Fresh off its emphatic 13-0 win over Thailand, the United States has confirmed its place as a favorite in the Women’s World Cup. Now, the USA will look to score another big win on Sunday, as they face off against Chile in their second match of the tournament.
In all likelihood, the US women won’t be able to pour it on in the way they did against the completely outclassed Thailand squad they played earlier this week. But it would still be a massive upset if they didn’t come away with another three points, and in all likelihood, clinch a place in the knockout round.
The USA isn’t quite as big a favorite as they were against Thailand, but the numbers are still grim for the Chileans. At FanDuel Sportsbook, the United States is a -4500 pick to win, with a draw fetching +2000 odds, while Chile can be backed at +8500.
But while betting on the money line isn’t likely to offer much value on Sunday, there are a number of other interesting bets being offered on the match.
Bookmakers Predicting Another USA Rout
Spread betting on soccer isn’t unusual. What is rare is to see a team favored by 4.5 goals, as the USA will be against Chile. The line makes sense, though, considering both the United States’ big win and Chile’s 2-0 loss to Sweden in its opening Women’s World Cup match.
It’s tempting to see the spread as an overreaction to a particularly impressive display by the Americans, one they are unlikely to reproduce. But Chile has shown itself as being vulnerable to giving up a lot of goals against high-level opposition, losing to the Netherlands 7-0 in April.
Still, it’s important to note that Chile has only given up five or more goals twice in its last 18 games. That includes two losses to the United States last summer – in which the Chileans lost, but only by 3-0 and 4-0 scores.
The Pick: Chile +4.5 (-105)
While the USA may not cover the spread, chances are that they’ll have no trouble scoring multiple goals against Chile. It also seems unlikely that the underdogs will find the net against a far superior opponent. That makes looking at the correct score prop bets intriguing, as we can look for value in predicting a USA shutout. Chile will try to tighten things up in order to show they won’t be embarrassed like Thailand was, which could make the final tally fairly modest for the Americans.
The Pick: USA 3-0 (+700)
Still, it’s highly doubtful that Chile will be able to contain the United States for even 45 minutes. That makes it surprising that the odds are relatively low on the United States to take the lead during the first half. If you want to bet on the Americans straight up, that seems to be where the best value lies.
The Pick: Half-Time Result: USA (-550)
Morgan Likely to Keep Scoring
Alex Morgan made headlines by scoring five times against Thailand. That’s unlikely to happen again during the tournament, but the forward – who already has 106 international goals – is the early favorite to win the Golden Boot, and will likely look to add to her told against Chile. Given that the USA is almost certain to win the match as well, the better value is in the “Wincast†bet that pairs goals with a USA victory.
The Pick: Morgan to Score AND USA to Win (-410)
If you’re looking to go away from the chalk, picking Mallory Pugh to score a goal might be a more attractive option. The Washington Spirit forward has 17 goals in her first 54 appearance with the United States, and scored late in the win over Thailand. Expect her to find the back of the net more at the Women’s World Cup – perhaps starting with a score against Chile.
The Pick: Pugh to Score AND USA to Win (-140)