World Cup Betting Sites: Odds, Bonuses, & Betting Types Reviewed
Last updated: by Leon Marshal
Got World Cup fever? You’re not alone. Every four years, billions of pounds are wagered at World Cup betting sites. In our guide, we cover everything you need to know to get started gambling on the Qatar World Cup, including the top bookmakers, bonuses, odds and picks.
| World Cup Betting Site | Rating | Highlights | Bonus Offers | Secure Link | T&C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 BetTarget | 5.0 out of 5 | Odds Levels: 95.75%, Bet Types: 35, Specials: 10 | Get £10 | sports.bettarget.com | Full T&Cs Apply! New customers only. Max one £10 free bet. Qualifying bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater. Paid as bonus token with min 4/5 odds req. Skrill, Neteller, & PayPal not eligible. |
| 🥈 10bet | 4.8 out of 5 | Odds Levels: 94.70%, Bet Types: 30, Specials: 12 | Up to £50 | 10bet.co.uk | Full T&Cs Apply! New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply; T&C apply; 18+ |
| 🥉 SpreadEx | 4.7 out of 5 | Odds Levels: 95.55%, Bet Types: 28, Specials: 8 | Up to £35 | spreadex.com | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+ Get a free £10 fixed odds bet, free £10 spread bet and 30 free spins. Earn an extra free £10 fixed odds bet and 10 free spins each time your team wins! begambleaware.org |
| ⭐ MrMega | 4.6 out of 5 | Odds Levels: 94.65%, Bet Types: 30, Specials: 10 | Bet £15 | mrmega.com | Full T&Cs Apply! 18+, Welcome Bonus: New Players only, 1st Deposit, Min Deposit,: £10, max £10 free bet valid for 14 days, bets must be placed at odds of 1/1 or greater and be settled within 14 days of placement. System bets not eligible. Neteller,Skrill and Paypal not eligible. |
In the following sections, we take an in-depth look into the bookmakers, odds, and betting offers available for World Cup 2022. Plus, we provide you with the latest news, strategies and World Cup predictions to get you started with your World Cup betting exploits.
World Cup 2022 Betting Odds
A profitable punting strategy starts with odds. Finding the best odds available for a certain wager is key to your success. That’s why you should always look for the best World Cup odds available for the teams and markets you wish to bet on.
World Cup winner odds are a window into how the bookies think the tournament plays out. That doesn’t mean they don’t make mistakes, though. Look for discrepancies between your assessment of how likely you think a team is to win versus theirs. Here are the 2022 World Cup winner odds:
* Prices are subject to change. Please check for any changes on the recommended betting site.
As you can see from the table above, the World Cup 2022 winner odds are heavily skewed in the top teams’ favour. Can a dark horse come from nowhere to steal the show? It is unlikely, and that is represented in the prices the lower down the table you go. At 500/1 odds, Iran is seen as least likely to win, whilst the favourite to win the World Cup 2022 is Brazil/France at 6/1.
You can compare bookmakers based on how much they payout. This is called the odds level. To find an online sportsbook’s odds level, convert the odds to a percentage and add them together. This will give you a number greater than 100% if you did it correctly and will show you the true World Cup odds.
Subtract 100% from this number to find the margin bookies charge. This is similar in concept to a commission and represents the percentage of money wagered the bookie takes as profit if there is equal staking across all outcomes. The true World Cup odds level is found by subtracting the margin from 100%.
World Cup 2022 Top Scorer Odds
Another massive FIFA World Cup 2022 betting market is predicting the top scorer. You won’t be surprised to know that Harry Kane is the favourite at 7/1 to do a repeat and win a consecutive Golden Boot. Even so, no one has ever done this. So it is perhaps best to look elsewhere. Kylian Mbappe comes in at 9/1, Karim Benzema at 12/1. Surprisingly, Neymar comes next at 14/1. A long shot we like is Lionel Messi at 16/1 – a poor club season could be forgotten with a sensational WC. Who would bet against the GOAT?
Who Will Win World Cup 2022? Our Predictions
No World Cup betting article would be complete without some picks and tips. This year’s competition has a lot of parity throughout the teams, so we picked two to three favourites and a dark horse. Here are our 2022 World Cup predictions:
Brazil: (6/1)
Brazil has won the World Cup a record five times and with players like Neymar, Alisson and Richarlison, you can never count them out. After being humiliated by Germany in 2014, they made it to the round of eight in 2018. We have them as our favourites to complete the redemption arc.
France: (6/1)
France has had a strong squad ever since Zidane, Henry and Viera made a run to the World Cup in 1998. The bookmakers say it’s going to be a close contest with France having the same odds as Brazil, but we give the slight edge to the Green and Yellow.
England: (7/1)
The bookmakers are offering fairly low England to win World Cup odds. At 7/1, this is much shorter than previous tournaments, likely due to a strong showing at Euro 2020 where Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling and keeper Jordan Pickford all excelled.
