How to Bet on the World Cup | Complete 2022 Betting Guide

Find out how to bet on the World Cup during the 2022 edition in Qatar, with our in-depth betting guide on all your tournament wagers. Check out how to place your bets and get involved in the action this fall. 

More on How to Bet on Soccer

Popular World Cup Bets Explained

The Moneyline

Most traditional American sports offer only two moneyline markets, as there are few sports in which games can end in a tie. As we know, there are three outcomes available in a soccer match, so the moneyline market offers three outcomes.

Bettors can still place wagers on each side to win the match, but the only difference is a draw moneyline is also offered. If the match finishes with the scores level at the end of 90 minutes, the draw moneyline is paid out.

Here’s an example of a three-way moneyline for the upcoming Premier League season:

Team	Odds	$100 Bet Returns (Stake + Profit)
USA	+150	$250
Draw	+220	$320
Wales	+187	$287

Given there are three potential outcomes, it is not uncommon to see similar World Cup odds for either team to win the match, especially in a close game. In this instance, the USA is the favorite, but only slightly. 

A $100 wager on the USA to win the match would return $250 ($100 stake + $150 profit). 

As seen in most sports, the most simple betting market for the World Cup, but don’t be caught out by the draw. During the World Cup knockout stages, games can still end in draws, with extra time and perhaps penalties also needed. 

Make sure not to mix up the ‘3-way moneyline’ market with the ‘to qualify’ market. For example, let’s say you’ve placed a bet on England’s moneyline against France in the Last 16. The score is 1-1 at the end of the regulation 90 minutes, but England wins 2-1 in extra time. England has won the match, but your bet is a loser. This is because basic moneyline bets at the World Cup will only be for the 90-minute match and not for the overall tie. 

Totals (Over/Under)

This soccer market is fairly self-explanatory and is the most similar to normal American sports. The only difference? The totals will usually be quite small — normally, soccer bettors will see totals ranging from two to four goals — and will feature higher juice on the favorite.

Here’s an example of a soccer total, using the West Ham United-Manchester City match:

Total Goals	Odds
Total Over 2.5 Goals	-175
Total Under 2.5 Goals	+130

If the match features three or more combined goals from the two sides, the over would cash. However, if there are two or fewer combined goals, under 2.5 goals would cash.

Props or Proposition Bets

Prop bets are a catch-all term for types of bets that are not directly related to moneyline betting. They are very popular among bettors as they offer different ways to bet on soccer. Here are a few different types of props that bettors will see offered at various sportsbooks:

Both Teams to Score	Odds
Both Teams to Score – “Yes”	-125
Both Teams to Score – “No”	-110

World Cup Live Betting

Live betting has become very popular since the dawn of online sports betting, and it’s a fantastic aspect of betting on soccer. Doing so will allow you to analyze the game you’re watching and whether a particular side dominates the match before deciding which way to bet on the World Cup.

Every sportsbook offers live betting on the World Cup, and many of the markets on offer are the same as you’ll find before kick-off, albeit at slightly different odds. 

For example, if the USA goes 1-0 down to Wales, their odds to win the game will be longer than they will at kick-off, as they are down in the match. However, if Wales has a man sent off, you could wager on the USA to win at longer odds. 

Given the nature of soccer and the constantly changing outcomes and events, live betting is a key feature to keep an eye out for during the World Cup. 

World Cup Futures

World Cup Winners

When you get to the World Cup section of your chosen betting site, there should be an Outrights section you can click into.

The first market displayed will usually be the World Cup winner, and the odds will be displayed next to each team. 

The favorites to win the FIFA World Cup 2022 are Brazil, followed by Argentina and France. The reigning World Cup champions are France, but remember that no team has won it back-to-back since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. 

World Cup Golden Boot Winner

The Golden Boot at the World Cup is awarded to the player who scores the most goals throughout the tournament. The winner does not have to win the World Cup in order to win the Golden Boot and can come from any nation. 

For instance, Harry Kane won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup, but England was knocked out in the semi-finals. 

Kane is once more the favorite to win this year’s golden boot, closely followed by Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. 

World Cup Odds Explained

World Cup odds in the USA follow the same format as other traditional sports, such as the NFL or NBA. If you’re betting on the moneyline, a negative sign in front of the odds will indicate a favorite or a situation that is more likely to happen. On the flip side, a positive sign will show an underdog or an outcome that is less likely to happen.

For example, let’s take England taking on Iran at the World Cup. The 3-way moneyline odds are as follows:

England	Draw	Iran
-370	+370	+1100

As shown in the odds, England are heavy favorites to win the game, as they are at -370. This would mean you have to place $370 in order to win $100. So a $370 wager on this game would return $470 ($370 stake + $100 profit). If you were to wager on Iran, a $100 wager would return $1200 ($100 stake + $1100 profit).

