The World Cup is the world’s greatest sporting event. Every four years, 32 teams come together to determine which nation will become champions of the world’s greatest sport. With the whole world’s eyes on the World Cup, it’s no surprise that it’s also one of the most heavily wagered sporting events around.

 

Even if you don’t know much about soccer, it’s not too hard to make some bets on the World Cup. If you’ve bet on baseball or hockey, you’ll be familiar with the money line bets that are available on each match, with one twist; not only can you bet on the winner of the match, you can also bet on the outcome being a draw. Of course, there are also a host of other World Cup bets available, like totals and exact score bets. For those looking for some help with their World Cup betting strategies, here are a few additional tips:

 

·         Remember that because this is a short tournament, the tournament situation must be taken into account when you start to handicap the games in the group stage. This is especially true in the third and final game of the group round. No matter how much better one team is than another, if a draw will guarantee that they’ll get through to the knockout rounds while a loss would eliminate them, you can feel confident that they’ll be playing for a draw. And if both teams can get themselves into the second round with a draw, that’s a sure sign that you won’t see much action during that match. However, the odds on a draw in such a match will almost always be low, and surprising things do happen – so it may be best just to stay away.

 

·         Don’t get too caught up in all the hype. Inevitably, some teams will get off to hot starts, while others will struggle through the group stage. You shouldn’t ignore these results, but don’t put too much emphasis on the three games played when the tournament heads into the knockout stages. If Brazil squeaked through on goal differential and has to play a Honduras team that shocked the world by going 3-0 in the group stage, that doesn’t mean Brazil shouldn’t be a big favorite to win (barring injuries or other special circumstances, of course).

 

·         Don’t discount home field advantage in the World Cup. Historically, home teams have played extremely well in the competition, even when they weren’t seen as competitive teams. This effect can also be seen in teams from the home continent, though not as strongly. For the 2010 World Cup, this means that nobody should be surprised to see an overmatched South Africa team give everyone in Group A trouble, and the other African nations must be taken seriously too.

 

·         If you’re looking to bet on a winner for the whole tournament, and want to have a realistic chance of winning, you’d better stick with the favorites. Even over this relatively short tournament, quality has traditionally won out. Betting on the hosts to win at 150-1 (or whatever odds your favorite sportsbook is offering) might be fun, but if you’re looking to make money on the World Cup, bet on a team that has the talent to win.