Netherlands vs. Sweden prediction: World Cup picks, odds, best bets Saturday
Buckle in for takeoff in Houston on Saturday. Sweden and the Netherlands meet at NRG Stadium on Matchday 2, both riding highs off their opening World Cup performances. Blågult scooped up three points to surge to the top of Group F in a 5-1 thrashing of Tunisia.It’s not often you see a conversion at such a scale, but chalk it up to a pure tactical mismatch.
Premier League superstars Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres repeatedly punished Tunisia’s defensive mistakes and poor transition coverage while the North Africans’ midfield structure crumbled whenever possession was lost. The Swedes enjoyed a perfect opponent to play into their strengths — so much so that Tunisia sacked their manager after the humiliation for several bone-headed decisions.Now comes the group-favorite Dutch, who won’t just roll over with their far more organized structure. Oranje settled for a 2-2 draw against Japan in their opener — a match where they controlled possession for long stretches and looked dangerous whenever they got their wide attackers — Crysencio Summerville to be specific — in space.They took the lead twice.
The problem was that the Dutch became passive while ahead and allowed Japan to net the equalizer in the 89th minute.The discipline could be a lot better, though if there’s anything Oranje proved resoundingly, it’s that they can move the ball into dangerous areas and create chances.Oddsmakers are nodding to the Dutch, who reflect a market-best price of -135 at DraftKings on the three-way moneyline.
On the reverse, you can grab Sweden as long as +425 or a draw for +310. Rather than back a side in a volatile matchup or expect another draw from a redemptive Netherlands group, I’m OK with the juice on both teams to score.After all, these are the two best offensive teams in Group F as the Dutch deploy the deepest attack while the Swedes counter with the isolated starpower in Isak and Gyökeres.The Netherlands are the better possession team — it�...