2018 FIFA World Cup Expert Picks and Predictions

The entire planet is about to lose their minds this June with the 2018 World Cup about to unfold in less than a couple of weeks. The Germans land in Russia as the defending champions, but even with their success, moxie, and makeup, who’s to definitely say that they can win it again? Well, many industry experts do, although others beg to differ. Today, we take a look at what the key experts are saying about who will emerge victorious in this month long global event.

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Experts Picks and Predictions for the FIFA World Cup of Soccer, Running from June 14 to July 15 2018

ESPN FC

Contrary to popular belief, ESPN is not only exclusively putting all their focus on LeBron James and the 2018 NBA Finals. The Bristol-based sports media giant has also been revving their engines for the upcoming World Cup in Russia. Among the features ESPN has produced in the lead-up to the monumental sporting spectacle, ESPN had Ian Drake and four other ESPN FC experts having a discussion about the World Cup, including, of course, their own picks to take home football’s Holy Grail.

Mark Ogden – Germany

Julien Laurens –  France

Gab Marcotti –  Brazil

Raphael Honigstein – Germany

Ian Drake -Germany

For Ogden, Germany is undoubtedly the team to beat. In his eyes, no squad is going to go to Russia as complete and as locked-and-loaded as Germany, who will come into the tournament with pride coming from their 2014 win in Brazil and with a boatload of topnotch talent to match their confidence. Similar to Ogden, Honigstein and Drake also are looking for Germany to make a repeat, though, Honigstein is a bit concerned about the team’s left-back position. That said, he thinks that Germany will find a way to solve such a concern like they always do. The Germans are the favorite to win it all with odds of +400 to do it.

Laurens, meanwhile, is going for France, who are +600 to win the World Cup. In stating his case for Les Bleus, Lauren said that he’s confident that team manager Didier Deschamps “will get it right” in steering France’s squad that has a great mix of experience and youth. Laurens closes by saying France will take down Argentina in the finals.

As for Marcotti, it’s Brazil (+450) who will top the tournament in Russia. Although Canarinho got their football dignity trampled in 2014 at home in an embarrassing 7-1 semis loss to Germany. Gab Marcotti, on the other hand, is leaning towards Brazil with one simply statement:

“(Brazil) has playing tremendous football for a long time.”

SPORTINGLIFE.COM

SportingLife likes Germany.

Over at SportingLife, the publication did a fantastic job of going through all participating teams in the 2018 World Cup, while predicting what round each of those squads will get eliminated.

Here’s how SL breaks it down:

Group A

Russia – Fails to get out of the group

Saudi Arabia – Fails to get out of the group

Egypt – Round of 16

Uruguay – Quarterfinals

Group B

Portugal – Round of 16

Spain – Quarterfinals

Morocco – Fails to get out of the group

Iran – Fails to get out of the group

Group C

France – Semifinals

Australia – Round of 16

Peru – Fails to get out of the group

Denmark – Fails to get out of the group

Group D

Argentina – Semifinals

Iceland – Round of 16

Croatia – Fails to get out of the group

Nigeria – Fails to get out of the group

Group E

Brazil – Runner-up

Switzerland – Round of 16

Costa Rica – Fails to get out of the group

Serbia – Fails to get out of the group

Group F

Germany – 2018 World Cup champion

Mexico – Round of 16

Sweden – Fails to get out of the group

South Korea – Fails to get out of the group

Group G

Belgium – Quarterfinals

Panama – Fails to get out of the group

Tunisia – Fails to get out of the group

England -Quarterfinals

Group H

Poland – Round of 16

Senegal – Fails to get out of the group

Colombia – Round of 16

Japan – Fails to get out of the group

THE NATIONAL

Nine experts from The National have stepped up to the plate and revealed their own choices for the World Cup. It’s not really much of a surprise, however, as each member of the panel chose a team who have one of the four shortest odds to win in Russia. If anything, the squad pegged as the top favorite to be the last one standing did not get the most votes from The National guys. That would be Brazil, who are the picks of Richard Jolly, Ian Hawkey, John McAuley, and Andy Mitten.

Richard Jolly – Brazil

Ian Hawkey – Brazil

John McAuley – Brazil

Andy Mitten – Brazil

Paul Radley – Germany

Steve Luckings – Germany

Chitrabhanu Kadalayil – France

Graham Caygill – France

Jon Turner – Spain

EA SPORTS

The artificial intelligence (AI) begind EA Sports has made its prediction based on a simulation of the soccer tournament using FIFA 18 along with updated team and group ratings going into the FIFA World Cup. In the end, the robot likes France to beat Germany by a total of 4-3 on penalties in the final.

EA Sports also predicts that Antoine Griezmann (France) and Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez aka Isco (Spain) will split the Golden Boot award with five goals each. In addition, the simulation has Griezmann being named the best player of the tournament, while Spain David De Gea will walk away with the Golden Glove Award.

RYAN SIMPSON – TOPBET

TopBet’s resident writer Ryan Simpson has been busy with his head buried in NBA/NHL Finals action but we were able to track him down in the office to get him to commit to his FIFA World Cup expert pick/s. Simpson is as torn as the sportsbook on the matter, seesawing between Germany, which is pegged at +450 to win it all, and Brazil, also given the same +450 price at press. Final answer?

Germany.

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