early on, and then doubled their lead in the 58th minute.
Argentina had a scare in their semi-final game against England. They trailed 0-1 from the 55th minute until the 85th when English netminder Jordan Pickford surrendered a goal on Enzo Fernandez’s booming strike from outside the box. Tied 1-1, Argentina rode the momentum to 2-1, with Lautaro Martinez scoring off a header. Argentinian star, Lionel Messi, assisted on both goals.
Argentina faced the same type of comeback in their match versus Egypt, where they had to rally back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 11 minutes. There were some nervous moments in the first half of their game against Switzerland, until a controversial call sparked a momentum shift in favour of the football powerhouse.
The majority of betting will be on the outcome of Monday’s final, with Spain checking in at –160 on the World Cup Final odds board; Argentina is the +130 underdog. But there are many other ways to bet on this major event, some of which you probably haven’t considered. Here are five ways to bet on the FIFA World Cup Final beyond the standard straight bets.
Anytime Goal Scorer
Bet on a specific player to score a goal in the final and get paid if your instinct is correct. This player prop is easier than the “First Goal Scorer” prop which requires you to guess who will score first.
Lionel Messi (ARG) +165
On Argentina’s side, Lionel Messi is the clear +160 favourite. Messi tallied two assists in Argentina’s semifinal match, and one in the prior quarterfinal match against Switzerland. In the five games before, ranging from the group stage to the Round of 16, he scored at least one goal in every match, including a hat trick against Algeria. He’s also +6000 to score a hat trick against Spain on the Goal Scorer Props page.
Mikel Oyarzabal (ESP) +210
Second on the odds board, Oyarzabal is Spain’s top pick for Anytime Goal Scorer. He scored the opening goal in Spain’s 2-0 victory over France in the semifinals, taking the penalty shot after Lamine Yamal was fouled. Oyarzabal got the French goalkeeper to step up and commit early, then calmly fired the ball in the other corner. He also scored two goals in Spain’s 3-0 win over Austria and two in Spain’s 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia.
Lautaro Martinez (ARG) +340
Martinez has been an impact player for the national team for a long time now. In 54 appearances, he’s scored 38 goals, including the game winner in the semifinal against England, and one in the quarterfinal game against Switzerland.
Pedro Porro (ESP) +1900
Available at +1900 on the Anytime Goal Scorer market, Porro has great value as a key starter with significant playing time. Porro has scored twice in five games—he scored in the semifinal game against France and in the Round of 32 game against Austria.
Both Teams to Score (BTTS)
The deeper you go in the World Cup tournament, the harder it is to score a goal. This World Cup Final matchup features an incredible defence in Spain, who has conceded just one goal in the tournament so far.
Argentina has been a bit looser defensively, conceding seven goals in their seven World Cup games up to this point, and rely more on their elite offence, which has scored 19 goals compared to Spain’s 13.
You can bet both teams to score during game, in the first half, or in the second half. Value is best, however, if you go with Option No. 1 (full game). The following odds are available at Ozoon:
Both Teams to Score:
Yes Even
No -130
Both Teams to Score—First Half
Yes +450
No -750
Both Teams to Score—Second Half
Yes +275
No -400
No is the favourite for each instance, which is not the norm with World Cup Finals, and more indicative of the current matchup. Out of the 22 World Cup Finals, both teams have scored 13 times.
Double Chance
Shrewd bettors always take the Double Chance for big soccer games, like World Cup. This betting market lets you pick two outcomes after 90 minutes plus stoppage time, doubling your chance of success. The options are: Team A plus Draw, Team B plus Team A, or Team B plus Draw. Our sportsbook has the following Double Chance odds for the FIFA World Cup Final.
Spain/Draw -325
Spain/Argentina -290
Argentina/Draw -164
If we look back at the historical stats, eight of the 22 FIFA World Cup Finals have been a draw after 90 minutes, requiring extra time to determine the winner. Argentina needed extra time in their game against Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland, whereas Spain has yet to need extra time in this tournament.
You can get really particular by going with Double Chance—First Half option. The payouts aren’t quite as good as with the standard Double Chance, but it’s easier to predict the outcome after the first half than at the end of the game. These are the odds at the time of writing:
Spain/Draw-1H -480
Spain/Argentina-1H -125
Argentina/Draw-1H -290
Highest Scoring Half
Anyone with insight on how a team performs in the first half vs. the second half will have an advantage with the Highest Scoring Half game prop. Does a team regularly come out guns blazing, or sit back and assess their opponent, striking later in the game? If both teams have the same style, you definitely want to include this on your bet slip. Here are the Highest Scoring Half odds for the Argentina-Spain matchup:
First Half +220
Second Half +106
Both Halves the Same +205
Argentina has consistently performed better in the second halves, scoring 10 goals vs 6 that came in the first, reflecting their come-from-behind dynamic. Spain, meanwhile, has been more balanced between the two halves, scoring seven in the first, vs. six in the second.
Historically speaking, more goals are scored in the second half of the FIFA World Cup Finals; since the inaugural tournament in 1930, 32 goals have been scored in the first half compared to 42 goals scored in the second half. As games progress closer to the end, teams start to take more risks. Risks can pay off with a goal, or can turn into an opportunity for the opponent to counterstrike—both of which contribute to more scoring.
Now that the final matchup is established, there are loads of betting markets on the FIFA World Cup page in our sportsbook. Browse the lines and snap up what looks good to you—in addition to these five must-try World Cup bets. We’ll see you Monday at East Rutherford.