The juice or vig is less known in World Cup odds, although you will likely find this betting on total markets. The most common line is over 2.5 goals, which varies depending on the teams playing.

It’s important to shop around for your World Cup odds, as different sportsbooks will offer different odds for teams and outcomes, which can get you extra bang for your buck.

World Cup 2022: The Schedule

The quarterfinals are set to begin, and there are some global powers that you find are missing. 2014 World Cup champion Germany failed to make it out of the group stage, and Spain, the 2010 World Cup champions, was upset by Morroco in the Round of 16.

The favorite to win this year’s World Cup, Brazil will get the quarterfinals started against 2018 runner-up Croatia. The Brazilians are heavy favorites to advance, as they looked in prime form in their last match.

Then we have a heavyweight battle. Lionel Messi and Argentina will take on the Netherlands, who, despite their age, has looked excellent thus far.

On Saturday, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal will look to end the cinderella story of Morocco. Portugal is a massive favorite to do so.

Then last but certainly not least, the defending World Cup champions, France, will take on England. This is the best matchup of the tournament to date.

Date	Stage
November 20	Tournament Opener: Qatar vs. Ecuador
November 20 – December 2	Group Stage
December 3 – 6	Round of 16
December 9 – 10	Quarter-finals
December 13 – 14	Semi-Finals
December 17	Third place play-off
December 18	FIFA World Cup Final

How to Watch the World Cup

US fans can watch the World Cup 2022 online on Fox Sports App and Peacock Premium, while games will also broadcast on Fox, FS1, Telemundo, and Universo.

With the tournament taking place in the Middle East for the first time, matches kick off quite early in the morning for most Americans, with 5 am ET matches (2 am PT) for the first week of the competition. 

Fortunately, all of the USA’s world cup group stage fixtures will start at 2 pm ET/ 11 am PT.

How to Research Soccer Bets

As with any sports betting, it’s important to do some research before placing any bets. After all, this is the first-ever FIFA World Cup that we can legally wager online on in the USA.

There are plenty of statistics and form websites where you can research teams, previous fixtures, forms, and various statistics. Remember that a lot of form and quality goes out of the window during the World Cup, but here are a few sites to help you craft your World Cup bets.

Site	Content
fbref.com	Great for researching league-wide trends and individual team metrics
fotmob.com	Provides further data insights and deeper league-wide statistics
actionnetwork.com/soccer	Tips & Picks on soccer, with excellent betting, offers available.
theanalyst.com/na/sport/football/	A website from Opta. Provides good expected goal data from all situations on both teams and players.

World Cup Betting Tips & Tricks

Betting on soccer will be new for many folks, but there’s no doubt you’ll want to get in on wagering on the biggest soccer event, if not the biggest sporting event in the world.

Group Stage Parlays can be profitable

Hitting a parlay is one of the greatest thrills in sports betting, and the World Cup does not differ here.

Even though the tournament hosts the 32 best teams against one another, there are still massive disparities in talent between the best team in the tournament and the worst.

Just look at some of the matchups we’re getting in the group stage. Germany-South Korea? Spain-Iran? Belgium-Tunisia? 

Don’t get me wrong, upsets do well happen at the World Cup, but based on the quality of players and world rankings, these matchups are very one-sided on paper.

The group stage presents a good opportunity to pick on some of the worst teams in the field. You can string bets involving these heavy favorites together into a parlay before things get dicier in the knockout rounds.

History means almost nothing

If you asked some casual soccer fans on the street which teams have the best chance to win the World Cup, you’d probably hear the same names over and over. Don’t get me wrong, nations such as Germany, France, Brazil, and Argentina are right among the favorites, but letting the past dictate the future doesn’t make any sense in this instance.

The World Cup is played once every four years, which means the squad from the previous tournament can look a whole lot different from the one that was played four years ago. What’s more, those players will have aged four years, and while some may have gotten better, others may have been worse. 

A prime example of this is Spain, which won the Cup in 2010. The Spanish side featured many of the same names in 2014, but that team crashed out in the group stage. History doesn’t mean all, and for you casual soccer bettors, don’t just pick the biggest names and nations. 

There’s plenty of potential value in betting against big-name teams that will be heavily favored in the early stages. 

Look for the hidden gems

Just because the World Cup is usually won by a household team like Germany or Brazil doesn’t mean we won’t see some upsets along the way. It obviously isn’t recommended to bet against teams like that, but some valuable underdogs can be found in the early rounds.

Look no further than 2014, when teams like England, Portugal, Spain, and Italy were beaten in the group stage, and Colombia took the world by storm. Take last year’s European Championships also, where Denmark made it to the semi-finals. 

