World Cup Group B Odds & Picks: Predictions, Best Bets and Analysis

World Cup Group Stage Predictions: Recommended Bets 

• England vs USMNT: England to win, -133 at BetMGM 
• England vs Iran: Over 2.5 goals, -105 at BetMGM
• USMNT to qualify from Group B, +110 at PointsBet
• Iran vs USMNT: 1st half tie, +105 at BetMGM
• Iran vs USMNT: Under 2.5 goals, -133 at BetMGM
• Wales vs Iran: 1st half tie, -108 at BetMGM
• Wales vs Iran, Under 2.5 goals, -182 at BetMGM
• Wales vs Iran, Wales to win, -110 at PointsBet

2022 World Cup Group B Odds and Preview

The electricity of World Cup soccer is upon us, and this year's competition will make history as the first to be hosted in the fall. Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup for the first time, and with its uncommon schedule, the tournament will run between November 20 and December 18, 2022.

The four nations competing in Group B are England, the United States, Wales, and Iran. England is the betting favorite to qualify in first position as they possess the most World Cup experience and are the highest-ranked squad within the group. This USMNT World Cup group will see the USMNT return to the tournament after falling short during the qualification stages for the 2018 edition in Russia. 

World Cup Group B Schedule

Each group consists of 4 teams. Each team will play the other once, meaning a total of six matches will be played per group.

Which teams will likely pose the biggest threat in the USMNT World Cup group? Let's preview the current World Cup Group B odds and find the best bets for each team.    

England World Cup Predictions

World Cup Group B Odds: Best England World Cup Odds

• Odds to win Group B: -304 at PointsBet 
• Odds to qualify from Group B: -1200 at Caesars
• World Cup 2022 outright winner odds: +700 at Caesars  

If recent outings are anything to go by, England's -304 odds at PointsBet to win Group B are massively overpriced. Undesirable results during their failure to qualify from the Nations League group stage haven't adversely affected England's World Cup Group B odds. It has, however, undoubtedly raised a few red flags as Gareth Southgate's men struggled to find the net, scoring a mere four goals from six Nations League appearances.  

That said, the Three Lions are the most talent-rich squad in Group B, with the likes of Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Bukayo Saka, Jack Grealish, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, and Mason Mount spearheading the team’s lineup. A significant portion of this roster was a part of England's fourth-place finish in the 2018 World Cup and their journey to the Euro 2020 finals. They're the favorites for a reason, and if motivated, they will unquestionably be the most dangerous team in Group B. 

Sportsbooks have positioned England as the fourth favorite to win the tournament, behind Brazil, France, and Argentina. For this reason, finding value for the English isn't easy. However, we believe their cross-Atlantic friendly rivalry with the USMNT can provide the Three Lions with a crucial three points. Of all the defensive units in Group B, the USMNT is likely the frailest of them all, as nobody has surfaced as a suitable partner alongside Walker Zimmerman since the sidelining of Miles Robinson due to injury. Despite England’s lack of recent potency in attack, they’ve enough to trouble the Stars and Stripes to take the win.

Equally, we expect the Three Lions to find success in the final third versus Iran. The Iranians conceded two goals each to Algeria and South Korea in fixtures this year. Both offer less of an attacking threat than the English strike force. Keen to get off to a good start in the tournament and with fresh legs, we expect the English to score freely.   

England Group Stage Predictions: Recommended Bets

• England vs USMNT: England to win, -133 at BetMGM 
• England vs Iran: Over 2.5 goals, -105 at BetMGM

USMNT World Cup Predictions

World Cup Group B Odds: Best USMNT World Cup Odds

• Odds to win Group B: +600 at PointsBet 
• Odds to qualify from Group B: +110 at PointsBet  
• World Cup 2022 outright winner odds: +10000 at Caesars   

With a veteran-heavy Mexican squad expected to dominate the CONCACAF under the guidance of Tata Martino, a fresh-faced, youthful American team emerged as inaugural CONCACAF Nations League winners, collected the Gold Cup, and kept an unbeaten record against El Tri during qualifiers.  

While the level of competition at the CONCACAF Gold Cup isn't on par with what Qatar 2022 has to offer, this USMNT World Cup group offers USMNT manager Berhalter and company a probable path to success, with Wales and Iran as the fellow teams competing for second place and qualification. 

The USMNT World Cup group has received a complete overhaul since they failed to qualify for Russia 2018. Captained by Christian Pulisic, the star striker will play alongside notable talent in Brenden Aaronson, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Sergino Dest as Team USMNT looks like exceptional value to qualify from Group B at +110 at PointsBet. 

In the final matchday of Group B, the USMNT will face Iran in a game that could determine if they qualify for the round of 16. Politically, these two countries have been involved in tense situations, and we expect the same on the field. As qualification implications are likely, defenses will be tight, and the under 2.5 goals at -133 at BetMGM provides some excellent betting value. To make this outcome more tempting, eight of the USMNT's previous 11 games in all competitions have produced under 2.5 goals, and seven of Iran's last 10 games in all competitions have also hit the under. 

