Day 4 features two of the most notable teams in the World Cup. Both defending champion Italy and the exciting Dutch side are getting their first action Monday. Italy’s match against Paraguay is very interesting, as we could see an upset here. But more on that later.
The day opens with a matchup between Netherlands and Denmark. This one should be a no-brainer. The Netherlands are just too good for the Danes and should take this one easily. The oranje play one of the most electrifying styles of soccer in the world and they will be fun to watch.
They are hoping to turn their fast offense-oriented style into points this time around, as they have struggled in past World Cups. They are missing one of their better midfielders in Arjen Robben, but that won’t be a problem against Denmark. Four of the six forwards on the Dutch roster have scored more than ten goals for the national squad.
Denmark is lacking a true goal scorer and they will rely on their defense against the Netherlands. This will be their downfall, as I can’t see them keeping the high-powered Dutch offense from scoring. And once Holland is up, Denmark won’t have anybody to get them back into the game.
Netherlands are the heavy favorite with the sportsbooks, and they are right on. You would have to invest a lot to win a little, and a Dutch win is the only outcome I can see for this match. So, I would stay away and put my focus on Italy’s match.
The matchup between Cameroon and Japan follows at 7:00am ET. Japan has yet to beat a team that is superior to them, and I can’t see them doing it at the World Cup. They beat whom they needed to beat in their qualifiers, but they can’t play with the truly elite teams.
Cameroon – while not truly elite – are the clear-cut favorite here, and I can’t see them disappointing here. They have a dangerous striker on their side in Samuel Eto’o. The 29-year-old scored 12 goals in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, and won the coveted treble with his club.
He has scored 44 goals for Cameroon, and he will add to that total at the World Cup. The side went 7-0-0 in qualifiers when Eto’o scored. Expect a win for the favorite here, and go to 5Dimes if you want to put a little money on them. They offer a +117 line for Cameroon’s side to take the match.
The third match of the day is the most interesting of the day. Italy has been struggling since they won the World Cup in Germany four years ago. They couldn’t get past a draw with Ireland in qualifying and barely beat a weak Cypruss, after being down 2-0.
They might come into the match underestimating the Paraguayan side, which has shown that it can beat the big teams in the world. They defeated Argentina in a qualifier in 2009, and have played great soccer as of late.
Both teams rely on their defense, so we will most likely see a low-scoring match. Paraguay is putting their hopes in Roque Santa Cruz to score for them on counter attacks.
I think Paraguay can at least get a tie here, and they have a realistic shot at beating the Italians. Pinnacle and 5Dimes offer the best value for Paraguay at +312.
If you think this will end in a draw, it doesn’t really matter what sportsbook you take your money to. There is a consensus between the major online books with a +220 line for the draw.
