Switzerland faces Bosnia & Herzegovina for a direct ticket to the knockouts.
Both teams drew 1-1 on matchday 1, with Switzerland by a wee-hour equaliser by Qatar, and Bosnia holding an early lead, albeit upended.
World Cup B in its entirety is currently tied at 1 point each, thus two (2) tickets to the knockout rounds are up for grabs.
Switzerland faces off against Bosnia & Herzegovina this Thursday (June 18th) at SoFi Stadium in a decider for a direct ticket to knockout-stage progression. This comes following that all four (4) teams in Group B are currently tied at 1 point each.
A closer look at Matchday 1 reveals Switzerland drew 1-1 against Qatar (lost, by a late equaliser), whilst Bosnia & Herzegovina also netted a similar scoreline against co-host Canada; they held an early goal by corner kick till wee-hour equaliser. In retrospect, Switzerland by and large held the upper hand, vis-a-vis Bosnia & Herzegovina that surprisingly held through as an underdog.
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Matchday 8 for the Soccer World Cup sees Group B get a “renewed shot” for two direct qualifiers to the knockout stage. This comes following all four (4) teams in the group are currently tied at 1 point each; they all recorded a 1-1 draw. Cue tomorrow’s entry, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as the direct tickets for qualifiers are still open. Coming into D-Day and the best World Cup betting sites, like BetMGM, have Switzerland as the overwhelming favorite, and it’s not unfounded.
Throughout its opener against Qatar, they held a dominant but wasteful momentum against Qatar; controlled possession (70%), created plenty of chances (27 shots, 10 on target), but drew 1-1, in lieu of a late goal equaliser at the 90th minute. Cue Bosnia & Herzegovina, coming in as an underdog; they surprisingly held a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Canada, even with limited attacking. A comparison of the two shows contrasting playing styles, but will Switzerland deliver the decisive victory fans are primed for?
Or will Bosnia & Herzegovina earmark yet another surprise? Our in-house experts weigh in, and here are the likely markets.
Let’s explore each at length.
| Betting market/prediction | Odds |
|---|---|
| Switzerland to win | -190 |
| Anytime Goalscorer: Breel Embolo | +125 |
| Total goals (under 2.5 Goals) | -130 |
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Starting with perhaps the safest selection, Switzerland comes in as the overwhelming favorite with a strong squad depth peppered with Premier League and Bundesliga talents. More to it, they’re coming to the matchup eager for a bounce-back following the frustrating 1-1 draw against Qatar; with stats like 70% possession and 27 shots (10 of which are on target), it’s hard to explain how victory was snubbed from them.
Cue Bosnia & Herzegovina, and while they showed resilience in their 1-1 draw against Canada, they lack the attacking threat and are likely to play catch-up should they not find an early lead. Still, they are as gritty-a-side as it comes and can grind out the match to frustrate the Swiss.
Doubling down on the Swiss, Breel Embolo is the man to watch. He already has a goal in the tournament, and he’s likely to do it again. Notable is his clinical finish in the box, and he’s likely to benefit from playmakers like Xhaka, Ndoye, and Vargas in exploiting Bosnia’s defence that’s weak on set-pieces. His physicality has time and again been compared to Haaland’s level (in style), and recent sharpness shows he’s a value pick to find the net and push Switzerland for the win.
Rounding up the list is the Total Goals market. Looking in, both teams showed low-scoring openers (drew 1-1), and Bosnia & Herzegovina has held true to its defensive threat. More to it, following the late goal equaliser (loss) for the Swiss, they’re likely to tighten the backline. Thus, it’s fair to say the midfield is where the action will be, with limited end-to-end action, well reflective of a “have-to-win” match-up for a direct ticket to the knockout stage; caution often prevails.
D-day is finally here, with the decider kicking off in hours. On one side, Switzerland is eager for a bounce-back following a 1-1 draw; victory was snuffed out in minute 90. The other: a resilient Bosnia & Herzegovina that’s transcending its underdog status. Still, odds are Switzerland for the win, and oddsmakers agree. Use the on-page BetMGM banners to grab your bonus and make your picks ahead of time.
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