2023 World Cup odds: Sweden, Group G betting preview
Group G at the 2023 World Cup is made up of teams with very different historical resumes.
On one side, you have Sweden and Italy, which have both done well in the tournament, but have never won it. Sweden was the runner-up in 2003 and placed third three other times, most recently in 2019. Italy didn’t qualify from 2003 through 2015, but has twice appeared in the quarterfinals.
And then there is South Africa and Argentina, neither of which have ever advanced out of the group stage.
But before you head to your sports betting app of choice, take a closer look at this group. Sure, Sweden is the overwhelming favorite, but Italy and Argentina – with apologies to South Africa – have the potential to make things interesting.
All odds via FanDuel
To win the group:
- Sweden -380
- Italy +400
- Argentina +2700
- South Africa +7500
To win the World Cup:
- Sweden +1800
- Italy +10000
- Argentina +19000
- South Africa +43000
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Tap BET NOW to sign up today. Must be 21+ to participate. Must be present in a state where FanDuel legally operates. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Terms and Conditions apply.Of the teams in this group, Sweden has played the best in big tournaments recently. The Blue and Yellow earned a silver medal at the Olympics in 2021, and – for the third time – placed third at the World Cup in 2019. Sweden also reached the semifinals of the 2022 Euros.
Sweden is also armed with stars at every level, from Everton defender Nathalie Bjorn, to San Diego Wave forward Sofia Jakobsson, to Barcelona forward Fridolina Rolfo – who scored the game-winner in the Champions League final this season.
Under coach Peter Gerhardsson, Sweden has developed an identity as a pressing and counter-attacking team. They’ll likely create a lot of headaches for opponents in the group stage.
Why not Argentina?
The team has never won a game or advanced out of the group stage at the World Cup – and this is just the third time it has qualified – but Argentina has played well lately. The team placed third at both the 2018 and 2022 Copa America tournaments, and Argentina has four wins and a draw in five friendly matches this year – including a pair of victories over host nation New Zealand.
Perhaps the Argentine women can capture some of the magic that lifted the men’s team to a World Cup title last winter.
- Vanina Correa, Argentina: Along with Brazil’s Marta, Correa will be one of the oldest players in the tournament. She turns 40 in August and played in the 2007 World Cup. 16 years later, the veteran goalkeeper will likely be the starter between the pipes for Argentina in Australia and New Zealand. She started all six matches for Argentina at the 2022 Copa America, where the team finished with a plus-7 goal differential.
- Arianna Caruso, Italy: The 23-year-old midfielder represents the next generation for the Italian national team. She shined in World Cup qualifying matches, scoring seven goals. In the 2022-23 season for Juventus, she has five goals and 10 assists in 25 Serie A matches.
- Fridolina Rolfo, Sweden: Rolfo has proven herself as a goal-scorer at the club level and on the international stage. She scored three times in five games in the Olympics in 2021 as Sweden earned a silver medal, and in the 2022-23 season for Barcelona she has 12 goals and 10 assists in 32 matches across all competitions.