Data taken from: https://footystats.org/clubs/united-states-mens-national-team-8632 (Accurate as of 10/19/2022)

USMNT Group Stage Predictions: Recommended Bets

• USMNT to qualify from Group B, +110 at PointsBet
• Iran vs USMNT: Under 2.5 goals, -133 at BetMGM

Wales World Cup Predictions

World Cup Group B Odds: Best Wales World Cup Odds

• Odds to win Group B: +450 at PointsBet 
• Odds to qualify from Group B: +105 at PointsBet  
• World Cup 2022 outright winner odds: +10000 at Caesars  

A growing consensus is that Wales will be the USAs main rival for Group B's second-place qualifying spot, and the sportsbooks agree.  Wales’ World Cup Group B odds are priced neck-and-neck with the Stars and Stripes.   

Gareth Bale leads the cast of Welsh talent, but his presence as one of the world's elite players has dwindled since leaving La Liga for the MLS. That said, he's playing some of the best international soccer of his career alongside a Welsh squad in its golden generation with fellow veterans Wayne Hennessey and Chris Gunter, in addition to the invaluable experience of Joe Allen, Ben Davies, and Aaron Ramsey.  

Wales faced a challenging World Cup qualification group with Belgium and the Czech Republic but still managed to secure second place behind Belgium. Fixtures against the USMNT and Iran are the most likely paths to success for the Dragons, but all eyes will be on the game with their neighbor, England.

Bale & Co. will open their World Cup schedule against the USA, and should they collect all three points, confidence will be flying high as they face a lesser threat in Iran. In reverse, if Wales loses to the USMNT, it will be imperative to find success against the Iranians or face an early exit from Qatar. For these reasons, Wales versus Iran at -110 at PointsBet is an exceptional price and the most winnable game in their Group B scheduling. We also predict this game will be a low-scoring encounter due to the lack of goals scored in both squad's outings in 2022.    

Wales Group Stage Predictions: Recommended Bets

• Wales vs Iran, Wales to win, -110 at PointsBet
• Wales vs Iran, Under 2.5 goals, -182 at BetMGM

Iran World Cup Predictions

World Cup Group B Odds: Best Iran World Cup Odds

• Odds to win Group B: +1800 at PointsBet 
• Odds to qualify from Group B: +300 at PointsBet  
• World Cup 2022 outright winner odds: +50000 at Caesars 

Iran is the second-most experienced team at a World Cup level in Group B and has appeared in every edition since 1998. They're unquestionably one of the strongest squads from Asia, winning eight of their 10 WC qualifying games. They will fancy their chances of giving Wales and the USMNT a difficult path to the round of 16. 

As the World Cup Group B odds suggest, critics aren't expecting much from Iran.  Still, they own an underrated attacking threat with Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun, and the prolific Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

The Asian Soccer Confederation champions have found the majority of their success in remaining solid defensively, particularly in the first half, where they're showing a 67% clean sheet record overall. To add, they've also failed to score in the first 45 minutes of play at a 67% rate. These are two trends we expect to play out during their opening World Cup game against Wales, as both squads will remain cautious and realize the importance of collecting points. This should lead to a first-half tie which offers a great -108 price tag for bettors at BetMGM. 

Data taken from: https://footystats.org/ (Accurate as of 10/19/22)

Outside of their meeting with England’s Kane, Sterling, and Foden, we believe the robust Iranian defense will be hard to penetrate for other opposition. Keeping it tight against the USMNT in the first 45 minutes is another valuable play where we can use the same rationale as the Wales meeting.    

Iran Group Stage Predictions: Recommended Bets

• Iran vs Wales: 1st half tie, -108 at BetMGM
• Iran vs USMNT: 1st half tie, +105 at BetMGM

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do group stages work in the World Cup?

During the Group Stage of the FIFA World Cup, the 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four teams. Each team plays one game against the other three teams in its group. After all four teams in a group have played three games, the two teams with the most points advance to the Knockout Stage, while the other two teams are eliminated.

How many teams get through the group stages of the World Cup?

Of the 32 teams participating in the Group Stage of the World Cup, 16 of them will advance to the Knockout Stage.

What are the predictions of who will qualify from the World Cup group stages? 

Netherlands is the favorite for Group A, England for B, Argentina in C, France for D, Spain in E, Belgium for F, Brazil in G, and Portugal in Group H. 

Conclusion

With a month to go, bettors are looking at the latest odds to spot value among their picks. If you're looking for more soccer content, read our guide: How To Bet on Soccer, and visit our odds comparison tool to compare the latest odds.

Written by David Manyun

David Manyun is an experienced content writer with strong EPL knowledge. He offers an extensive analysis of odds and the numbers crucial to betting.  

He also specializes in combat sports, having followed MMA for over 20 years, and has an impressive record in pre-fight predictions, regularly wagering himself.