Hiram Moreno
This year, JefeBet has brought you predictions and betting information on many leagues and sports around the world, but now it is time to celebrate one of the biggest events: the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar. Of course, we are more than ready to provide the coverage that this event deserves, and one of the first subjects we will discuss is the competition’s groups.
This time, we’ll present you with the teams that make this group, as well as all of the Group B predictions and information. If you want to know more about the other groups, we encourage you to visit our Qatar 2022 section.
The odds shown below are courtesy of PointsBet.
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Group B Predictions, Odds, and Betting Preview for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar
Group B of the World Cup Qatar 2022 is shaping up to be an interesting one in which anything can happen. This group is comprised of England, the United States, Wales and Iran. Although the English start as the main favorites, the general perception is that the second place is up for grabs.
However, taking England as favorites could be a mistake considering the poor showing they have made in recent performances. The United States and Wales, two nations that have gained pace in international soccer in recent years, could take points away from them, while Iran will also be a worthy opponent if their level in the AFC is any indication.
England
- FIFA Ranking Position: 5
- How did they get to the World Cup? 1st position in Group I [UEFA Qualifiers]
- Previous World Cup participations: 16
- Odds to win the group: -304
- Odds to qualify for the round of 16: -1667
England is the main contender to emerge as leader from this group: they have a generation of talented young players like Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Mason Mount, and many others, as well as more experienced players with extensive and successful track records at both international and club level like Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, and company. However, the way in which The Three Lions come into this tournament raises many doubts.
The English team finished last in its group in the most recent international tournament in Europe, the UEFA Nations League, and was relegated to League B of that competition. In this way, there are some doubts as to whether England can repeat what they did in the previous World Cup, where they reached the semifinals, or even in the last European Championship, where the team ended up as a runner-up after losing to Italy.
Wales
- FIFA Ranking Position: 19
- How did they get to the World Cup?: They defeated Ukraine 1-0 in the UEFA playoff final.
- Previous World Cup participations: 2
- Odds to win the group: +550
- Odds to qualify for the round of 16: +105
Wales is one of the national teams that has been gaining traction on the world stage in recent years. Led by a great generation of players: they reached the semi-final of Euro 2016 and reached the round of 16 of the 2020 edition. They kept the good work in the last World Cup qualifiers, which earned them the second appearance in their history at the FIFA World Cup.
Wales’ primary concern for this competition is that its main star, Gareth Bale, hasn’t been at the same level he was during the national team’s best period, and the same could be said of other team players. Moreover, Wales will start this tournament with a five-game winless streak, and will have to work on solving these problems if they want to have a good performance.
United States
- FIFA Ranking Position: 16
- How did they get to the World Cup?: 3rd place in the final Octagonal.
- Previous World Cup participations: 12
- Odds to win the group: +600
- Odds to qualify to the round of 16: +110
According to the sportsbooks, the United States is one of the leading candidates to join England in the next stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and there is every reason to believe this is possible.
The stars and stripes team is heading into the competition with a number of young players who are involved in some of the best leagues in European soccer, such as Brenden Aaronson and Tyler Adams (Leeds), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Sergiño Dest (Milan); what’s more, they also have some very good players who are part of the domestic league.
However, the United States’ recent performances weren’t the best, as the team failed to win both of its friendly matches prior to the World Cup and was also eliminated from the CONCACAF Nations League. Even so, they’ll want to put this behind them as they look to put their country’s name in the spotlight.
Iran
- FIFA Ranking Position: 20
- How did you get to the World Cup? 1st place in Group A (Third round)
- Previous World Cup participations: 6
- Odds to win the group: +1800
- Odds to qualify to the round of 16: +350
Although Iran has participated in only six World Cups in its history, this will be its third consecutive appearance in the tournament. They’ll almost definitely be trying to break the jinx of always being eliminated in the first round in a group in which they could make a name for themselves if they do well against other countries with comparable levels to their own, according to the FIFA rating.
Iran lost only three out of 18 matches in the AFC qualifiers, and got good results in two friendly matches against other countries that will be present in this World Cup, Uruguay and Senegal, which undoubtedly raises hope among their fans.
It should not be overlooked that the Iranian team has some good players in its lineup, particularly in attack, with strikers with European club experience such as Sardar Azmoun (Leverkusen) and Mehdi Taremi (Porto). However, perhaps the team’s problem will be assisting them to create dangerous plays.
JefeBet Prediction
This will probably be one of the most evenly matched groups at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, if not the most even of all, as any of the countries could snatch that second place. If the top favorite underestimates its opponents, it wouldn’t be unexpected to see one of the other teams pull off the upset.
Beyond that, if we go strictly by what we see on paper, England should take the top spot, and considering that Wales’ best players are not at their best, this opens the door for the United States to take the second spot.
Indeed, it would be no surprise if Iran also managed to take some points off Wales, although it is clear that facing the other AFC countries will not be the same as facing some of the best teams in the world.
Group winner: England
Runner-up: United States
