New Zealand battles Norway to commence the 2023 Women’s World Cup Thursday. Kickoff from Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, is set for 3 a.m. ET (FOX). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the New Zealand vs. Norway odds, and make our best Women’s World Cup bets, picks and predictions.
New Zealand has played 9 friendlies in 2023, losing all but 2 of them. It beat Vietnam 2-0 July 10 and drew Iceland 1-1 April 7. New Zealand lost by at least 2 goals in 5 of its 7 matches. Its closest competitions were 1-0 defeats to Argentina Feb. 23 and to Italy July 14. New Zealand, which ranks 26th in the Women’s FIFA World Rankings, received an automatic World Cup bid as a host.
Norway, which ranks 12th in the World Rankings, is 1-2-2 (W-L-draw) in 2023. Norway’s most recent friendlies were a 3-3 draw with Sweden April 11 and a 4-2 loss to Spain April 6. The Norwegian women went 1-1-1 in the 2023 Tournoi de France, placing 3rd in the February 4-team tournament — beating Uruguay 1-0, drawing France 0-0 and falling to Denmark 2-0. Norway qualified for the World Cup by going 9-0-1 in its qualifiers, placing atop Group F behind a dominating 47-2 goal advantage.
Watch the FIFA Women’s World Cup on FOX and FS1 with FUBO TV
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
New Zealand vs. Norway odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 6:26 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline: New Zealand +850 (bet $100 to win $850) | Norway -350 (bet $350 to win $100) | Draw +450
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: -175 | U: +125)
New Zealand vs. Norway picks and predictions
Prediction
Norway 1, New Zealand 0
Moneyline (ML)
PASS.
New Zealand (+850) may be at home, but it didn’t showcase enough to truly get behind the energy that being in front of its own fans will bring. It won’t be worth a gamble — even at +850 — against a Norwegian team that cruised through its qualifiers.
However, backing Norway at -350 doesn’t make much sense given the minimal reward.
Over/Under (O/U)
BET UNDER 2.5 (+125).
All 3 of Norway’s Tournoi de France matches finished Under 2.5 total goals, including a 1-0 win and a 0-0 draw. Norway has one of the best defenses in the tournament, giving up just 2 goals in 10 qualifying matches. Its most experienced player is D Maren Mjelde — the team’s captain has 165 caps.
Five of New Zealand’s last 6 matches have finished Under 2.5 goals, with 2 matches finishing with just 1 goal. New Zealand has scored just 3 goals in its last 9 matches. Against a quality defense, it will likely struggle to get opportunities.
TAKE UNDER 2.5 (+125).
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.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=3922]