World Cup 2022: Odds, Updated Predictions for Saturday Round-of-16 Matches
Two of the most intriguing teams in this year's World Cup take center stage Saturday in the knockout round of 16. The United States will test its youth against the Netherlands, while Australia's "Socceroos" will look to eliminate Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Australia will ride solid defense and a desire to re-establish its presence on the world stage into battle with one of the elite players in the game. Elsewhere, the United States' youth and inexperience could prove the difference, for better or worse, against a solid Netherlands squad.
What storylines should fans watch for, and which teams should they expect to emerge victoriously and head into the quarterfinals?
Let's take a look.
Odds for Saturday's Matches
Odds
Netherlands vs. United States
10:00 a.m. EST; Streaming on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock
Netherlands (-105; bet $105 to win $100)
Draw (+230; bet $100 to win $230)
USA (+350)
Argentina vs. Australia
2:00 p.m. EST; Streaming on Fox, Telemundo and Peacock
Argentina (-475)
Draw (+600)
Australia (+1300)
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Netherlands vs. United States
Christian Pulisic will play for the United States men's national team Saturday against the Netherlands.
Pulisic is arguably the best player on the USMNT's roster, but his health was in question following an injury suffered late against Saudi Arabia. His availability seriously increases the team's ability to upset the Netherlands and advance in this year's World Cup.
History, however, is not on the scrappy young team's side.
The two teams have played five times since 1998, and the Oranje have won four of them. The one loss suffered by the team favored in Saturday's game, though, saw the United States fight from underneath to win 4-3 in a 2015 friendly.
They will need that same scrappiness and determination to overcome a Netherlands team that is playing at a high level, thanks in large part to 23-year-old Cody Gakpo, who has scored in every game he has played in this World Cup and is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players on the world stage.
The Netherlands has the better, more solid and more experienced team, but sometimes, there is something to be said about inexperience in a high-pressure scenario such as this round of 16 in the World Cup. Sometimes, what you do not know can be an advantage with the pressure taken away.
That is the scenario that the United States finds itself in as the second-youngest squad in the tournament.
The Oranje are almost certainly the better team, and there is a reason they are favored entering the game, but do not be surprised if the determined squad, led by Pulisic, finds a way to draw with their opponent, just as they did against England and Wales, respectively, or outright win.
The latter will not be easy, as the Netherlands has allowed just one goal in the competition, thanks to quality defensive play from Virgil van Dijk, Jurrien Timber, and Nathan Aké.
It is worth keeping an eye on the Netherlands coming into the game, with several players suffering flu symptoms and questionable to play ahead of the showdown, according to coach Louis van Gaal.
Prediction: United States, 1-0
Argentina vs. Australia
Australia is seeking to re-establish itself on the global stage in soccer with its performance in this year's World Cup. To do so, however, it has the unenviable task of playing an Argentina team led by icon of the sport Lionel Messi.
The Aussies are one of the biggest surprise teams of the tournament, genuine underdogs who have captivated the audience that the worldwide stage provides.
Sure, they were drubbed spectacularly to the tune of 4-1 against defending champions France, but they took their beating and recovered nicely en route to consecutive victories against Tunisia and Denmark.
Argentina, despite the star power of Messi and the nation's prior success in international play, has not been flawless. The team was toppled by Saudi Arabia in its opening match—the biggest upset in World Cup history, according to data group Gracenote (h/t CNN)—before putting together two victories over Mexico and Poland.
The matchup should boil down to the age-old cliche of the unstoppable force vs. the immovable object in that the Aussies have not surrendered a goal since their beatdown courtesy of the French, shutting out Tunisia and Denmark. Meanwhile, Messi has been as-advertised and should be a major factor in fueling the offensive output of the Argentina squad.
The key will be Australia's ability to both possess and maintain possession of the ball. They have somehow made it to the knockout round despite holding on to the ball less than 50 percent of the time, a statistic that is somewhat staggering but also highlights an area that Argentina will look to exploit.
If the Socceroos are expected to pull off what would be the most significant upset of the tournament to this point, they almost certainly cannot allow a team that some feel can play for a championship in this World Cup to control possession and have significantly more opportunities to score.
The defense has been very good over the last two games, but with Messi both scoring and assisting in this tournament, it feels too much like tempting fate.
Australia has been a fun watch and one of the most intriguing stories thus far in the World Cup, but it feels like the carriage is about to turn back into a pumpkin.
Prediction: Argentina, 2-0