2018 World Cup Odds and Prediction: Switzerland Team Betting Preview

Switzerland is considered a toss-up for the second qualifying spot behind powerhouse Brazil, and will need to be at its absolute best at both ends of the pitch to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 64 years. Can the Swiss justify their lofty ranking? Or are they in for a big-time fall?

2018 World Cup Switzerland Betting Odds

Odds to advance: Even

Odds to win World Cup: +10,000

World Cup wins: 11

Best result: Quarterfinals (1934, 1938, 1954)

FIFA World Ranking: 6

Manager: Vladimir Petkovic

Captain: Stephan Lichtsteiner

Switzerland Players to Watch

Xherdan Shaqiri: Shaqiri is the offensive heartbeat of the Swiss Side, having converted 20 goals in 69 career international appearances. But the 32-year-old Stoke City star hasn’t been in good form for a while, having scored just five times in his past 26 international cap. That said, he has a nose for the net – and is a good play +400 to lead the Swiss in scoring.

Granit Xhaka: If Shaqiri is the leader up front, Xhaka is the pulse of the midfield – and could very well be the wild card of the group. While Xhaka isn’t a serious scoring threat – he’s just +1,000 to lead Switzerland in goals – his defensive prowess could make the Swiss incredibly difficult to score on. He does, however, have a penchant for giveaways and bad routes.

Stephan Lichtsteiner: The 34-year-old defensive stalwart will hit the century mark in international caps at the World Cup – and he has been one of the top back-line players on either side in the majority of those games. He’s efficient at clearances and challenges, and isn’t afraid to join the offence on occasion. If he’s on, the Swiss defence will be tough to penetrate.

World Cup Formation and Projected Starting 11

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Projected Starting 11: Yann Sommer; Stephan Lichtsteiner, Manuel Akanji, Nico Elvedi, Ricardo Rodríguez; Granit Xhaka, Denis Zakaria; Xherdan Shaqiri, Blerim Dzemaili, Steven Zuber; Haris Seferovic

Switzerland Strengths

The Swiss boast one of the most stable and experienced rosters in the World Cup, with nine players boasting at least 50 national team caps. That should work in their favour against a Serbian side boasting a coach that only took over after the team had already qualified for the tournament. Haris Seferovic and Shaqiri can be tough to contain when they’re on, and the back end is formidable after allowing just seven goals in 10 World Cup qualifying games.

Switzerland Weaknesses

Those 23 goals in qualifying might look impressive, but the Swiss won’t have the benefit of games against the Faroe Islands or Andorra this time around. Switzerland’s offensive punch is contingent on Seferovic and Shaqiri getting space to operate; and if opponents key in on them, the Swiss will struggle to generate much of anything. And should either of them wind up hurt, Switzerland becomes an intriguing play at +3,300 to score the fewest goals in the tourney.

Switzerland News

Switzerland’s scoring depth took a hit after Admir Mehmedi was left off the final 23-man roster as he recovers from a torn Lisfranc ligament. While Mehmedi isn’t as big a scoring threat as Seferovic or Breel Embolo, his absence removes a valuable playmaker from the mix – further endangering Switzerland’s chances of advancing to the Round of 16.

Switzerland Betting Prediction

In terms of World Cup betting, this might be one of the toughest teams to cap in the entire tournament. On one hand, the Swiss steamrolled the competition in UEFA Group B, winning nine of 10 matches while boasting a +16 goal differential en route to a top-six world ranking. If Switzerland can somehow retain that form through the group stage and into the elimination round, a +600 wager on the Swiss reaching the quarterfinals isn’t so far-fetched.

That said, this will likely end up being one of the toughest groups of all, with Brazil dominating, Serbia looking strong and even Costa Rica in the mix following a quarterfinal showing in 2014. Stability and solid back-end play should get Switzerland through the stage, but one misstep against either the Serbians or Costa Ricans and the Swiss will find themselves going home after the round-robin – a scenario that pays a shocking -125 for a team ranked sixth in the world.