World Cup Betting Team Handicaps: Spain

With the World Cup right around the corner, we’ll be handicapping the field and assessing their chances of winning the tournament. Most importantly, we’ll look at the World Cup betting odds to determine whether each team is a good value. We’ll be starting with the favored teams and working our way down the list over the next couple of weeks. After that we’ll recommend specific betting positions on futures and prop bets, and once the tournament starts we’ll have World Cup betting free picks every day. Make Oddsbay your home for the best soccer betting free picks and handicapping information anywhere!
While Brazil may have the history and popular reputation as the world’s best soccer team, Spain the real favorite in the 2010 World Cup. They’ve arguably got more talent, better coaching and more of a killer instinct than the Brazilians which is why they’ve been the co-favorite since World Cup betting odds were first posted. The one thing that Spain lacks is a track record of championships—in fact, they have never made it past the semifinals despite qualifying for nine consecutive World Cups. They reached the semifinals in 1950, so the obvious rap on Spain isn’t their talent but their ability to progress to the later knockout rounds.
That could change in 2010, as the current vintage Espana side is well aware of the liabilities of their progenitors and has worked to change not only their style of play but the culture around the team. It’s hard to consider this effort anything but a success, as the younger generation of players has transformed the team from perennial underachievers into a lethal powerhouse. Spain won the Euro 2008 Competition and in a marked contrast to Brazil (who won only 5 of their qualifying matches) went a perfect 10 for 10 in their World Cup Qualification matches. Historically, another perceived weakness of Spain was their inability to play competitively in physical games. Their performance against a rugged England side in an International Friendly earlier this year demonstrated that’s no longer an issue. Spain utterly dismantled England en route to a 2-0 win.
In terms of personnel, there’s really not a weak area on the roster and the Spanish team boasts a ‘who’s who’ of European League football. In goal, Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas has over 100 International caps at the tender age of 28 and is as steady and consistent as any keeper in the world. In previous incarnations, Spain’s defense was a glaring weakness but that’s no longer the case. The stop unit is anchored by Barcelona’s Iker Casillas, and he’s arguably the best defender in Spain’s La Liga circuit. He’s joined by a number of other La Liga standouts led by Barca teammate Carles Puyol and Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos. Once a liability, Spain’s defense is as nasty and aggressive as any in the sport.
The midfield may be Spain’s best area, and despite an embarrassment of riches in terms of individual talent work as a remarkably cohesive unit. In terms of talent alone they rank with any in the world led by Barcelona’s Andrés Iniesta and Xavi. Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas is as good as anyone at this position, but there are questions about his ability to be fit in time for the competition due to an injury late in the English Premier League season. He’ll be on the roster but may end up being used in a reserve role.
Up front, the team will rely greatly on recent Barcelona acquisition David Villa. Villa and Fernando Torres ripped opposing defenses to shreds in the Euro 2008 competition, but Torres is also recovering from an injury and his fitness for the tournament is unknown. They’ve got a ton of La Liga level talent to choose from should Torres not be able to go, and there’s talk that they may use versatile Valencia midfielder David Silva in an attacking role.
Spain should have little trouble advancing from Group H, and there’s every reason to expect they’ll do so undefeated. None of the other teams in the group—Chile, Switzerland and Honduras—are anywhere near the class of Spain. Chile is probably best of the rest, but chances are good that Spain will take all 9 points en route to the knockout stage.
To successfully bet on soccer, an astute handicapper evaluates not only team talent but their mental strength, focus, and motivation. That’s why Spain is a stronger favorite than Brazil—they’re a team with something to prove and the talent and focus to get the job done. One commentator has suggested that Spain 'plays offense like 1970's Brazil and plays defense like 1990's Italy'. That's a dangerous combination. A team of this level playing with a ‘chip on their shoulder’ is a frightening prospect for opponents, and could very well earn Spain their first World Cup Championship.