- What: Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia -- 2022 FIFA World Cup, Group C
- When: 5:00 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2022.
- Where: Lusail Stadium in Qatar
One of the World Cup favorites will start their tournament off with what figures to be a one-sided matchup as Argentina is massively favored in their group-stage match against Saudi Arabia. Lionel Messi and Co. have high expectations heading into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and they can set the tone for themselves with a dominant showing against Saudi Arabia. The game will be played in the early hours of Tuesday morning, scheduled for 5:00 a.m. EST.
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Argentina vs. Saudi Arabia World Cup Odds
 | Spread | Money Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | -2.0 (-108) | -600 | O2.5 (-122) |
| Saudi Arabia | +2.0 (-112) | +1700 | U2.5 (+102) |
| Draw | +575 |
Heading into the matchup, it comes as no surprise that Argentina is a gargantuan favorite over Saudi Arabia. Coming into the fray with (-600) odds to win in regulation, the sportsbooks envision a massive gap between the two sides. Saudi Arabia pulling off a win would be considered nothing short of a miracle, reflected in the (+1700) odds to win. Even a draw is a significant longshot at (+575).
As for the spread, Argentina is expected to win by at least two goals (-2.0), while the game's goal total figures to be high, though it's not expected that much if any of the scoring will be from the side of Saudi Arabia. With the total set at 2.5 goals, it'll be largely up to Argentina to cover that.
Argentina Best Bets
Argentina is one of the most star-studded squads in the entire 2022 FIFA World Cup. Led, of course, by Lionel Messi, Argentina boasts tremendous attacking options, including the likes of Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Angel Di Maria (Juventus), as well as Paulo Dybala (Roma) among others. In the midfield, Rodrigo De Paul (Atletico Madrid), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Leandro Paredes (Juventus), and Alejandro Gomez (Sevilla) will be tasked with controlling play and building up the attack.
Defensively, Argentina is highlighted by Cristian Romero (Tottenham) Marcos Acuña (Sevilla), and Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United) among plenty of other capable defensemen. This will be the biggest area of question for the squad throughout the tournament, but a clean sheet against Saudi Arabia would be a great way to start off the World Cup.
Argentina is the most in-form team in the entire World Cup field. The national team hasn't lost a match since 2019 and is rapidly approaching the all-time record held by Italy. A matchup against Saudi Arabia should improve their streak without a defeat to 27 games. During their more recent stretch, Argentina's defense has looked outstanding. The team has recorded clean sheets in each of their last four games and hasn't surrendered more than one goal in a game since a 2021 matchup against Colombia.
Offensively, things have been fluid for Argentina, too. With 14 goals in its last four matches (and zero goals conceded) the team has had no issue running up the score in a hurry. That's a trend that should continue in their opening matchup against Saudi Arabia. I'm expecting Argentina to overwhelm the Saudi Arabian defense, despite the likely defensive shape that their opponents will take up.
The Argentina World Cup betting pick for their matchup against Saudi Arabia is Argentina Team Total Over 2.5 Goals at (+102) odds. I'm expecting Lionel Messi and Co. to deliver a massive performance against Saudi Arabia and they shouldn't struggle to score a trio of goals against their opponents. With that in mind, doubling down on that with a bet on the Match Total of Over 2.5 goals (-122) would also be a good call.
Saudi Arabia Best Bets
This will be Saudi Arabia's first World Cup appearance since 2006, and unfortunately, they've drawn a vastly unfavorable opening matchup. Argentina is the last opponent any team would want to be matched up with for their first World Cup matchup in the better part of two decades, but unfortunately, that's the reality of the situation for Saudi Arabia.
With minimal experience on the squad, Saudi Arabia will need to rely solely on the counter-attack if they hope to generate any offense. This is something Argentina will be fully aware of, as they're expecting to dominate possession throughout the game. While a single counter-attack is all it takes to turn a game around, I'm not anticipating Saudi Arabia to have much success in that regard.
Saudi Arabia has just one win in its last five matches across all competitions. During that stretch, they scored just one goal. None of the opponents they faced had defenses with as much as talent as Saudi Arabia figures to see against Argentina, so it could be another long game for the team's offense. I'm expecting their poor run of offensive form to carry straight into the group stages of the World Cup, and am not anticipating Saudi Arabia to score a single goal in their first game. The Saudi Arabia World Cup betting pick is Under 0.5 Team Total Goals (-195).
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