By
Blake Roberts
Founder & Editor in Chief Updated: 15 July 2023
Blake Roberts Founder & Editor in Chief
Blake Roberts is the founder of Betting.US and is currently heading the creative team as Editor in Chief. Born and raised in Morgantown, West Virginia, Blake is a great sports fan, with football and basketball being his favorite. He’s our trusted voice for all betting-related matters.
The stage is set for the grandest international women’s football competition in Australia and New Zealand as the neighboring countries gear up to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Including the hosts, 32 nations from around the world will participate in this competition. The tournament will commence on Thursday, July 20, at 3:00 AM ET.
The previous two editions of the Women’s World Cup were won by the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT), and they will be aiming to defend their title for a second successive time this year. The World Cup voyage of the USWNT begins on Friday, July 21, at 9:00 PM ET against Vietnam in their first Group Stage fixture.
Joining the United States and Vietnam in Group E are the women’s national teams of Portugal and the Netherlands. The USWNT are firm favorites, according to the best soccer betting sites, to win this group, as their counterparts have not been as consistent or prolific as them. Meanwhile, the defending champions are coming into this tournament on the back of a nine-game winning streak.
The campaign starts with a relatively easy fixture for the USWNT as they are pitted against a Vietnam side that is ranked 32 in the FIFA World Rankings. Vietnam lost 2-1 against Germany in their last friendly before the World Cup, and before that game, they were hammered 7-0 by France. Now, up against the USWNT, the odds will certainly not favor the Asian nation.
The biggest challenge for the United States during the group stage will come in the form of the Netherlands. Ranked nine in the rankings, the Oranje Leeuwinnen will face Portugal in their first game and try to break their inconsistent pattern of winning every alternate game. In their last five games, the Dutch side has lost three and won two.
The final group stage fixture for the USWNT will come against a mercurial Portugal side that are ranked 21 and were a force to reckon with during the World Cup qualifiers. They are unbeaten in the last six games, winning all five qualifiers before holding England to a goalless draw in a friendly.
The USWNT is expected to breeze through all three fixtures in the group stage. They are in fiery form and have lost just three of their last 33 games in all competitions, including friendlies. The three losses were in consecutive exhibition encounters and came against England, Spain, and Germany between October and November last year.
Since then, the team has played nine games and won all of them, scoring 21 goals, keeping seven clean sheets, and conceding just two goals. The USWNT are the top favorites to win the tournament, but teams like England, France, Germany, and Sweden are also amongst the top contenders to snatch the trophy away from the defending champions.
After the group stage, the USWNT will face the winner or the runner-up of Group G, depending on where the USWNT finishes. Group G comprises Argentina, Italy, South Africa, and Sweden. In this group, Sweden are top favorites to finish at the top, with Italy following them into the knockout stages.
The USWNT could face either Sweden or Italy in the first knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2023. The last time USA and Sweden went head-to-head was during the 2021 Summer Olympics. The two nations were in Group G, and the match ended 3-0 in favor of Sweden. If the two teams meet in the World Cup, the USA will be looking for retribution.
On paper, the USWNT has an extremely competitive and strong squad. On the pitch, they have been the same, which is why they have gained and maintained their winning momentum. Alex Morgan tops the list of players to watch out for because of her stellar performance for San Diego Wave FC in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) this season. The striker scored five goals and assisted four in 11 appearances.
On the flanks, Portland Thorns’ winger Sophia Smith and Angel City FC attacker Alyssa Thompson have been menacing. The former has scored ten goals and provided five assists in 13 NWSL matches. The latter has scored thrice and assisted once in the same number of games. In midfield, Washington Spirit’s Ashley Sanchez is expected to be the anchor, while the defensive duo of Alana Cook and Naomi Girma is expected to be at the heart of the defense.
Group E Betting Odds – Taken from Vegas Insider
| Team | Odds |
| USA | -350 |
| Netherlands | +250 |
| Portugal | +5000 |
| Vietnam | +50000 |
Competition Winner Odds – Taken from Vegas Insider
| Team | Odds |
| USA | +250 |
| England | +450 |
| Spain | +550 |
| Germany | +700 |
| France | +1000 |
Also, check out our free women’s world cup sweepstakes with a free downloadable template that contains printable resources to make your tournament much more fun!
Colorado Could Increase Gambling Tax Allocated to Water ProjectsRead Article
Amelia WalkerMay 06, 2024
Deceptive Promotions Lead to Legal Actions Against DraftKingsRead Article
Lisa SpencerMay 04, 2024
Strong Support Shown for Sports Betting Referendum in MissouriRead ArticleLisa SpencerMay 01, 2024