The 2023 women’s World Cup will mark a historic first in that the tournament will be co-hosted by two nations: New Zealand and Australia. Never before has there been more pre-tournament excitement surrounding an Australian national football team, which only adds to the heightened expectations placed on the Matildas.
Below, we’ll break down Australia’s chances of success by looking at the odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Australia World Cup 2023 Odds
Odds to win World Cup: +1200
Co-host nation Australia holds the sixth-best odds to win the World Cup, behind the United States (+250), England (+350), Spain (+450), Germany (+650), and France (+1000). With a strong talent pool and playing on their home soil, no less, there is increased expectations for an Australian team that is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics and a dismal exit in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Asian Cup.
Odds to win Group B: -200
Australia holds the best odds to finish atop Group B while Canada (+195) is not far behind. Ireland (+1600) and Nigeria (+3000) remain long shots to win the group, however, one can’t rule out a surprise here given how Ireland fared against the USWNT in a friendly earlier this year.
Odds to advance out of Group B: -1100
The Matildas are heavy favorites to advance to the knockout stage, with Canada (-500) likely joining them as runners-up in the group. From there on out, it’s a slim distance between Ireland (+350) and Nigeria (+550), illustrating how tightly contested this group could be in the tournament. Some have pegged Group B as the unofficial “Group of Death” of the 2023 World Cup.
Predicted finish: Lose in the quarterfinal or semifinal
I expect Australia to win Group B, which means they’re looking at a matchup against the runners-up of Group D, most likely one of Haiti, Denmark, or China, so long as England sticks to the script and tops the table. From there on in the quarterfinals, it’s a clash against the winners of Group F or runners-up of Group H, most likely to be France or Brazil. That’s a tough draw, but on their home soil with increased expectations, I’ll take the Matildas against either matchup.
The semis opens up the possibility of England or Germany, and in particular if it’s the former, I think the Lionesses have too much talent for Australia to overcome. England is ranked in the top 5 in the FIFA rankings, and they come off a 2022 Euro title. I think they follow up with an appearance in the World Cup final versus the United States, which means Australia’s run would end in the semifinal.