It feels pretty safe to say no one really expected Saudi Arabia or Japan to pull off massive World Cup upsets on consecutive days.
As Saudi Arabia (+1800) celebrated their historic victory over title-favorite Argentina with a national holiday Wednesday, Japan (+600) was putting the finishing touches on a bonkers comeback against a Germany club that got a bit too comfortable in the second half of its tournament opener.
So let’s trust that the World Cup operates by the rule of three and look at some of the upcoming matches to see which long-shot can pull off the next stunning upset.
Fortunately — or unfortunately — for bettors, there are plenty of options.
If you parlayed $100 on Saudi Arabia + Japan ML you would have won $18,100 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7uEo3giZMi
— Caesars Sportsbook (@CaesarsSports) November 23, 2022
Portugal vs. Ghana
Ghana immediately stand out among the contenders to pull off the unthinkable, but this has every bit to do with where Portugal is at right now.
Cristiano Ronaldo is going through a very messy split with his club team, Manchester United, and wherever he does land next will have to wait for him to serve a two-game suspension for knocking a phone out of a young fan’s hand before he can even take the pitch.
Simply put: the vibes are not great around him. And, of course. he’s at the center of Portugal’s squad.
Ghana enters the match ranked 61st overall by FIFA to Portugal’s 9th overall. It’s won three of it’s last five games with victories over Nigeria, Nicaragua and Switzerland but fell by a combined 5-0 to Brazil and Nigeria in between those triumphs.
Ghana are a big underdog for a reason, but Portugal still has to go out and prove itself.
United States vs. England
The obvious candidate — even if it’s incredibly unlikely.
Look, it’s not like the United States haven’t overcome historic odds to defeat England in the past, but the Americans need more than just an injured Harry Kane to pull this one off. England are quite likely to win the whole tournament. The United States seem likely to head home after three games.
And yet…..
It still doesn’t feel like a total lock for England? This is a team prone to choking and a fanbase that seemingly welcomes it as a self-fulfilling prophecy. A devastating loss that propels the United States into position to qualify for the knockout stage is simply too delicious to pass up.
Netherlands vs. Qatar
These might be some of the longest odds we’ll see all tournament long.
The Netherlands are a perennial power. Qatar had never qualified for a World Cup before this year when it was added as the host nation. The Netherlands rank No. 8 in the world. Qatar are No. 50.
There is no good reason to bet on Qatar. There was also no good reason to bet on Saudi Arabia so maybe don’t take our advice.
Tunisia vs. France
In three head-to-head matchups against France dating back to 2002, Tunisia is 0-1-2 with a minus-three goal differential. Each matchup was an international friendly and the last time it faced France was in 2010 — when Kylian Mbappé was 11 years old.
That said, Tunisia does have recent wins over Japan (3-0), Chile (2-0) and pulled off a draw against Denmark in their group play opener.
But it also has a 5-1 loss to Brazil in late September. France, meanwhile, lost to Denmark 2-0 in a tune-up before heading to Qatar.
Cameroon vs. Brazil
Well, we’re talking long-shots, aren’t we?
How’s this for one: in their last five matchups dating back to 1994, Brazil has outscored Cameroon 10-2. Two of those matchups came at the World Cup, with Brazil winning 3-0 in 1994 and 4-1 in 2014.
Brazil is the No. 1 team in FIFA’s rankings. Cameroon is No. 43.
Spend your money wisely.
