World Cup 2022 Underdogs: Who are the dogs?

We know who the favorites are for the 2022 World Cup. Brazil is at the top of the oddsboard at odds of +400, followed by Argentina at +575, France at +700, England at +850 and Spain at +875. That’s according to sportsbook Sportsbook.

The order doesn’t really change depending on the sportsbook you use but the juice on those favorites might be a little better (or worse). Again, we know who the favorites are and why they’re the favorites. But what about the underdogs? Here are four underdogs you shouldn’t sleep on.

Aside from the underdogs, be sure to check out the entire list of World Cup odds.

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World Cup Underdogs: Who Are They?

While trying to ferret out who the best underdogs are, it’s important to state who the underdogs are in the first place. I’ve broken down the World Cup into four tiers: the favorites, the underdogs, the unlikeliests and finally the minnows. The unlikeliests are teams with odds between +20000 and +30000 while the minnows have odds from +40000 to +75000.

I’ve defined underdogs as teams with longer odds but that still hold a decent shot at taking this tournament. There are some big boys in this tier. Here are the 11 that sit in my underdog tier with their accompanying odds per sportsbook Sportsbook:

Tier 2 - Underdogs

Odds as of November 10 at Sportsbook

World Cup Underdogs: Top 4

Netherlands (+1400)

They enter the tournament on an excellent run of form with a 6-2-0 record in 2022. They find themselves in a Group A they should easily win, setting them up with the second-placed team from Group B, one of the other weak groups in the tournament. That would put them in a good spot to progress through the Round of 16 and into the quarterfinals. They’ve got a path through the slog of the tournament.

And remember this is a side that’s gone through the gauntlet of UEFA qualifications with the second-best offense (3.3 goals per 90) and a defense that’s allowed only 0.8 goals against per 90.

This side has World Cup aspirations and is on the right path.

Germany (+1100)

The Germans are the only recent multi-Cup Sportsbook in the underdog group. Sure, Uruguay has won the World Cup twice, but that hasn’t happened since 1950.

Just like the Dutch, the Germans went through UEFA qualifications in great form. They had the second-best offense with 3.4 goals for and the seventh-best defense with 0.4 goals against on a per 90 basis. They have a more problematic group with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica but they will qualify out to the Round of 16 easily.

This might not be the same German side that won the World Cup in 2010, but again, we’ve seen what type of quality they have through qualifications. Getting through the group stage is all they need to start pushing deeper.

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Belgium (+1600)

Two losses against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League are all that was needed by oddsmakers to drop Belgium’s odds outside of the favorites tier. The Belgians ran through qualifications with a 6-2-0 record and a +19 goal differential.

This is also a side that pushed all the way to the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup, only bowing out to France in a 1-0 loss. This is the same squad, but four years older.

Since that semifinal defeat, Kevin De Bruyne has proven he isn’t just a setup man but a finisher with a goal every third game. Keeper Thibaut Courtois moved to Real Madrid where he’s held an excellent .734 save percentage and a respectable 41 percent clean sheet rating. That’s up from the .700 save percentage and 38 percent clean sheet rating he had going into the last World Cup. This is a better team going into 2022, even if the odds don’t show that.

Uruguay (+5000)

Getting a path is important. Uruguay is my odds-on favorite to top Group H, since I don’t have much faith in Portugal. Topping that group gets them a date with the second-place team in Group G, likely Switzerland.

The Swiss are no slouch, with 1.87 goals per 90 and 0.25 goals against per 90. But there’s a reason Switzerland’s odds are over two times longer than Uruguay’s.

Since Uruguay installed Diego Alonso as head coach, they’re turned things around, going 6-0-1 in qualifications. The Uruguayans come in with a full head of steam.