Title: US Women’s National Team Faces Competitive Field as World Cup Begins
Date: July 18, 2023
Author: David Purdum, ESPN Staff Writer
The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) is vying for an unprecedented third consecutive Women’s World Cup victory, but the competition has significantly narrowed the gap in recent years. With the tournament set to kick off in New Zealand and Australia, the odds reflect a highly competitive field.
Caesars Sportsbook has placed the USWNT as the frontrunner with +225 odds to win the Cup, closely followed by England (+450), Spain (+500), and Germany (+750). France trails behind at +1,000, with Australia next at +1,200. Sweden and the Netherlands are considered underdogs with odds of +2,000 and +2,200, respectively. In the 2019 World Cup, the USWNT was favored to win with even-money odds.
Despite the stiff competition, American sportsbooks are seeing overwhelming support for the USWNT. FanDuel reported that 82% of the money wagered on winning the Cup was placed on the USWNT. England is a distant second with only 5% of the overall money bet.
US striker Alex Morgan is the favorite to win the Golden Boot award, given to the top scorer of the tournament. Morgan has odds of +550, followed by her teammate Sophia Smith at +800.
The World Cup, expanded to include 32 teams this year, will begin on Thursday. In Group E, the USWNT will face Vietnam in their opening match on Friday. The USWNT has never lost in a group-stage opener in the history of the Women’s World Cup. Vietnam, making its debut in the tournament, faces an uphill battle as a massive underdog. Bookmakers have set the USWNT as a -40,000 favorite over Vietnam, meaning bettors would need to risk $40,000 to win a mere $100 on an American victory.
Since both women’s and men’s teams compete, no team has ever won three consecutive World Cups. The USWNT aims to make history by achieving this feat in a highly competitive field.
As the Women’s World Cup commences, fans and bettors around the world eagerly await to see if the USWNT can continue their dominant reign or if a new champion will emerge.