World Cup tournament predictions, tips and odds. Who will be the winner?

Wednesday, 11 June 2014 23:24
Written by David Bet

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is finally here and and all the football fans are wondering "Who will win the World Cup?". This article contains our World Cup betting preview with tips and predictions on the Outright Winner, the best ante-post odds, betting promotions, free bets and no deposit bonuses you can use to bet on Brazil 2014.

WORLD CUP 2014 OUTRIGHT WINNER BETTING PREVIEW

As hosts and a country renowned for its attacking prowess BRAZIL are favourites to win the World Cup. As the host they did not have to qualify, but is undefeated in friendlies leading up to this summer including wins over Portugal and Chile. The Super-Star will be Neymar but their roster is fluttered with tons of big-club talent including Fred, Hernanes, Thiago Silva, Paulinho, Oscar, Fernandinho, Marcelo and Dante. Brazil should easily win this group, after their Confederations Cup performance last summer.

ARGENTINA finished top of a competitive South American qualifying group ahead of Colombia, Chile and Uruguay. Alejandro Sabella have an array of talent at their disposal, which is highlighted by the four attackers – Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi. One area of concern for Argentina is the question marks over their central defence and goalkeeper.

GERMANY reached the semi finals in 2010 and 2006 and were runners up in 2002. They had an impressive record through the qualification process going undefeated and scoring 36 goals in 10 games. Their only hiccup dropping points was an extraordinary 4-4 draw with Sweden – having led 4-0. As a team they have excellent cover in all positions but the array of talent in midfield is their main strength. Anyway, the recent injury to Marko Reus will be a huge blow.

SPAIN dominate the time of possession game and that will frustrate opponents. Experience will prove essential for La Roja as most of the Spaniards won the Euros and World Cup. Del Bosque will be hoping Brazil born striker Diego Costa, who has had a remarkable season for Atletico Madrid, will be healthy enough to contribute his firepower and goal scoring. Their attack is good but not the best as their defense: in WC qualifying they had 5 clean sheets in 8 matches.

BELGIUM are one of the emerging nations in world football. They qualified in emphatic style, registering a national record seven successive qualifying wins during an unbeaten campaign – winning eight and drawing two. An injury to star striker Christian Benteke dampened the hype, but Romelu Lukaku should be able to shoulder the load upfront in his absence. Belgium's star player is Eden Hazard but also Mirallas, Mertens, Fellaini, Chadli, Kompany and Vermaelen. We think that Belgium will be the biggest surprise in Brazil!

NETHERLANDS have a great offense and a solid midfield, but their defense is the issue and they may not be as strong as four years ago when they lost to Spain 1-0, in extra time, in the WC final. Anyway, newly appointed coach Van Gaal recovered some of their best players to their respectful places and among the World Cup teams they hold the longest unbeaten record (17 matches), only losing once since Van Gaal grabbed the reins. The loss of Roma star Kevin Strootman to a knee injury has visibly weakened the Dutch squad and Van Persie comes from a disappointing season.

ITALY arrive at the 2014 finals in better shape than they were four years ago in South Africa when they earned just two points in the group stage. Italy finished bottom. Prandelli was charged with the task of restoring the faith back into Italian football and he did just that by leading them to the final of Euro 2012, where they were defeated by defending champions Spain. In the WC qualifying group, Cesare Prandelli’s men cruised to qualification for Brazil without losing a game despite having the likes of Denmark and Czech Republic as company. Anyway, they were disappointing in their friendlies before to travel to Brazil: the Azzurri drew 0:0 and 1:1 against Ireland and Luxembourg rispectively. The Azzurri's defence is based around Juventus's mean back-line, with the majestic pass-master Andrea Pirlo pulling the strings just in front of them. In attack, they can count on Balotelli, Cassano and the Italian Serie top goalscorer Ciro Immobile.

Among the World Champions, FRANCE was the most troubled after a disastrous campaign in South Africa: eliminated in the group stages. Their inconsistency remained throughout qualifying, as they had to overcome a 2-0 1st leg deficit in the play-offs, beating Ukraine with an impressive 3-0 home win– becoming the first European side ever to overturn a two-goal margin in the play-offs. Les Bleus have impressed since booking their spot in Brazil with a March win over the Netherlands a notable one. The French have a good midfield but Ribery will not take part to the World Cup due to an injury. Paul Pogba is the rising star while Benzema and Giroud will have the task to score goals.

COLOMBIA are boasting an impressively talented squad and having the not inconsiderable advantage of playing in a neighbouring country. They only finished behind Argentina in tough South American qualifying and they had the best defense conceding the fewest goals. Nobody knows if Radamel Falcao will be fit after sustaining a long-term injury for Monaco but Porto’s Jackson Martinez capable of carrying the baton should Falcao miss out. Also in attack will be talented Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado and one of the top young playmakers in the world in Monaco's James Rodriguez.

URUGUAY had an abysmal stretch from Sept. 2012 through March 2013. They played six matches, earned a total of two points and were outscored 15-3. They rebounded, winning four of their last five to reach the fifth-place playoff, and beat Jordan 5-0 on aggregate to qualify through the back door. The South American team reached the 2010 World Cup semifinals and this tournament will be played in Brazil where they have won their only World Cup title. Furthermore, they have one of the best forward, Luis Suarez who just had a monster season. The Liverpool striker, anyway, might miss the first match (or two) due to a knee problem but Cavani is phenomenal when he plays as lone forward. They have continuity in the coaching ranks with Oscar Tabarez having been in charge since 2006 and South American conditions may be in their favour.

Despite only losing to Russia during qualifying, PORTUGAL finished second in the group meaning they qualified via the play-offs for the second successive World Cup, and it was Ronaldo who scored a brilliant hat-trick to secure a 4-2 aggregate win against Sweden. The issue with Portugal is that the team lacks the depth behind Ronaldo to match up with top teams. The defense was not great in WC qualifying and that is the main weakness of the squad and furthermore, the Portuguese team are sweating the fitness of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who has been suffering knee tendinitis.

ENGLAND went undefeated in their European qualifying group and that was a solid feat considering the good teams of Ukraine and Poland was in the group. Overall, England had six wins and four draws in the qualification process. They were defensively stout with just four goals allowed in 10 matches. With their second-youngest World Cup squad, the Three Lions may, however, cause a surprise through their pace and youthful nerve, led by one of England’s biggest assets, Roy Hodgson. They recently beat Peru with ease and drew 2:2 with Ecuador in two International Friendlies before the WC. While the defence may be suspect, the midfield may be where England can hope to win games with the youngsters Barkley, Sterling and Lallana absolutely men to watch.

RUSSIA was a surprise winner of their European qualifying group, which included Portugal. Under head coach Fabio Capello, the Russian team had a strong defense to go that conceded only five goals throughout qualifying. Aleksander Kerzhakov was the top scorer for the squad in qualifying and Alan Dzagoev is a solid attacking midfielder.