Predictions for FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers on Thursday
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A total of 15 teams have already booked the ticket to the 2022 World Cup. Ten of those are European teams. This continent gets 13 (out of 32 in total) places in the tournament, meaning that there are three more slots available.
So, which three European (UEFA) teams will get to travel to Qatar in November? We’ll find out the answer after the end of the FIFA World Cup European Qualification playoffs.
As per FIFA’s rules, there are three paths for the teams to get to the World Cup. Each path starts with the semifinal phase, which is on the program on Thursday, March 24.
Originally, there were supposed to be 12 teams competing in the European playoffs (four in each path). However, Russia got kicked out of the competition following the war on Ukraine. The same is the reason why the game between Scotland and Ukraine ended up being postponed to June.
The result is that we’re going to see just four European World Cup qualifiers this Thursday. Still, I think that’s more than enough for bettors to make decent winnings. To help you do that, I’m going to share my World Cup European qualification predictions with you.
Betting Odds for World Cup European Qualifiers for March 24, 2022
| Italy (1.18) | Draw (7.50) | North Macedonia (12.00) |
| Portugal (1.37) | Draw (4.90) | Turkey (8.25) |
| Wales (2.80) | Draw (2.95) | Austria (22.75) |
| Sweden (2.00) | Draw (3.20) | Czech Republic (4.05) |
Following the completion of the group phase of the World Cup European qualification a.k.a. the UEFA First Round, the 12 teams that made it to the playoffs were separated into two pots according to their rankings.
The six teams with the best performance in the group phase were given home advantage. Further, the playoff matchups were decided based on the team’s performances in the previous stage of the qualification. The result is that the best of those 12 teams gets to play against the worst.
All this explains why hosts are seen as favorites in three of the four matches. This system works great for the teams that did well in the group stage. However, from a bettor’s perspective, it isn’t ideal as the odds on favorites are sometimes too short.
The good news is that I think I’ve managed to find the best World Cup qualification odds! I found them at 10Bet, which is giving much better prices than most other sites.
2022 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Predictions for Thursday
Italy is the reigning champion of Europe, the fact that perfectly explains why the odds of Roberto Mancini’s boys beating North Macedonia are as short as 1.18.
If that’s not good enough for you to back Italy, you should also know that this team has lost just one competitive game at home in the 21st century.
Portugal should also cruise past Turkey without any problems. After all, this team is packed with superstars who are determined to play in Qatar in the fall – Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota, and many others.
I also think Austria should beat Wales, even though the game is played in Cardiff. Although they aren’t great I the road (two losses in the previous three away games), Austrians just play better soccer than Wales’s players.
Finally, in Sweden vs. Czech Republic game, I think we could see the extra time. Actually, we might even see a penalty shootout in this match.
Top World Cup Qualifiers Picks for March 24
- Italy & Over 2.5 Goals Against North Macedonia
- Cristiano Ronaldo to Score for Portugal Against Turkey
- Sweden vs. Czech Republic Both Teams to Score
- Austria to Beat Wales
Scoring has been Italy’s Achilles heel for the last couple of months. These guys scored two or more goals only in two of their previous seven games. That changes on Thursday, I think. With the help of their fans, Gli Azzurri should be able to grab a big win.
I also expect Portugal to beat Turkey, but my FIFA World Cup qualifiers prediction for this match is Cristiano Ronaldo putting away at least one goal. Betway is giving 1.55 on that, which I think is a pretty decent value.
Portugal’s captain holds the world record for most international goals scored in the history of soccer. Right now, Ronaldo has 115 goals to his name.
Next, I can see both Sweden and Czech Republic score at least a goal on Thursday. Sweden has Alexander Isak up front, as well Dejan Kulusevski and many other talented playmakers. Unfortunately for them, legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic is suspended, but we could see Manchester United’s Anthony Elanga make his international debut.
Over in the Czech squad, Patrik Schick is back after an injury. The guy who’s scored 20 goals for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga this season is definitely capable of breaking Sweden’s defense.
I’ll wrap up my 2022 World Cup European qualifiers picks with Austria. I think this is an excellent team that often flies under the radar of bettors. The proof of this is that we saw the Austrians get to Round of 16 of the 2021 Euros, where they lost to Italy after extra time.