World Cup 2018: Portugal vs Spain Betting Preview

Emotions will certainly fly high on the Portugal vs Spain World Cup match, as the rivalry between these nations is one of the oldest in football history. Which team do the official Portugal vs Spain betting odds favor and should you trust them?

According to BetSupremacy Sportsbook, the chances of Portugal’s triumph are 4.29; those of Spain’s victory are 1.99; and those of a draw are 3.51. However, if this is not your first time on GamingZion, you might know that we are actually expecting Portugal to win the World Cup. Which begs the question…

How accurate are the Portugal vs Spain betting odds?

Those odds are obviously influenced by football history: Portugal has not defeated Spain in a major tournament until the 2004 Euro Cup. Their more recent matches in 2010 and 2012 also resulted in Portuguese losses.

To be fair, replays confirmed that the sole goal of the 2010 match had been scored from an offside position. In 2012, Spain only won on penalties. On the other hand, Portugal is on the rise. Most recently, they won the 2016 Euro Cup. The road leading there was admittedly bumpy, as they suffered an unexpected 0-1 defeat against Albania in the qualifiers. Following that fiasco, Fernando Santos has been appointed as the team’s new manager and they slowly started to gain momentum. They struggled in the group stage but finished strong, proving in the finals that the team can hold its own even without the injured Ronaldo.

While Portugal has exceeded expectations lately, Spain seems to be a shell of themselves. Their tiki-taka playing style earned them two Euro Cups and a World Cup victory between 2008 and 2012, but its efficacy seems to have greatly diminished since then. With these considerations in mind, it might be a better idea not to bet on them.

Win or Draw, That Is the Question

This leaves us with two options: a draw (3.51) or Portugal as winners (4.29). Portugal was not so generous with the number of goals scored in the 2016 Euro Cup and the team took its time to show its best form. For that reason, we would expect a draw from Portugal at that stage of the World Cup. But if you feel bold, go against the official Portugal vs Spain betting odds and support team Ronaldo on online sportsbook sites in Portugal.