Netherlands: (16/1)
The Netherlands are interesting at 16/1. The Dutch have a decent squad and dominated their group at Euro 2020, qualifying unbeaten. However, they got knocked out by the Czech Republic in the round of 16 after a disappointing 2-0 defeat. We think there is a bit of value to be had here.
The Latest World Cup News & Betting Tips
Following World Cup news is crucial to making profitable decisions. You need to keep track of injuries, performances and public sentiment surrounding future results. We publish World Cup news, betting tips and previews, plus coverage of all the latest action.
Be sure to check back here regularly as we continuously update this feed with the latest information. You can use it as your one-stop-shop for everything you need to know about World Cup betting, how to build an Acca, changes in odds, injuries and more. We suggest bookmarking the page so you don’t miss anything important.
Most Popular Betting Markets for the 2022 World Cup
The markets you intend to bet on can greatly affect your overall World Cup football betting experience. Punting is a highly specialised endeavour, so we suggest sticking with one or two and having a flutter on them throughout the tournament. Here are the most staked on World Cup betting markets:
Match Winner
The most straightforward bet type is the match winner market. You simply choose what you think the result will be. World Cup betting sites commonly call this the “1×2” market, with one representing a home win, x representing a draw and two an away win.
Goal Totals
Goal totals markets are a very popular way to bet on football with a few ways of doing it. The most common bet is on the over/under market. The bookmaker sets a line, usually 2.5, and you predict whether there will be more than or less than 2.5 goals total in the match.
You can also find over/under markets by team, or you can predict the exact final score for higher odds.
Both Teams to Score
Both teams to score is another very simple bet to make. You are simply guessing whether each team scores in the match. It’s worth looking into the attacking and defensive skills of each team to see how often they score and concede.
Tournament Winner
As a ante-post market, all you must do is choose the team you think will win it outright at the Qatar World Cup 2022. You can make a hefty profit by betting on a team to win the tournament and picking it to win each game along the way.
Group Winner
Another good bet is predicting the winner of groups. You can choose them all or just one or two. Obvioulsy this is easier than predicting the overall winner and bookies odds reflect that. Nevertheless, it’s not as easy as you think and there are usually a few surprises. It’s a good outright to get you started on your FIFA World Cup betting journey.
To Reach Quarters/Semis/Final
This outright bet is very similar to the group stage one. Instead you predict which teams will reach a particular stage of the competition. Obviously a team like Wales will not win the whole thing, but they very well could surprise a few people and get to the quarter-finals. If you fancy an underdog this bet is a very good one to take advantage of longer odds.
World Cup Betting Strategy
There are several strategies you can follow to increase your chances of success. The most important strategy, though, that applies to all forms of gambling is using a smart money management strategy. This can be the difference between success and failure. Here are some more World Cup betting tips:
- Debit Cards: Don’t use your entire bankroll on one wager – spread it out.
- Do Research: Do both quantitative and qualitative research to find solid bets.
- Shop Around: Use multiple bookmakers so you always secure the best odds.
- Use Promotions: Boost your bankroll by taking advantage of bonus offers.
- Specialise: Find entertaining markets to bet on and stick with them.
- Fewer Bets, More Returns: Pick and choose only the best markets to bet on.
If you study successful punters, you’ll notice they don’t bet often – they pick and choose only the best matches to stake on that have the potential for solid returns. Carefully selecting the best spots to put your money down is the best way to build your bankroll fast.
World Cup 2022 Betting Offers and Free Bets
Since the event only occurs once every four years, sportsbooks make loads of special World Cup betting offers you can take advantage of. These usually come as World Cup free bets, enhanced odds on matches and specials for using mobile betting apps. Here is the best World Cup betting bonus:
- Welcome bonus up to £50
- Odds level up to 94.70%
- Great World Cup Markets
- Excellent Live Betting Platform
Some World Cup bookmakers even increase their welcome bonuses during the event. Welcome packages are the primary way online sportsbooks attract fresh sign-ups. If you want to see which bookies have the top offers, check out the best betting bonuses in the UK.
About the World Cup 2022
FIFA World Cup betting is different from standard football betting for a few reasons. 32 teams qualify through regional confederations into a round-robin tournament split into groups. Two teams from each group advance and the remaining 16 teams enter a standard, single-leg playoff to determine the winner.
 | Host Nation: | Qatar |
| Year: | 2022 | |
| Number of Teams: | 22 | |
| Start Date: | Nov. 21, 2022 | |
| Final Date: | Dec. 18, 2022 | |
| Final Stadium: | Lusail Stadium | |
| Number of Stadiums: | 8 |
The FIFA World Cup started in 1930 with 10 teams. It was won by the hosts, Uruguay. British nations never took part in the pre-WWII editions because they had withdrawn from FIFA due to emotions surrounding recent conflicts in South America and to protest the influence of foreign football.
