Group A of the 2022 World Cup has seen its first set of games. And that first set of games has shaken up the outright oddsboard already.
The Netherlands still remains the favorite after their late 2-0 win over Senegal. The Oranje’s odds to win Group A are at -700, which isn’t a surprise. The shakeup in the oddsboard lies with the teams that were expected to place second and third.
We have all of your World Cup content to help you make a confident wager on the upcoming games. You can also check out who we think you should bet on to win the World Cup and the Golden Boot among many other props here.
Join A Top-Tier World Cup Betting Site Now
World Cup Group A Odds: To Win Outright
| Country | Sportsbook Odds | Current Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | -225 | -700 |
| Senegal | +425 | +3300 |
| Ecuador | +550 | +400 |
| Qatar | +1400 | +20000 |
Odds as of November 22 at Sportsbook
World Cup Group A: Ecuadorian Leapfrog
Ecuador was the third-rated team in Group A per the oddsboard at +550 and the South American side wasn’t expected to move on to the Round of 16. But that was before Senegal’s Sadio Mane went down with an injury and was ruled out of the World Cup.
Mane was Senegal’s top player with three goals and four assists through qualification. Without him to link up the midfield and offense, Senegal would likely find it hard to create offense. And while they played well enough in their opener against the Netherlands, they rarely challenged their European opponents as they failed to pick up a point.
Ecuador, for their part, ran rampant over host Qatar. The game could have easily ended up 3-0 or 4-0 in favor of Ecuador. Enner Valencia was absolutely lethal, scoring both goals for his side as they picked up all three points. Having that star player is a big difference here in this group.
Senegal now has to take four or five points from games against Ecuador and Qatar and hope Ecuador fails to pick up a single point against them or the Netherlands.
Oddsmakers rightfully think that isn’t in the cards for Senegal.
Ecuador, which really just needs that single point, presents excellent value at +400. So a winning $100 bet on Ecuador qualifying for the Round of 16 would net you $400 in profit.
Netherlands
The Netherlands has all but won this group now. They looked nervy in the Sportsbook stage of their game against Senegal and left it late to score twice, but their class eventually shined through.
Getting 29 minutes out of Memphis Depay was a massive win for the Oranje. The Dutch striker had 12 goals in 10 qualifying matches and added another four in six matches between friendlies and the UEFA Nations League.
The Dutch will face a tough challenge against Ecuador, but they should notch another three points against Qatar, which is all they need to go through. That may benefit not only the Dutch but the Ecuadorians as well. The Netherlands doesn’t need to get all three points against Ecuador. A draw would be just as good.
That’s not good news for Senegal.
Qatar
What an embarrassing start to their World Cup. The hosts looked like they simply didn’t belong on the same pitch as the Ecuadorians. With that type of display, they might not even score a goal in this World Cup.
Qatar was the first host in World Cup history to lose their Sportsbook match of the tournament.
Their odds to qualify for the Round of 16 are at a staggeringly low +20000, which represents an implied win probability of 0.5 percent according to our odds calculator. It would take a miracle for the host nation to overcome their current situation. I don’t believe in miracles, but maybe you do.