There are a couple of teams who could upset the odds, and if you know your soccer, they may be worth a bet. My fancies are Japan, Ecuador, and Canada all to qualify out of their groups, because I know you were wondering.

World Cup Betting Do’s and Don’ts

DO

• Wait for lineups to come out Sometimes, it can prove wise to wait until teams release their Starting XI’s — one hour before kickoff — before placing your bets. Although, this is when the lines tend to move most drastically, whether a particular player is available can have a huge impact on a match.
  
• Consider the occasion A strange sentence to bear in mind, but hear me out. Emotions are heightened with everything at stake during the World Cup, meaning the soccer players may be different. In knockout stages, you’re likely to see more yellow cards, given the game’s intensity, and perhaps fewer goals as teams are less reluctant to attack.
  
• Bet on underdogs Global soccer is highly unpredictable and will see plenty of upsets. Combine that with the aforementioned home/road trends, and bettors should steer clear of betting only favorites. So, whether you take an underdog outright on the moneyline or on the goal line, bettors should always give the dogs a chance.

DON’T

• Bet huge parlays This may go against some advice I’ve previously given, but there is a key difference. It’s very easy to wind up with a huge 14-leg parlay, but it’s quite likely at least one team will let you down. A smaller, four or five-leg parlay may well be the smarter play, and if you can find some strong odds and competitive lines, may end up being more profitable.
  
• Bet with emotion It’s quite easy for soccer bettors to want to bet on their favorite teams, but that can often cloud your judgment. This goes for every sport: bet with your head instead of your heart. The USA didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup, meaning this is the first tournament where bettors in the US can legally wager on the USMNT. Don’t get dragged into backing the USA to win every game, as it’s very unlikely to happen.
  
• Bet on every game The month-long period of the World Cup is without a doubt one of the best times to be a sports fan, but don’t get dragged into betting on every single game. Pick and choose your moments to wager, and seek out markets and lines which you deem to be profitable. Betting on every single game may seem fun, but I can almost guarantee that it will not be profitable. 

Previous World Cup Winners

Year	Host Country	Final
2018	Russia	France 4-2 Croatia
2014	Brazil	Germany 1-0 Argentina (AET)
2010	South Africa	Spain 1-0 Netherlands (AET)
2006	Germany	Italy 1-1 France (Italy won 5-3 on Pens)
2002	Japan	Brazil 2-0 Germany
1998	France	France 3-0 Brazil
1994	USA	Brazil 0-0 Italy (Brazil won 3-2 on pens)

The Best World Cup Betting Apps

Betting on soccer can also be done from mobile devices, with the best sportsbooks all offering fantastic World Cup betting apps for you to wager on. While there are plenty of legal sports betting apps out there to fulfill your soccer betting needs, the following apps are the best to bet on soccer with: 

Rank	App	New User Promo	T&Cs	iOS?	Android?
1	Caesars	Up To $1250 First Bet on Caesars + 1,000 Tier Credits + 1,000 Reward Credits® with code NPBONUSFULL	New players only, 21+. Available in AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV only. Full T&C apply.	✓	✓
2	FanDuel	$1,000 No Sweat First Bet	New customers only. 21+. NY, AZ, CO, CT, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA, WV only. T&C’s apply.	✓	✓
3	BetMGM	Risk free bet up to $1,000 with NPBONUS	New customers only. Must be 21+. AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY only. (Welcome Offer not available in NY) Full T&C apply.	✓	✓
4	BetRivers	Up to $250 Deposit Bonus	New players only, 21+. AZ, CO, IL, IN, LA, MI, NY, PA, VA, WV only	✓	✓
5	SI Sportsbook	Bet $20, Win $100 in Free Bets!	New Customers only. 21+, CO, VA, MI only. Full T&Cs apply.	✓	✓

How to Bet on the World Cup FAQs

Is it legal to bet on the World Cup?

Yes, it is completely legal to bet on soccer matches at licensed online sportsbooks. Like other sports, there are no restrictions on placing real money bets on soccer, as long as online sports betting is legal in your state. 

Where can I bet on the World Cup?

You can bet on soccer at many of the best online sportsbooks. Check out the best online sports betting sites to place your soccer bets with here. 

What are the best World Cup bets?

The best soccer bets are different for each bettor. Many would consider prop and futures bets as the best, as these can generate larger odds compared to traditional betting options. Moneyline and totals are still strong ways to bet, but the odds are generally shorter. 

How much can you make betting on the World Cup?

The money you make from betting on soccer depends on many factors. To give a simple answer to this question, the quality of selections and betting strategy are arguably the two most important factors. 

When does the World Cup start? 

The 2022 FIFA World Cup begins on Sunday November 20, with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador.