Bettors all over Messi, Argentina in World Cup final; Sportsbooks need France
After four weeks of riveting action and plenty of upsets, two teams that were among the favorites in the 2022 World Cup odds will square off in the championship match Sunday morning.
Lionel Messi has a chance to cement his legacy – likely the final chance – by leading Argentina to the title. On the other side, Kylian Mbappé can prove he's soccer's present and future if he can help France win a second straight World Cup.
In a match that oddsmakers rate nearly a toss-up, multiple oddsmakers are rooting for the very slim favorite. Let's dive into the World Cup final with a betting lens.
Can Lionel Messi lift Argentina to World Cup GREATNESS over Kylian Mbappé, France?
Bettors Back Lionel Train
Wednesday afternoon at WynnBet, defending World Cup champion France opened as a +175 favorite in three-way betting – wagering on the result after 90 minutes plus injury time. Argentina opened right behind at +185, with Draw +215.
Those odds have not moved since, though Messi & Co. are the lean for bettors in this clash of titans (coverage starts at 9 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).
"Argentina within the 90 has been bet early," WynnBet junior trader Dom DeBonis said. "Factors that could be in play there are the reported flu bug in the French camp or how easily Argentina dispatched Croatia [in the semifinal]."
Indeed, the Argentine side flatted Croatia 3-0 in Tuesday’s first semifinal. France advanced to its second straight World Cup title match by blanking huge upstart Morocco 2-0 in Wednesday’s second semi.
If you’d rather not get involved in the three-way market, you can bet on the to-lift-the-trophy market. Simply put, that’s a wager on which team wins, whether in 90 minutes plus injury time, overtime or on penalty kicks.
That’s a perfect toss-up at WynnBet, with odds for both teams at -110.
Long Time Coming
Along with taking the bulk of action on the championship match itself, Argentina was a popular play all year long – and all tournament long – in the World Cup futures odds market. So the need is fairly clear, even with two more days of betting to come on this massive match.
"We will want France to emerge victorious, considering the futures market and early action in the final," DeBonis said.
So WynnBet – and other books, as well – need France to repeat as champion. It’s been quite some time since that’s happened in the World Cup.
"Historically, there hasn't been a repeat winner since Pele's Brazil teams in [1958] and [1962), so that could factor in, as well," DeBonis said.
Props and Third-Place Match
DeBonis noted that the World Cup championship prop bet market of exact final score is drawing plenty of attention, as well. And if that action is predictive, well, you might want to bet Over on the total.
"All of this wagering indicates a belief that the result will sail over the market total of 2," DeBonis said.
In Saturday’s third-place match between Croatia and Morocco, at 10 a.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App, Croatia is the +130 favorite in three-way betting at WynnBet. Morocco is a +210 underdog, and Draw is +250.
"Early action is on Morocco within the 90," DeBonis said. "Factors that could be in play there are bettors wanting the Cinderella to have a happy ending or Croatia's poor performance against Argentina."
Patrick Everson is a sports betting analyst for FOX Sports and senior reporter for VegasInsider.com. He is a distinguished journalist in the national sports betting space. He’s based in Las Vegas, where he enjoys golfing in 110-degree heat. Follow him on Twitter: @PatrickE_Vegas.
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