Can Brazil Lift the Trophy in Front of Home Crowd: Early World Cup Odds

The hosts of the upcoming World Cup in Brazil are the favorites to win the crown at a variety of online bookies.

Every self-respecting land-based and online sportsbook in Brazil favors the host nation to win the title and add to their already impressive collection of five trophies. But can they actually live up to the expectations or will the burden of responsibility in front of home crowd be too much for them?

England may be the home of football officially, but Brazil is certainly the spiritual home of the game and it is only the second time the South American country is hosting the World Cup since 1950. The last time Brazil won was in 2002 when the grand finale was hosted in Japan and South Korea.

Everyone is expecting the home turf factor to play a crucial role this year, and considering European teams usually are not doing great in South America, Brazil’s chances are quite good. Those who bet on sports in Brazil will find the 3.75 odds offered on them a pretty good offer.

The road to Brazil

Betting on Brazil at World Cup

• Brazil are the favorites to lift the World Cup trophy

• Majority of online sportsbooks in Brazil are ready for betting action

• Smart bet is to wager on Brazil reaching the semis

Since Luis Felipe Scolari’s men didn’t need to qualify thanks to the fact that they are hosts, they’ve been enjoying international friendlies in the meantime. While the fixtures against Zambia, South Africa and South Korea couldn’t really put Brazil to the test, the matches with Switzerland, Chile, and Portugal certainly did. Brazil only lost once in last 19 matches over a year – to Switzerland.

The team has also won the Confederations Cup last summer, providing fans with some great experiences and punters under Brazilian gambling laws with lots of ways to bet on the team. While overall Brazil may have lost the spark they had in previous years, the team is still highly-functional and capable.

The squad

Scolari didn’t take Kaka, Robinho, and Ronaldinho, but the team is quite well in any case. The midfield is secured by the likes of Paulinho, Ramires, Fernandinho, Oscar and Willian, who have all been able to shine and reveal their superb skills in the English Premier League.

The list of forwards is impressive, but they all have been having an inconsistent season. Neymar is perhaps the biggest Brazilian goalscoring hope, but there are also Jo, Fred, and Hulk. Considering the usually powerful offense this time around Brazil is clearly lacking in this respect.

Draw and betting odds

Brazil will kick off the tournament with a match against Croatia, and they also have Mexico and Cameroon in the group. Not the easiest of opponents, but certainly not the hardest ones. It is not even a question if they will qualify according to very small odds of 1.05. An interesting betting offer is on a combo of Brazil winning and Croatia placing second – 2.75.

Neymar is of course expected to score the most goals for Brazil with 2.00 odds, followed by Fred at 4.00 and Hulk at 11.00. In case Brazil will reach the semis, the bookmakers will pay at 1.83, which at this time seems like a pretty safe bet despite the fact that their last 16 draw could be difficult. Reaching the final will mean a 2.62 payout.

Combo bet on Brazil winning and Neymar getting the golden shoe pays at 17.00. But a very hefty line of 34.00 is given for an event where Brazil wins, but Messi is the top goalscorer. Brazil v Argentina final will pay at 11.00, while Brazil v Spain – a little higher – 13.00. In case the hosts will have to play Germany in the last match – the bookies will pay at 17.00.