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Jeremy Perry
2018 World Cup Odds and Prediction: Argentina Team Betting Preview
They have another shot at things with Lionel Messi still in his prime but the questions remain the same: can he elevate his game on the international stage for his country and can his supporting cast provide the push that he needs?
2018 Argentina World Cup Odds
Odds to advance: -664 Yes To Advance, +399 No To Advance
Odds to Win World Cup: +733 To Win World Cup
42 World Cup Wins/Best World Cup finish: 1st (1978, 1986)
FIFA world ranking: 5
Manager: Jorge Sampaoli
Captain: Lionel Messi
Argentina Players to Watch
Argentina starts and ends with Messi. He has won the Ballon d’Or five times and has captured everything possible with Barcelona. However, a World Cup would cement Messi’s legacy and put him right there with Diego Maradona, who won in 1986, among the greatest players to have ever played the game.
Also, Angel Di Maria will be worth a watch. He was great in 2014 in Brazil before suffering an injury. That left Messi too much to do on his own. Di Maria is a big key to this team’s success.
Argentina World Cup Formation and Projected Starting 11
- Formation: 4-2-3-1
- Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero
- Defense: Gabriel Mercado, Nicolas Otamendi, Federico Fazio, Nicolas Tagliafico
- Midfield: Cristian Pavon, Lucas Biglia, Lionel Messi, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria
- Forwards: Sergio Aguero
Argentina Strengths
Argentina are a very good team, powered by arguably the best player in the world. They have a lot of quality, especially in the forward and midfield positions. Messi is listed as a midfielder but he will be a second forward behind Sergio Aguero and will be allowed to roam as he wishes. They’re fifth in the FIFA world rankings for a reason, and they’re a good World Cup bet.
Argentina Weaknesses
The back of the team is not nearly as strong. Nicolas Otamendi had his struggles at Manchester City. Marcos Rojo would likely be starting but he was hurt for most of the season at Manchester United. The fullbacks are inexperienced. Then there is the knee injury that ruled goalkeeper Sergio Romero out of the tournament. That leaves either Willy Caballero or Nahuel Guzman to start – likely Caballero. The onus will be on Jorge Sampioli to come up with a system to protect the defense. Also, Lucas Biglia and Javier Mascherano will have to shield them well.
Argentina News
Romero’s injury was a huge blow for Argentina. This is a team that already had a questionable back end and now they have to scramble to find a solution in net.
Argentina Betting Prediction
The best-case scenario for Argentina is that they win the tournament. This team is more than capable of doing so. They are not favored but they are among five teams that are inside of 10/1 to win it. At +900 to win the World Cup, Argentina is a good value pick. They are good money to win their group as well.
Messi is rated at +900 to win both the Golden Boot as top goalscorer and Golden Ball as top player. Aguero is rated at +2500 for the Golden Boot, while Gonzalo Higuain is +4000 and Paulo Dybala is +6600. Di Maria and Aguero are both valued at +5000 for the Golden Ball. Messi is obviously the player with the best chance but realistically, one of these other stars will have to get hot for Argentina to make a run.
In the end, getting out of the group should be simple for Argentina: they should win it. But winning it all is the goal and Messi needs some help for Argentina to win their third World Cup. Look for them to get near the final four but fall short due to their back end.
