Switzerland vs. Qatar

San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, California

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Saturday, June 13th, 3 p.m. ET

A nation many tip as a potential dark horse at this World Cup, Switzerland begins their campaign against arguably the weakest side in the tournament as they take on Qatar, who are making just their second World Cup appearance after hosting the competition four years ago. 

Switzerland arrives in excellent form and with a reputation to uphold on the biggest stage. They have reached the Round of 16 in each of the last three World Cups and remain one of the most consistent international sides in Europe. During qualification, Switzerland were one of only two European nations not to trail for a single minute, underlining just how dominant they were, and they have suffered only one defeat in their last 14 matches heading into the tournament. 

Qatar, meanwhile, is a side still trying to establish themselves at this level. The expansion of the tournament has undoubtedly worked in their favor, as they had never qualified for a World Cup before the format change, and recent performances do little to inspire confidence. They are winless in their last six matches and failed to score against both El Salvador and Palestine during that stretch, two nations ranked outside FIFA’s top 90. 

This feels like a difficult opening assignment for Qatar against a Switzerland side packed with quality, experience and leadership. Players such as Breel Embolo, Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji provide a strong spine, while the depth in the squad gives them plenty of options throughout the pitch. 

With no major injury concerns for either side, I expect Switzerland to make an early statement and open their World Cup campaign in convincing fashion. At odds of -133 for Switzerland to win to nil, that price stands out to me as strong value and is my best bet of Day 3.

World Cup Best Bet: Switzerland vs Qatar – Switzerland Win to Nil -133

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