2022 World Cup Group Winner Predictions – Odds & Picks to Win and Qualify

• The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar kicks off on Sunday, November 20
• Brazil start as favorites to win the tournament, with Argentina and France also highly fancied
• Read on for all the group odds and analysis ahead of soccer’s greatest show on Earth

The most controversial World Cup in the tournament’s 92-year history kicks off on Sunday, November 20 when the hosts entertain  Ecuador in the Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor. Read on for our analysis of FIFA’s 2022 World Cup.

The controversies that have blighted the build-up to this tournament include major questions over how and why it was awarded to Qatar, the working conditions of the migrant workers who built the stadia, and the country’s archaic views on LGBT matters, but, regardless, soccer’s greatest show on Earth has finally arrived in the Middle East for the first time.

Brazil open as favorites, with Argentina and France also in the mix, but who will qualify from the group stages? We’ll look at each group, list the odds, and offer some value picks.

2022 World Cup Group A Prediction

Odds as of November 17 at Caesars Sportsbook.

The Dutch are the clear favorites in what looks, for them, a reasonably straightforward group. Their opener against the useful Senegalese – holders of the Africa Cup of Nations – could be key to who goes on to win it, but both look well placed for a place in the last 16.

📸☀️#NothingLikeOranje pic.twitter.com/F5BUuyAOHc

— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) November 16, 2022

The Qatari hosts will hope home advantage will give them a boost, but an opening day defeat by Ecuador and their hope of qualification to the knockout phase will already be looking slim.

Picks: Netherlands to win Group A (-250) /  Senegal to qualify  (-110)

Group B Prediction

This group will be closer than the odds suggest. England have history against both the USA and Wales in major tournaments in the 21st century and not necessarily of the good kind. Both teams will offer the highly-fancied English a tough test with the Welsh, in particular, being very familiar opponents to them.

📍Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium

Site of #USAvWAL 🏟️ pic.twitter.com/kECWmztfZw

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) November 17, 2022

Iran – at 21 in FIFA’s rankings, the lowest-ranked team in the group – will bring an element of the unknown. If they can take points off England in their opener, it could pave the way for an interesting couple of weeks.

Picks: USA to win Group B (+550) / Wales to qualify (+120)

Group C Prediction

While this looks to be a huge ask for Saudia Arabia and reasonably a comfortable one for Lionel Messi and the Argentinians, a huge battle is brewing for the second qualifying spot. For Mexico and Poland, it could boil down to how they perform against each other and how many goals they score against the Saudis.

#SelecciónMayor ¡Llegamos a Doha! 🇶🇦 Conocé la próxima actividad de la Selección @Argentina en Qatar 👇

📝https://t.co/oBF5LaFKYi pic.twitter.com/XVbkleQqVU

— 🇦🇷 Selección Argentina ⭐⭐⭐ (@Argentina) November 17, 2022

For Mexico, the Qatar heat will likely be less of an issue than it is for Poland, but the fact this will be the final World Cup for one of the world’s great goalscorers, Robert Lewandowski, will give the Poles an extra edge. He is in form – scoring 18 goals in 19 games for Barcelona this season – and will be determined to sign off in style.

Picks: Argentina to win Group C (-250) / Mexico to qualify (-135)

2022 World Cup Group D Prediction

France are among the favorites to win the tournament and have been given what looks like a reasonably comfortable pathway to the round of 16. In Kylian Mbappe they have a potential Golden Boot winner. The Danes, while always hard to beat, had made little impression in tournament soccer until Euro 2020 when they made it to the semifinal.

📸 Team photo before take-off for the 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝘾𝙪𝙥!🌍 #FiersdetreBleus

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳 💙 pic.twitter.com/nDuWGNuYib

— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) November 16, 2022

In what doesn’t look like the toughest of groups, I’d expect Denmark to use that momentum from Russia 2018 to put in another good showing and make it to the knockout phase.

Picks: France to win Group D (-250) / Denmark to qualify (-275)

Group E Prediction

Another group that, at first glance, looks like a two-horse race, and the bookies agree. The two European giants both have hopes of going deep in this tournament with good reason, but Japan’s FIFA ranking of 23 tells us they shouldn’t be ruled out of making it to the second phase.

𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝. 👋 pic.twitter.com/OtE7jpH33G

— germanfootball_dfb (@DFB_Team_EN) November 17, 2022

Costa Rica, despite their long odds, will be unwilling to throw away the opportunity after a grueling qualification campaign that saw them eventually win an inter-continental playoff with New Zealand. While top two looks like a big ask for the Costa Ricans at such long odds, don’t be surprised if they take down at least one of the big boys.

Picks: Germany to win Group E (+110) / Costa Rica to qualify (+850)

Group F Prediction

Belgium are ranked number 2 in the world by FIFA and so not only will they hope to win this group, they’ll be hoping to go deep in this competition. While their ‘golden generation’ is either at or past its prime, a new talented crop of youngsters are coming through and the Belgians will view this as a chance to finally land a trophy.

First winning team of the camp. 🏆 #DEVILTIME pic.twitter.com/ZskKBjEHxR

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 16, 2022

The Croatians – runners-up in the 2018 World Cup – and Moroccans are both in the hunt for second place but it’s worth noting that Canada topped the CONCACAF qualification table ahead of both Mexico and the US.

Picks: Belgium to win Group F (-175) / Canada to qualify (+310)

Group G Prediction

Brazil are the favorites to win the tournament with good reason. It’s a hugely talented and experienced squad that looks to have no obvious weaknesses and they will likely find it easier than many to acclimatize to the sweltering Qatari heat.

Pega esse gingado, pai! Brilha muito @LucasPaqueta97! pic.twitter.com/suTTJYjqGR

— CBF Futebol (@CBF_Futebol) November 16, 2022

Switzerland’s FIFA ranking of 14 puts them ahead of Serbia and Cameroon in the form table, but the Swiss are notorious strugglers in tournament soccer. For that reason, Serbia and Cameroon will both believe they can make top two, but it could all come down to Serbia vs Switzerland in the final group game.

Picks: Brazil to win Group G (-275) / Serbia to qualify (+125)

2022 World Cup Group H Prediction

The Portuguese will see this is an ideal group from which to progress but the waning influence of Cristiano Ronaldo will reduce their firepower in front of goal. And any team that qualifies from the ferociously difficult CONMEBOL conference has to be taken seriously, so Uruguay will fancy their chances of taking this to the latter stages.

😯 ¡𝑩𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒂, ‘𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒐’!#ElEquipoQueNosUne pic.twitter.com/jCgSmoQjSu

— Selección Uruguaya (@Uruguay) November 16, 2022

Ghana and South Korea are both capable of springing a surprise, and if the Ghanaians can take points off Portugal in their opener, then it could pave the way to a surprise second place.

Picks: Uruguay to win Group H (+190) / Ghana to qualify (+240)