World Cup 2022 kicks off on Sunday as soccer's best teams battle for supremacy. Qatar will be the 22nd running of the sport's most famous tournament and the first time the matches have been played in winter. All fixtures were pushed back five months to help accommodate the dangerous high summer temperatures in the Arab World.
Team USA secured their participation thanks to a strong qualifying campaign. They finished third in a division topped by Canada, with Mexico ending as runners-up. America held onto the bronze medal position, with Costa Rica sneaking in to grab the last remaining spot. The hard work is done, and it's time to enjoy the show. Host nation Qatar plays Ecuador on matchday one at 13:00 GMT on Sunday, with the final played exactly a week before Christmas Day.
Now that online gambling has been legalized in many states, this World Cup will be the most bet-on in history, smashing all previous records. Soccer fans and sportsbook bettors unable to enjoy betting in New York can make their predictions through an online gambling app using a smartphone.
The leading bookies offer odds on the USA winning the World Cup, but there are also many specials available. These include top goalscorer and stage of elimination. You can even wager on each match involving the USA, with over 100 pre-game and in-play betting odds available at the touch of a button.
What the bookies say
Qatar 2022 will be unique to any of the 21 World Cups that have gone before it, but it'll be no less exciting, unpredictable, and dramatic. How will the USA perform at this competition? They jointly host World Cup 2026 with Canada and Mexico, so everyone from the players and coaches to the fans needs to put on a show in what remains of the year. Do they have a chance of getting out of Group B and into the knockout rounds?
Traders working in Las Vegas have priced Brazil as their pre-competition betting favorites. The Samba Boys are the World Cup's most successful team, sitting just ahead of Germany. World Cup 2018 winners France are the second favorite, with Argentina third and England fourth. How likely is the USA to secure glory in December, according to the bookies? The USA winning the cup has been published as the 17th most likely winner.
There are other ways you can back Team USA without trusting them with your hard-earned cash to go on a run to the final and win the trophy. Some of the best specials available to online gamblers include winning or qualifying from Group B, which stage they will be eliminated, and how many goals they'll score.
Group B chances
The USA has a better chance of success in the group than in the World Cup outright. You can predict where the team will finish after three group games. Do you think they will win the division? It's possible at this stage, but England is the group's favorite. Wales is also expected to challenge for a top-two finish and place in the next round. Then we have Iran as the outsider of four.
There are three ways to bet on the USA that relate to how they perform in Group B. Back them to win the group and progress in pole position or take the USA to qualify for the next stage. With the second market, you are covered for the group winner and second-place finish. The stage of elimination is another good market that lets you predict which round a nation will exit.
Opening match
Team USA plays its opening game on Monday against Wales at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan. It may only be game one for the Americans, but the players will already feel the pressure.
If Group B goes the way expected, England will run away with the pool, leaving Wales and the USA to fight over the silver medal and place in the Round of 16.
Get a free bet
All the leading online bookies offer new players a welcome bonus free bet when they register an account, deposit $10 or more, and place a qualifying bet.
