Spain and Costa Rica face off Friday to open Group C play. Kickoff from Wellington Regional Stadium is at 3:30 a.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Spain vs. Costa Rica odds, and make our best Women’s World Cup bets, picks and predictions.
Group C’s opener from Wellington, New Zealand, is not expected to change the narrative of both these teams. Spain is the favorite at -440 to win the group. The No. 6 team in the FIFA rankings and has the 2nd-shortest odds at +500 to win it all. No. 1 U.S. (+220) is the favorite, while England (+550), Germany (+700) and Australia (+850) are the only other teams with less than +1000 odds to win the Cup.
Spain’s national team has dominated recently, shutting out opponents in its last 4 matches, most recently routing Vietnam 9-0 July 13.
Costa Rica enters on a 4-game losing streak, scoring just once and suffering 3 shutouts. Costa Rica will likely be elated to score a few points in the group stage after missing the 2019 World Cup. At +10000, Costa Rica has the longest odds to win Group C — even though Zambia (+4900 to win Group C) is ranked lower in the FIFA rankings at 77, while Costa Rica is No. 36. Eleventh-ranked Japan (+400) has the 2nd-shortest odds to win the group.
That doesn’t mean Spain doesn’t have issues. The cohesion of this squad is not in a good place as several members walked away from the team to protest the coach Jorge Vilda’s style and decisions. Despite the unhappiness in the locker room, he will still coach Spain in the tournament.
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Spain vs. Costa Rica odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 8:29 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Spain -10000 (bet $10,000 to win $100) | Costa Rica +10000 (bet $100 to win $10,000) | Draw +6500
- Over/Under: 4.5 (O: -152 | U: +120)
Spain vs. Costa Rica picks and predictions
Prediction
Spain 3, Costa Rica 1
Moneyline (ML)
Spain (-10000) should win this game with ease, but the betting market makes that obvious call a bit worthless. I would never recommend a -10000 bet.
There are other bets to consider. A SAME GAME PARLAY OF SPAIN TO WIN AND BOTH TEAMS SCORE (+304) is an enticing option.
Spain is missing a few key players, including D Mapi Leon and MF Patri Guijarro — both disgruntled with the Royal Spanish Football Foundation. Their absence will hinder the defense, albeit slightly, which could open up a chance for Costa Rica to score.
Over/Under (O/U)
The moneyline odds on point toward a high-scoring match — mainly by Spain, but to put it in context, scoring in the Women’s World Cup in 2019 was nowhere close to this line.
Only 6 of the 36 group stage matches in 2019 exceeded the 4.5-goal total. Two of those came against lowly Jamaica and one was a 13-0 U.S. beatdown of Thailand.
BET UNDER 4.5 (+120).
Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.
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