A matchup in World Cup gambling that is worthy of being a championship match takes place in the quarterfinals on Saturday as Argentina plays Germany.
Argentina is a slight favorite in World Cup betting odds with the total on the match listed at 2.5 under. It is a rematch of a bitterly contested quarterfinal four years ago in the World Cup that Germany won on penalty kicks.
World Cup gambling odds list Argentina at -150 and Germany at +120. The three-way line has Argentina at +115, Germany at +220 and the Draw at +215. Four years ago in the World Cup it was Germany winning a penalty shootout against Argentina in the quarterfinals after the teams tied 1-1 after regulation and overtime. The main difference in the teams this time around is that Argentina has Lionel Messi and Germany does not have Michael Ballack.
Much of the attention in this match will be on Messi but it will probably be Argentina captain Javier Mascherano who decides the outcome of the match. He will have to shut down Germany’s attacking ability if Argentina is to win. Argentina has the big name players like Messi and Carlos Tevez but it is Gonzalo Higuain who leads the team in scoring in the World Cup. Messi has not scored a goal in the World Cup but he leads all players with 23 shots and he figures to get more on Saturday.
Germany has been led by Mesut Ozil who has been opening up the field for strikers Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. Both teams have been running their mouths in advance of this matchup on Saturday so it should be intense. Germany captain Philipp Lahm wonders how Argentina will react to losing while Argentina head coach Diego Maradona said that Germany is afraid of his star players. Even though the intensity will be high, Germany has to be careful. Six of their players already have a yellow card and another one would cause them to miss the semifinal if they advance. That fact alone could keep Germany from being too aggressive.
Argentina is the favorite in World Cup betting but Germany is confident they can come away with the victory on Saturday just as they did four years ago.