After entering the World Cup as 10/1 longshots to claim top spot in Group G, the United States will take to the pitch on Sunday against Portugal looking to seize sole possession of first place in the group and a berth in the round of 16.
The Americans enter the match as very appealing 33/10 World Cup underdogs at Sportsbook, despite their thrilling 2-1 win over Ghana, and Portugal’s dismal 4-0 Sportsbook loss to Germany,.
It has been over a decade since these two sides have met. The United States defeated Portugal 3-2 in their group stage Sportsbook match at the 2002 World Cup; a loss that Portugal never recovered from.
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The United States reached the quarterfinal that year, which is the furthest they have ever advanced at the World Cup. (Looking to bet on USA vs Portugal but need some matchup details and injury updates? See the matchup report)
The Portuguese side has been decimated by injuries, and the status of Portuguese captain Cristiano Ronaldo for Sunday’s match remains uncertain.
The Real Madrid star began the tournament as one of the favorites to claim Golden Boot honors as the World Cup’s top goal scorer with odds of 12/1, but with lingering injury concerns and Portugal’s poor play his odds have now tumbled to 40/1.
While the United States are the longshots on Sunday, they currently have better odds than Portugal to advance to the round of 16. U.S.A are a solid 20/23 to advance, while Portugal are now pegged at 5/7 to be eliminated in the group stage.
In Sunday’s Group H action, Belgium and Russia meet in a battle of undefeated squads. The young Belgians were forced to come from behind to claim a 2-1 win over group longshots Algeria in their opener, but remain solid 5/6 moneyline favorites at Sportsbook.
The defensive-minded Russians had to settle for a 1-1 draw against a difficult South Korean squad in their Sportsbook match. The total in Sunday’s match is pegged at 2.5, with the UNDER not surprisingly holding the moneyline edge with odds of 10/13, while the OVER sits at 11/10.
Sunday’s other match features South Korea and Algeria battling to stay in the race for a round of 16 berth. A win by South Korea, who are 6/5 moneyline favorites, would put them in the thick of the Group H race with four points.
Algeria, pointless so far in the group stage, would likely be eliminated from the tournament if they lose.
