Warm up for the World Cup draw with Ladbrokes’ special markets
Published:The eyes of the footballing world, or at least of those who have qualified, will be trained on the World Cup draw as the 32 nations to participate in Brazil learn which teams they’ll be buddying up with during the group stage.
In order to whet the appetite for the pot-and-ball action, Ladbrokes have priced up various markets surrounding the ceremony.
Topping the list of seven betting opportunities are the odds on which top seed England will draw. All four European sides from Pot 1, Spain, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, are priced at 15/2 to land England in their group.
Meanwhile, the South American representatives, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay are afforded a price of 6/1.
However, the fact that England are unseeded for the draw means things are not as simple as drawing lots. The European pot, Pot 4, contains nine nations, leaving Pot 2, which contains the unseeded South American sides and African qualifiers, short.
So, in order to even things up in a characteristically simple way, FIFA will draw one European team out of Pot 4 and plonk them in Pot 2. That side will then automatically be drawn to face either Brazil, Argentina, Colombia or Uruguay.
There is obviously a one in eight chance that England are that side, but if they escape the relocation it leaves fewer South American sides for Roy Hodgson’s men to be paired with, making a punt on the longer-priced European seeds more lucrative.
For those looking for some nostalgia, it is 33/1 that the Three Lions form a 2002 World Cup reunion in a group with Argentina and Nigeria, while facing USA and Algeria again, like 2010, is also a 33/1 shot.
For those not sick to the back teeth of consecutive Ashes series in the cricket, a football-based England/Australia clash can be backed at 7/1, while it’s 25/1 that Steven Gerrard’s side draw France in their group.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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