Updated World Cup odds: Spain heads into final as favorites to defeat Argentina
Get your Sunday chores done early because this World Cup Final will be appointment viewing. The never-say-never Argentines are set to defend their title against a symphonic Spanish team that opened the tournament as the consensus favorites.Bookmakers have assigned the defending champions as +125 underdogs on the three-way moneyline against Spain, who are priced at -162 to prevail. The story of the summer has been Lionel Messi’s unwavering heroics at age 39. The generational superstar crossed the game-winning assist to oust England, 2-1, as the Argentines clawed their way back from down 1-0 within two goals in six minutes and 34 seconds.Messi leads the tournament with 12 combined goals and assists and his odds to win the Golden Boot trail only France’s Kylian Mbappe at DraftKings.Spain knocked off the French 2-0 to reach the final for the first time since their 2010 championship.Leading scorer Mikel Oyarzabal converted his fifth goal on a first-half penalty and Pedro Porro sealed the match.As they’ve done all tournament, the ball-hounding Spaniards overwhelmed France in possession from whistle to whistle.
La Roja forced turnovers with its high press and controlling midfield so effectively that the French managed just two shots on target.Spain has now conceded one goal in seven games, which came against Belgium in the quarterfinal.They lead all teams in expected goal difference and have a 3.8 percent advantage on Argentina in possession percentage. But Argentina, who opened with 9/1 odds to repeat, has found a way to pull out a response no matter who the opponent; they’ve dramatically escaped elimination in each of their four knockout matches.
La Albiceleste needed extra time to edge underdog Cape Verde, rallied from a two-goal deficit against Egypt and then outlasted a 10-man Switzerland side that forced extra time despite playing with a man down after a 72nd-minute red card.Despite both being powerful soccer nations, this will only be the second offici...