Russia vs Saudi Arabia Betting Tip
2018 FIFA World Cup | Thursday, 14th June 2018 | 6:00 pm (local time) | Moskow
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3/10 at  |
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11/1 at  |
Russia vs Saudi Arabia | Prediction, Betting Tips & Odds
The 2018 FIFA World Cup has almost arrived, as hosts Russia prepare to open the tournament against Saudi Arabia. There’s still some time left until the game kicks off so while things could always change, the pieces are slowly starting to fall into place ahead of what is sure to be an intense encounter in Moscow. These two teams may not be seen as the most entertaining, but they’ll both see a passage into the knockout stages as a realistic possibility considering that Group A is one of the weaker groups in the entire tournament.
Match Preview
While they aren’t expected to do much in the way of success on the pitch this summer, Russia are still going to want to put on a show for their legions of fans who will be travelling to stadiums all around the country throughout the tournament. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, will just be happy to be seen on the big stage once again following years of lacklustre performances in qualifying. Russia were knocked out of the 2014 edition in the group stages, whereas Saudi Arabia haven’t even competed on the world stage since 2006 in Germany.
Russia
Ten years ago, Russia were considered to be a rising force in world football. They reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008 and looked set to continue their rise in the years to follow, but over the last decade, things have fallen apart. Thankfully, being awarded the World Cup seems to have reinvigorated the national team, although they don’t have enough quality to suggest that they can do much beyond picking up a few points this summer. Then again, we’ve seen in the past what being a host can do for a team’s confidence.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia may not be the most glamorous of teams to compete at the World Cup in Russia, but they certainly aren’t going to show any fear. They need to possess a ‘do or die’ sort of mentality with this tournament because, at the end of the day, they’ve got nothing to lose. They’ve won back-to-back games against Greece and Algeria, they’ve only lost twice in their last six games, and we all know that momentum is a wonderful thing in football. They’re an unknown entity in more ways than one, which could be their greatest asset – especially against Russia.
Russia vs Saudi Arabia Head to Head
If you watch the World Cup in search of fresh match-ups, then this is as good as you’re going to get. Saudi Arabia and Russia have only met once before in international football, with Saudi Arabia coming out on top in a 4-2 victory on October 6th, 1993 in a friendly match. Given that they haven’t arranged anything since and given that they’re not in the same qualifying region, this could be one of the few chances you get to see this pairing in our lifetime.
Odds and Predictions
Despite the national team’s poor form as of late, Russia are still the overwhelming favourites with bet365 to pick up three points with odds of 3/10. Saudi Arabia will embrace their underdog tag at 11/1, with the draw being priced at 15/4. If you’re in search of goals this may not be the game for you, with over 2.5 being priced at 23/20 and under 2.5 being 4/6. Specific odds will be released closer to the date, with both teams still needing to work out their best first team in the upcoming friendlies.
Russia vs Saudi Arabia Top Betting Tip: Draw (1-1)
Nerves are a funny thing in professional football, and you can bet that Russia are going to be feeling them. With games against Uruguay and Egypt in their group to come they’ll see this as a must-win, but Saudi Arabia will think the same thing, and we believe that’ll lead to a stalemate. If you’re interested in seeing how both teams prepare for an encounter of this magnitude, hosts Russia will take on Austria (May 30th) and Turkey (June 5th) before this game, whereas Saudi Arabia are playing Italy (May 28th), Peru (June 3rd) and Germany (June 8th).
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