2018 World Cup Odds and Prediction: France Team Betting Preview

There are four bona fide contenders for this year’s World Cup title going into the tournament – and while France is on the list, it has plenty of work to do in order to pay off on its +650 odds to win its second world championship.

 2018 World Cup France Betting Odds

Odds to advance: -1,800

Odds to win World Cup: +650

World Cup wins: 28

Best result: Championship (1998)

FIFA World Ranking: 7

Manager: Didier Deschamps

Captain: Hugo Lloris

Players to Watch

Kylian Mbappe: The teenage sensation faces enormous expectations in his first World Cup, and oddsmakers are believers, making him +550 to lead the French in goals – the third-best odds on the team. Mbappe is also a nice longshot play in both the Golden Boot (+3,300) and Golden Ball odds (+3,300); if he is at his best, France is looking squarely at a final berth.

Paul Pogba: Of all the players with something on the line in Russia, Pogba’s name might just be at the top of the list. Four years after scoring a pivotal goal in a World Cup victory over Nigeria, the 25-year-old is in danger of losing his spot in the starting 11 after a series of poor performances on the international stage. He’s -300 to score fewer than 2.5 goals.

 Hugo Lloris: Known best for being Tottenham’s last line of defence, Lloris brings plenty of experience to one of the most important positions on the pitch. Issues on the back end will force Lloris to be sharp – but that’s nothing new for the 31-year-old, who helped France limit foes to just six goals in 10 World Cup qualifying games.

World Cup Formation and Projected Starting 11

 Formation: 4-3-3

Projected Starting 11: Hugo Lloris; Djibril Sidibe, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Benjamin Mendy; Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kante, Blaise Matuidi; Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele

France Strengths

This team should be able to trade goals with just about any opponent – at least, that’s what oddsmakers are banking on, making France a +600 choice to lead the tournament in scoring. Mbappe is one of the top young players in the world, and will be surrounded by a cast of capable goal-scoring options, including Dembele, Olivier Giroud and Griezmann. And let’s not forget that Lloris is one of the top ‘keepers in the world.

France Weaknesses

The French defence was a sight to behold in the World Cup qualifying round but suffered an embarrassing collapse in a March home loss to Colombia – and with Sidibe and Mendy both having missed the majority of the season due to injury, the uncertainty at the back end is alarming. And it’s the one area of the team that can ill afford injury absences or ineffectiveness, since a healthy defence is critical to France’s elite counter-attacking strategy.

France News

Tensions might be high on the French roster after a frustrated Lloris called on Pogba to be “a leader for France” late last week following a string of disappointing efforts. Pogba is coming off a dismal season with Manchester United of the English Premier League, in which the can’t-miss wunderkind of France’s 2014 World Cup roster scored just six goals in 37 games.

France Betting Prediction

Things are off to a shaky start for Les Bleus, but there is so much offensive talent and overall depth that they’re one of the few teams that can weather a storm or two and still be a threat to win the championship. France should win Group C with ease, setting the stage for a winnable Round of 16 match and enough momentum to cruise to at least a semifinal berth.  In terms of World Cup betting, that pays +350 as the stage of elimination, while picking France to lose in the final pays +650.

Of course, teams still have to play the games – and any defensive slip-ups against either Peru or Denmark – both ranked in the top-12 globally – could spell disaster for the 1998 champions. While it’s unlikely that they won’t advance past the group stage – you’ll get +1,000 on that happening – a second-place result would likely mean a Round of 16 encounter with Argentina. And that’s the kind of matchup that could send France home early.