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The 2022 FIFA World Cup gets underway in Qatar this weekend as Group A kicks things off on Sunday morning. Group H will get their campaign started on Thursday, November 24 as they kick off with Uruguay vs. South Korea at 8 a.m. ET, followed by Portugal vs. Ghana at 11 a.m. Ahead of the action, we’re taking a look at who’s most likely to finish on top of the group and who will advance with them, with odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Group H winner odds
Portugal -650
Uruguay -220
Ghana +250
South Korea +260
Portugal come in as the heavy favorites to win and with 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo surely making his final World Cup appearance, they’ll be hoping for a run to the final. The Portuguese side have never won a World Cup title, and they’ve historically been underwhelming in these competitions. Their best finish came in 2006 when they lost to France in the semifinal and finished fourth after losing the third place match to Germany. That was Ronaldo’s first-ever World Cup appearance while 2022 will be his fifth trip to the big stage and most likely his last.
Who will advance?
Even though Portugal are favored to win, I’m not convinced they’re guaranteed to finish on top of the group. In fact, they haven’t won a World Cup group since that 2006 run to the semifinal. On top of that, Uruguay’s squad looks good with the likes of Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, Nacional’s Luis Suarez, Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, and Tottenham star Rodrigo Bentancur in the lineup. The Uruguayans are responsible for sending Portugal home in the 2018 World Cup as a brace from Edinson Cavani secured a 2-1 win for La Celeste in the round of 16.
Portugal hasn’t made it past the round of 16 since that 2006 tournament, and I’m smelling another early exit for Ronaldo’s side. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and pick them at least to advance, but I’m backing Uruguay to win the group as they shouldn’t have too much trouble getting results against South Korea or Ghana.
Picks: Uruguay, Portugal