The best betting websites wouldn’t be the best if they didn’t pick the German national football team to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They would, in fact, be the worst. The Teutonic squad is a tectonic force to be reckoned with. Die Mannschaft may be managed by Joachim Löw but Germany’s football is at an all-time high. Joachim Löw – would you get a load of that bowl job. Don’t let the haircut fool you, though; Germans are known for their efficiency and Löw is no exception. His first order of business after succeeding Jürgen Klinsmann as Germany’s head coach was reducing the time his players hung on to the football. Thus the team became a finely tuned war machine – built like a Jagdpanzer with the engine of a Porsche.
In addition to winning the previous edition of the World Cup in Brazil (making it the only European nation that has won a FIFA World Cup in the Americas), Löw has already succeeded where a certain other German leader notoriously failed. He led the Germany national team to victory at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia. As a result they joined Argentina, France and Brazil as the only three countries to win the trifecta of most important men’s titles recognized by FIFA; the World Cup, the Confederations Cup, and the Olympic tournament).
Of course, it certainly benefits Löw that he coaches a squad filled with Übermenschen. For instance, Manuel Neuer, Sami Khedira, Toni Kroos, and Timo Werner. It’s true that this new batch of players failed to capture what would have been Germany’s fourth European championship at the Euro 2016. It is also worth noting that that tournament represented a sort of transitional phase following the departure from the national team of the old guard. Philipp Lahm, Per Mertesacker, Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and others left after the 2014 World Cup.
The new guys however found their footing right on time for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They ran roughshod through the admittedly weak competition (Northern Ireland, Norway, San Marino, etc.). They also achieved a perfect 10-0 record, scoring a whopping 43 goals and allowing only four.
Germany’s 2018 World Cup odds courtesy of InterTops Sportsbook:
- To win Group F: -275
- To win outright: +425
It’s safe to say that the Germans will meet stiffer competition in the group stage of the World Cup than they did during the qualifiers. Nonetheless, Mexico, Sweden and South Korea could hardly keep Germany off the top spot if they attacked them three on one, like, say, some sort of Allied Powers – let alone individually. On the other hand, entering the tourney as the reigning and defending champeens means you have a huge bullseye painted on your back, and every David will want to topple that Goliath.
Or, as winger Marco Reus put it, “Going into the World Cup as reigning champions is obviously never easy … there’s also no point in already speculating about who we could face in the quarter-finals. No one should underestimate our group with Mexico, South Korea and Sweden.” Still, it’s difficult for even the best online sportsbook not to speculate on future outcomes. As matter of fact, the whole racket is based on speculation. For example, one could speculate on goalie Neuer’s hairline foot fracture which has kept him inactive since September. Or Mesut Ozil’s back issues. Or Jerome Boateng’s thigh injury; will they be at a 100% come kick-off time? Marc-Andre ter Stegen would presumably hope Neuer’s injury allows him to step up as Germany’s number one net-minder. Everyone else – or at least everyone who backs the Germans – has their fingers crossed for Neuer’s full recovery.