World Cup Free Bets
| To Win Group B | |||
| Best Odds | Bookmaker | Free Bets | |
| Argentina | 4/9 |  |
£25 |
| Nigeria | 9/2 |  |
£200 |
| Greece | 17/2 | £100 | |
| South Korea | 11/1 | |
£200 |
World Cup Group B betting preview
It wouldn’t be a big surprise if any of the four teams in this group qualified for the last sixteen, although the bookmakers have Argentina as very strong favourites (8/15 Stan James) to come out on top. While the Albiceleste will clearly be popular in accumulators, there’s a nagging doubt as to whether Diego Maradona can get the very best out of his talented squad of players, with his omission of Esteban Cambiasso and Diego Milito particularly puzzling.
Maradona has claimed that he will run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if his team win the 2010 World Cup and you can currently get odds of 15/2 (Coral) that this happens. There’s little doubt that the team have a premium selection of strikers, with Lionel Messi the only forward guaranteed a starting place and the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Diego Milito battling it out for the other berth.
Boylesports offer a best price 2/13 that Argentina book their place in the last sixteen by qualifying from the group, although we should remember that they made hard work of making it through to the World Cup finals and it was only slender victories in matches against Peru and Uruguay that saw them over the finishing line. If you think that capitulation is possible this time around, Sky Bet go 11/2 that they finish third or fourth.
Nigeria are the second favourites (5/1 Paddy Power) to win Group B and they have made the controversial decision to dispense with manager Shuaibu Amodu and replace him with Swede Lars Lagerback just months ahead of the tournament. You never quite know what you’re going to get with a Super Eagles team that are often ravaged by in-fighting and they have looked lacklustre when drawing with Colombia and Saudi Arabia in friendly matches.
On the qualification betting market, our personal preference is to back Greece (6/4 Coral) or even South Korea (11/4 Boylesports) to make it through to the last sixteen stage. The Greeks are managed by Otto Rehhagel, the man who steered them to Euro 2004 glory and they have a potent striker in the form of Theofanis Gekas, who was the top European scorer in World Cup qualifying.
The South Koreans should certainly not be seen as rank outsiders, having finished top of their group in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals. They will be heartened that ‘neighbours’ North Korea managed a 2-2 friendly draw with the Greeks and these teams will meet each other in the opening match on 12th June.
When it comes to the straight forecast betting, you can back Argentina – Greece at odds of 7/2 (Victor Chandler) and Argentina – South Korea at 11/2 (Stan James). With Nigeria playing Diego Maradona’s team in the opening match, it could be that the Super Eagles are not-so-super and the 10/3 (bet365) that Lagerback’s team finishes bottom of the pile could be the bet to have.