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Soccer fans around the world are gearing up for this year’s Women’s World Cup tournament, with Group Stage play set to begin Thursday, July 20th. Australia and New Zealand will co-host this year, with games slated to be played in both countries over the next month and change. Following group play, and the knockout rounds, a champion will be crowned on August 20th at Stadium Australia in Sydney.
The U.S. Women’s National Team is the odds-on favorite to win their third World Cup title in a row, but by no means will they coast to the title game. England, Germany, Spain, and co-host Australia are the next four nations most likely to walk away with the trophy. While the United States is the favorite, and the four behind them have the smallest odds, we’ll be looking for teams with the best value on the board prior to the start of play.
Best 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Germany (+750)
Currently ranked second in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings, Germany has the fourth shortest odds of winning the tournament. That’s enough value for me, even with Bayern Munich playmaker Carolin Simon missing from the squad due to an ACL tear in her left knee.
The German side is no stranger to World Cup success, capturing back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2007. If they are going to climb back to the top of the mountain, striker Alexandra Popp will be a huge reason why. The 32-year-old has 16 goals in 32 matches for her Wolfsburg club and netted a pair of goals in 2019 before her side was ousted in the quarter-finals by eventual third-place finisher Sweden.
Playing behind Popp will be her Wolfsburg teammate, 21-year-old Lena Oberdorf. The crafty midfielder made her World Cup debut at the young age of 17, playing in four matches and starting one. Oberdorf will no doubt be much more comfortable on the world stage this time around and should be a key cog in the German’s efforts to capture their first title in 16 years.
Sweden (+1800)
An extra-time goal by the Netherlands was all that prevented Sweden from reaching the 2019 final. A 2-1 victory over England in the consolation game secured the squad’s second third-place finish in the last three World Cup tournaments.
One of the goal scorers in that third-place game, Kosovare Asllani, is back to lead the Swedish squad in 2023. The 33-year-old, who ranks sixth all-time in her country’s history with 44 international goals for Sweden, has been playing in Italy this season for Milan and has 9 goals in 17 matches.
Midfielder Caroline Seger, the player with the most international experience in the team’s history, will captain her side down under in 2023. Seger has 32 goals in a European record 233 career caps. The 38-year-old had two goals and an assist in six World Cup qualifying matches, so she’s still showing the ability to get on the scoresheet. If the Swedish women are going to take that next step, those two women are going to be a big reason why.
Brazil (+3200)
If you’re looking for a dark horse with decent odds, Brazil is a great option. The 2007 runner-up bowed out of the tournament in the Round of 16 in each of the last two competitions. The most familiar name for Brazilian fans is 37-year-old Marta, who has a record 17 goals in 20 career World Cup matches. While not the player she once was, Marta may come off the bench for As Canarinhas (The Female Canaries) to provide a late spark.
The heir apparent to Marta, it can be debated, is Kerolin. The 23-year-old Forward/Midfielder will be making her debut on the world stage but has three years of national team experience. The Brazilian has been playing for the North Carolina Courage of the NWSL this season and has eight goals in 13 games, so she’s got a nose for the net.
Joining Kerolin up front is a 32-year-old who averaged nearly 3.5 shots per game in 2019 but failed to find the back of the net. She will look to change that this year and will have to do so if backers are going to head to the window in August.
Best of luck, and cash those tickets!
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