Prior to Team USA’s Group E opening match against Vietnam, the Women’s World Cup odds board looked as if it malfunctioned. But it hadn’t.
At some sportsbooks, the U.S. Women’s National Team was as much as a -100000 favorite in the run-up to the match. That meant that a $100 moneyline wager on the U.S. would’ve earned you all of 10 cents. The USWNT closed in the range of a still massive -35000 favorite and won the match 3-0.
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However, oddsmakers expect Game 2 to be much more challenging — and much more heavily bet — when Team USA meets Netherlands at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday night on FOX and the FOX Sports app. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET Wednesday.
It’s a rematch of the 2019 championship, and WynnBet trader Dominick DeBonis projects this will easily be the most-bet match so far in the 2023 Women’s World Cup betting market.
Bettors pile on U.S.
On the three-way moneyline, WynnBet opened the USWNT as a relatively modest -120 favorite, with Netherlands a +320 underdog and a draw at +285. As of Tuesday night, the odds stretched a bit to U.S. -140/Netherlands +400/draw +240.
Team USA is drawing 80% of early tickets, and DeBonis anticipates money piling up by game time.
“This will absolutely be the highest-handle game of the tournament so far, with it being in a perfect evening time slot in the States and a rematch of the 2019 final,” DeBonis said. “And I don’t anticipate anything coming close until the first U.S. game in the knockout stage. I would expect the bets to continue to pour in on the U.S., with occasional sharper buyback on [Netherlands and draw].”
The two smoking-hot trends of the tournament remain intact. Through 18 games, the Under on Women’s World Cup totals is a stout 14-2-2. Better still, on the popular Yes/No prop bet of Both Teams To Score, No is an absolutely torrid 17-1.
But DeBonis said those two markets haven’t gotten much attention yet for USA-Netherlands.
“Not a ton of interest in the total or Both Teams To Score, as of yet,” DeBonis said. “I would expect the bets to come in on those markets as part of Same Game Parlays day of.”
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Wagering on record pace
DeBonis, who’s not only a trader but a serious soccer aficionado, is encouraged by the pace of Women’s World Cup betting thus far. He fully expects this tournament to see a record amount of money wagered at U.S. sportsbooks, though it’s not necessarily surprising. The 2019 tournament was the most bet, but since then, dozens more U.S. jurisdictions have added legal, regulated sports betting.
“As a longtime fan of the sport and U.S. Soccer, it’s really exciting to see so much interest and coverage in the betting aspect of this World Cup,” DeBonis said. “Between the USWNT going for its third championship in a row, Lionel Messi’s arrival in MLS, the march toward Copa América next summer and the men’s World Cup in 2026, we’re on the doorstep of a revolution for the world’s game in America.
“And the handle on our [Women’s World Cup] outright winner market has surpassed several more established sporting events. Obviously, sports betting was available in far fewer states in 2019, when the last edition was played. But the menu of markets available for this edition has been a breath of fresh air for longtime American fans of the sport, and an encouraging sign of what’s to come.”
Team America
If Women’s World Cup futures odds stay true to form, what’s to come is a great result for most bettors and a loss for WynnBet and several other U.S. sportsbooks. The USWNT is currently the +250 favorite to lift the trophy. England follows at +450, then Germany and Spain at +500.
“Our biggest liabilities on the outright market besides the USWNT are Spain and Brazil,” DeBonis said, noting that Brazil can still be had at +2000. “Those two squads looked great in their opening matches, and have long and well-known histories within the sport.”
WynnBet also has an intriguing Yes/No prop bet on who wins the World Cup: whether there will be a first-time champion. Previous champs USA, Germany, Japan and Norway represent the No option, while the rest of the 32-team field represents Yes.
Among those 28 teams are several strong outfits: England, co-third choice Spain, tourney co-host and fifth choice Australia, and aforementioned Brazil. And of course, 2019 runner-up Netherlands.
“The Field market at a pick ‘em price has attracted action on the Yes,” DeBonis said.
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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