2018 World Cup Betting Predictions: Poland vs. Senegal Odds
Poland striker Robert Lewandowski has the weight of a country on his shoulders as he leads his country into the World Cup. Good news for Polish fans, the 29 year-old feels “less tired” entering the tournament then he did during the last Euro Cup. Expect a tight match-up between these two countries with the main storyline being Senegal’s defensive structure versus a Polish offensive attack led by Lewandowski.
World Cup 2018: Poland vs. Senegal Betting Analysis
Date: Wednesday, June 19, 11:00amET
Otkrytie Arena, Moscow, Russia
Poland is the favourite here paying +127 to win the game outright, and also the favourite along with Colombia to advance past the group stage. This is the first time in international play that Poland and Senegal will meet. Not really a major surprise, considering that it is only the second World Cup appearance for Senegal. In its last two warm-up friendlies, Poland defeated Lithuania 4-0, and played to a draw with Chile 2-2. Robert Lewandowski scored three out of the six goals scored by Poland. As for Senegal, in its last two warm-up friendlies, they tied Luxembourg 0-0, and defeated South Korea 2-0. If you’re looking for exact scores on Sports Interaction, perhaps a 2-1 Poland win paying a great price at +800 is a tempting proposition.
Poland
All eyes with be on Polish striker Robert Lewandowski. The Bayern Munich star led all scorers with 16 goals in qualifiers, and is currently paying +3000 to win the Golden Boot (World Cup top goal scorer). He will be instrumental if Poland does anything in this World Cup. Lewandowski is also paying +314 to score the first goal of the game, and +108 to score at any time during this game. The national program is a relatively unchanged team that reached the euro 2016 quarter-finals, and that’s good news for Poland supporters. That experience alone should help them at this year’s World Cup.
Speaking of supporters, look for Poland to have a definite home field advantage in Russia, considering how close in distance the two countries are. Keep an eye on Piotr Zielinski. The 24 year-old midfielder who plays his club soccer at Napoli is on the verge of a massive breakout under international eyes, with a big tournament, and could have a club transfer opportunity. But more importantly for Poland, with opposition defences concentrating on Lewandowski, Zielinski could be the one that finishes off Poland’s offensive attacks.
Senegal
Liverpool forward Sadio Mane will be one to watch for Senegal at this year’s World Cup. He enjoyed another great season in the EPL helping the Reds reach the Champions league final. Mane will likely lead Senegal in scoring in this tournament, but will the team overall have enough firepower to compete past the group stage? Mane is paying +569 to score the game’s first goal. One thing is certain; Senegal has the fastest team of the group, and perhaps the entire tournament.
Can they beat Poland with speed alone? Probably not, but fast leads to opportunities, and if this squad can capitalize on the opportunities – they can make this game interesting. This will be Senegal’s second appearance at a World Cup. Their first appearance (2002) was magical, when they beat reigning champion France in the group stage, and made it to the quarterfinals. This year’s version of the team is different, but will be overseen by their manager Cisse, who captained the squad 16 years ago.
