Predictions Preview
| Fixture | Prediction | |
| Ecuador vs Senegal | Ecuador Win or Draw (1X) | Bet Now |
| Netherlands vs Qatar | Netherlands win | Bet Now |
| Iran vs USA | Iran win | Bet Now |
| Wales vs England | England win | Bet Now |
Ecuador vs Senegal
29 November 2022
BCA Prediction: Ecuador Win or Draw (1X)
Senegal kept their hopes of making it to the last 16 alive with a 3-1 win over hosts Qatar. It’s been a tough tournament for the Teranga Lions without star man Sadio Mane, but it could get tougher as they are winless in their two previous meetings against South American teams in this competition. Senegal have now avoided defeat in ten of the last 13 competitive internationals that they have played away from home turf, but they will need more than just avoiding defeat here to finish ahead of Ecuador and the Netherlands.
Aliou Cisse’s Senegal team may need all three points to qualify, and this could play into the hands of a solid Ecuador team. The South Americans have four points from their first two games and are in pole position to book their place in the next round. The Ecuador side are clearly well organized, and they have only conceded one shot on target in their two games. Overall, they have kept 7 clean sheets in their last eight matches.
Enner Valencia has scored each of Ecuador’s last six goals at the World Cup, and he is set to return after an injury scare, so it is worth backing him to score in this game. Ecuador have shown they are good in possession and capable of defending in their draw against the Netherlands, and they should replicate the same against a side that lost 2-0 to the Netherlands a few days ago.
Key Takeaways:
- Ecuador have kept 7 clean sheets in their last eight internationals.
- Enner Valencia has scored each of Ecuador’s last 6 goals at the World Cup.
- Senegal have avoided defeat in 10 out of their last 13 fixtures played away from home.
Netherlands vs Qatar
29 November 2022
BCA Prediction: Netherlands win
The Netherlands were less than impressive in their second game against Ecuador, finding themselves on the back foot almost immediately after going 1-0 up. However, they have four points on board and only need a draw against Qatar to book their place in the last 16. Even a loss combined with an Ecuador win would see them through, but they will want to ensure they top the group, so they have something to play for in their final group stage match.
Both the Netherlands and Ecuador have four points from two games, with a +2 goal difference, so the top spot could be decided which side can score the most goals against Qatar. Louis van Gaal’s side finished qualifying with 33 goals in 10 games, while they then racked up 14 in six clashes in the Nations League. Those Nations League sides are each stronger than Qatar, so we see the Dutch racking up goals here.
The omens are not good for Qatar coming into this game, as they have already equalled the record for goals conceded by a host nation in the group stage. Senegal put three past the hosts in the last game, and it could have been more. Ecuador were in complete control against them and could end up kicking themselves for scoring only two. With Cody Gakpo in excellent form for both club and country and having been involved in 34 goals in 28 appearances, he will be relishing coming up against the worst defence he’ll face at this tournament.
Key Takeaways:
- Netherlands have scored 11 times across four World Cup clashes with Asian sides.
- Qatar have already conceded the joint-highest number of group goals by a host nation.
- Cody Gakpo has scored 4 goals in his last five games for the Netherlands.
- The Netherlands have scored 33 goals across their 10 World Cup qualifiers.
Iran vs USA
29 November 2022
BCA Prediction: Iran win
The USA put in a really good performance to hold Group B favourites England to a draw in the second group game of their World Cup campaign. Gregg Berhalter’s side were excellent at the back and in the middle of the park against England, but they now need a win to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages. Their lack of quality up front cost them in their opening two games as they failed to score goals to consolidate large spells of dominance. They have had just two shots on target across their two games so far and face an Iran side that will be desperate to earn the point that could send them through.
Iran’s 6-2 hammering at the hands of England in their opener wasn’t the best of starts but they came back with the perfect response against Wales, outperforming the Dragons in almost every department before scoring two goals deep into stoppage time. Carlos Queiroz’s men had 22 shots in that game and looked a threat throughout. Defeat here will send them out of the tournament so it is expected that they will approach this with a more reserved approach on Tuesday, which perfectly suits their style of play. In fact, they have lost just three of their last 23 games.
Only 2 of Iran’s last ten games have gone over the 2.5 goal mark which is testament to the fact that they like to keep it tight at the back. With the US winless in their last five matches and four of those having being draws including two goalless draws, we expect Iran to hold out comfortably and get the draw to send them through.
Key Takeaways:
- Iran have only lost three of their last 23 international fixtures.
- There have been fewer than three goals in 8 of Iran’s last 10 matches.
- The USA are winless in five games, with 4 of them ending as draws.
Wales vs England
29 November 2022
BCA Prediction: England win
After a perfect start to the 2022 World Cup, England followed their 6-2 thrashing of Iran with an underwhelming performance against the USA but they are still in charge of Group B heading into this clash Wales. The Three Lions were thwarted by a well-drilled USA side in round two but they looked solid at the back for the most part and will be confident of keeping a turgid Wales side at bay. England may be top of Group B, but both Iran and USA could leapfrog them with a win on Tuesday and Gareth Southgate will be keen to secure top spot and avoid a likely meeting with the Netherlands in the next round.
Rob Page’s team followed their own draw with the USA with a catastrophic performance against Iran in which has left their hopes of qualification hanging by the thinnest of threads. They now need to win against England and hope the other Group B game ends in a draw. For this to happen, Wales will have to improve massively on the Iran game where they were outshot by their opponents by 22 shots to ten. The Dragons have now drawn 2 and lost five of their last seven matches and have scored just once in their last three games.
England have won their last three meetings with Wales and kept a clean sheet in two, and we fancy them to get another narrow victory. Harry Kane is yet to score a goal this World Cup but it is only a matter of time before the Tottenham striker finds his shooting boots again. He won the Golden Boot four years ago and has scored 19 goals for England since the start of 2021 so we expect him to put Wales to the sword here.
Key Takeaways:
- England have won their last three meetings with Wales, keeping 2 clean sheets.
- Harry Kane has scored 19 goals for England since the start of 2021.
- Wales have lost five of their last seven matches.
FIFA World Cup 2022
The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and this will be the first time the event will be hosted by a Middle Eastern country. Qatar 2022 is set to have a massive geographical impact on the region for the first since the tournament’s inception in 1930.
The World Cup is a unique event in many aspects, bringing about various opportunities, especially for football enthusiasts, and with it comes many betting markets. The competition among the 32 qualified national teams will be very fierce; hence you need a guide and insight on which teams or players to stake on.
