2018 World Cup Odds and Prediction: Group E Betting Preview

It has been 16 years since Brazil hoisted the World Cup trophy – but oddsmakers believe this could be the South American giant’s year as it looks to dominate Group E action when the 32-team showcase begins in Russia in mid-June. The Brazilians are the second favourite to win the tournament on the World Cup odds board, behind only Germany – and while this isn’t the easiest of the eight groups, that shouldn’t prevent the world’s No. 2-ranked team from breezing into the Round of 16.

World Cup Group E Betting Odds

Brazil: -400 to win group, -1,800 to advance

Switzerland: +575 to win group, Even to advance

Serbia: +725 to win group, +110 to advance

Costa Rica: +1,725 to win group, +400 to advance

For a team with such a rich soccer history, you might not expect Brazil to have revenge on its mind. But after being humbled 7-1 by Germany in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup, then getting knocked out of Copa America in the group stage two years later, motivation will not be a factor this time around. This team is loaded for bear, and will likely use group play to show fans and bettors it is back to being one of the most imposing teams on the planet.

The battle for second spot in the group – and a coveted berth in the elimination round – will be an entertaining one. Switzerland is a slight favourite in bookmakers’ eyes as it looks to rebound from a heart-wrenching Round of 16 loss to Poland at Euro 2016. But it faces a monumental task in its opener against the Brazilians, and will likely need to regroup quickly as it faces a Serbian side five days later in a match that could very well decides who moves on.

It has been eight difficult years since Serbia stunned Germany at the 2010 World Cup; the Serbians missed out qualifying in 2014 and has yet to reach the European Championships as an independent country. But Aleksandar Kolarov and Nemanja Matic have the skill to help the Serbians provide a major challenge to the Swiss. Costa Rica shocked just about everyone by reaching the quarter-finals in 2014, but a repeat performance will be a tall order.

Group E Team Previews

Brazil
Odds to win World Cup: +413
Tite has turned around one of the most venerable soccer outfits in the world, leading it to 13 wins, one loss, and three draws in international play since taking over. Look for the Brazilians to use suffocating ball control, patience at both ends of the field, and tactical mastery to overwhelm their opponents. It also doesn’t hurt to have Neymar in the mix; he, too, will be looking to redeem himself after missing that German thrashing due to injury. Click here for a full team preview of Brazil in the 2018 World Cup. 

Switzerland
Odds to win World Cup: +9,000
The Swiss are a young, talented side but lack the star power of the tournament’s high-profile teams. That said, they’re technically sound and rolled through their qualifying group, earning plenty of praise – not to mention the sixth spot in the FIFA World Rankings. The Swiss can score, but would likely be better off opting for a low-scoring, defensive-minded style against Brazil that puts the draw in play; they’re +365 to salvage a point in their World Cup opener. For a complete preview of Switzerland, click here. 

Serbia
Odds to win World Cup: +18,500
Tumult and turnover have been the buzzwords for the Serbians, who are on their ninth coach in the past 10 years. But Mladen Krstadic appears to be the right man for the job, having helped lead Serbia to an impressive six-win, three-draw, one-loss qualifying record and top spot in the UEFA Group D standings. The Serbians can score goals in bunches, but oddsmakers aren’t expecting that to carry over into Russia; they’re +15,000 to lead the World Cup in goals. Sports Interaction’s full team preview of Serbia is here.

Costa Rica
Odds to win World Cup: +43,400
The Costa Ricans have been all over the place since dominating the last World Cup “Group of Death” in stunning fashion – but nobody is expecting the feel-good story of 2014 to come anywhere close to replicating that success in Russia. Not only is Costa Rica a +400 longshot to get out of its group, it is a rather generous +1,000 to finish with the fewest goals in the World Cup – ahead of only Panama (+800) and Iran (+900) and even with Saudi Arabia. Check out our Costa Rica team preview here. 

World Cup Group E Players to Watch

Neymar, Brazil
Top Prop: More goals: Lionel Messi (-125) vs. Neymar (-105)
You could stick to the standard props here (Neymar is +728 to win the tournament’s Golden Ball award, and +900 – tied with Messie for the best odds in the tournament. But the real thrill is pitting the two mega-stars against one another – and with Neymar looking to help his country erase the dreadful events of four years ago, he’s a terrific play at that number.

Xherdan Shaqiri, Switzerland
Top Prop: Over/under 0.5 goals (-180/+140)
Shaqiri will need to be at his best if the Swiss are going to make any headway beyond the group stage – and oddsmakers are expecting the talented 26-year-old to find the back of the net at least once in the first three games. Shaqiri has 20 goals in 68 international appearances, a better pace than his 16 goals in 99 domestic matches with Inter Milan and Everton since 2015.

Dusan Tadic, Serbia
Top Prop: Top goal-scorer for Serbia (+400)
Tadic isn’t considered the top Serbian scoring threat – that honour belongs to Aleksandar Mitrovic – but with defences likely to key in on the 23-year-old spark plug, Tadic should find himself in position to capitalize. Tadic has 13 goals in 51 international caps with Serbia, and scored four times during World Cup qualifying. He’s a solid underdog play.

Bryan Ruiz, Costa Rica
Top Prop: Over/under 0.5 goals (-120/-130)
This is as close to a toss-up as it gets where props are concerned – and with Ruiz the favourite to lead his team in goals (+350), Costa Rica fans would undoubtedly like that total to be a bit higher. Ruiz has more than 100 international appearances and has scored 23 times – but with his team employing a 5-4-1 formation, goals could be quite hard to come by.

Group E Best Bets and Predictions

Brazil would have to come down with a widespread case of scurvy not to win this group by a mile – and even then, they’d still be the favourite. Switzerland and Serbia are neck-and-neck, but the Serbians have better top-end talent and can build momentum from a group-opening win over Costa Rica. For World Cup bettors, look for Serbia to pull off the minor upset here.

Projected finish order: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Costa Rica