After the war, the UK countries accepted FIFA’s invitation to take part in the 1950 World Cup. They’ve taken part in every event since, with England winning in 1966. The tournament has expanded three times, once from 10 to 16 teams, then to 24, and again to its current format of 32 in 1998.
Teams and Groups
Teams qualify for the World Cup through their continental associations’ World Cup Qualifiers. Each region has a set number of qualifiers that make the final 32 teams. On Apri1 1 Fifa made the draw for the tournament and the following list of groups for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was decided:
| Teams that have Qualified for the Qatar World Cup 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D |
| Qatar | England | Argentina | France |
| Ecuador | Iran | Saudi Arabia | Australia |
| Senegal | USA | Mexico | Denmark |
| Netherlands | Wales | Poland | Tunisia |
| Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H |
| Spain | Belgium | Brazil | Portugal |
| Costa Rica | Canada | Serbia | Ghana |
| Germany | Morocco | Switzerland | Uruguay |
| Japan | Croatia | Cameroon | South Korea |
There is no particular ‘group of death’ this time, though it must be said, on paper England’s group looks winnable! Each group has pre-scheduled time slots during which they will play their games. The first match of the tournament will be Qatar’s first game.
World Cup Format
The group stage is conducted in a round-robin format, meaning each team plays each other one time. Each victory earns a team three points, a draw one point and a loss zero points. The top two teams in points advance.
If there is a tie, there are several tie-breakers, starting with goal difference, to decide who moves on to the round of 16. After this point, the tournament continues in a single-elimination knockout format. There is a third-place play-off the day before the final where the losers of the two semi-finals compete.
Past Winners
Out of 21 total World Cup tournaments, only eight countries can call themselves World Champions. If you look at it from a historical perspective, the current England to win World Cup odds seem much lower than their previous chances of just under 5%.
- Brazil – 5 times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002)
- West Germany/Germany – 4 times (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
- Italy – 4 times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006)
- Argentina – 2 times (1978, 1986)
- France – 2 times (1998, 2018)
- Uruguay – 2 times (1930, 1950)
- England – 1 time (1966)
- Spain – 1 time (2010)
If you take this list into account, you can see how hard it is for smaller footballing nations to win. You can see the World Cup odds to see where your favourite football countries stand according to the bookmakers.
Best Bookie for the World Cup
We checked all the World Cup betting sites, and we found you the top option. It has the best combination of high odds, generous bonuses and an excellent user interface. It’s also one of the best UK live betting sites around.
BetTarget 
Out top pick for World Cup Betting VISIT SITE!
With one-ninth of the world’s population projected to tune in, we can’t wait to see how the World Cup 2022 turns out. No matter what you like to gamble on, make sure World Cup betting is on your to-do list this October and November.
Frequently Asked Questions
While we tried to make our World Cup betting guide as comprehensive as possible, our readers had some more specific questions which we answered below. If you have any comments or concerns, reach out to us at info@bestbettingsites.co.uk.
🏆 How to bet on the World Cup?
Placing a bet on the World Cup can be very simple. Evaluate the markets and wager when you find value. To get started, read our World Cup betting strategy guide for some suggestions on how to bet on the World Cup.
🏅 What's the best World Cup betting site?
We tested, rated and ranked all the World Cup betting sites with UK Gambling Commission licences we could find. Check out our list of the best UK World Cup betting sites to see how they stack up against each other.
⚽ What are the odds of England winning the World Cup?
The odds of England winning the World Cup make them the third favourite to win the trophy. However, odds fluctuate over time as news breaks, so this can change. We listed the World Cup odds for all the contenders, along with the sites offering the highest ones.
🤔 Who will win the World Cup 2022 odds?
You can see the odds to win the World Cup 2022 for a list of the top teams in terms of odds. Note that the odds will constantly change until the final game is complete as the bookmakers try to balance their liabilities.
⭐Are there any World Cup betting offers?
Yes, there are World Cup betting offers. Most bookmakers promote unique special offers you can take advantage of during the event. Read our write-up on World Cup bonus offers for some examples of what you can expect and our favourite bookie for World Cup promos.
🏜️ Where is the World Cup 2022?
The World Cup 2022 will be held in multiple stadiums around Qatar in the Middle East. There are eight venues in total, in five cities; Lusail, Al Khor, Doha, Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah will host events. You can see our World Cup information section of this article for the full details.
⏱️ When is the World Cup?
The World Cup is taking place in October and November 2022. This is the first time the World Cup will be played outside of May, June or July. The reasoning behind the change in season is the oppressive summer heat in Qatar. Check out our World Cup information write-up for a comprehensive guide.
❓ How many teams qualify for the World Cup?
32 teams qualify for the World Cup through their continental football associations. Each association has a set number of teams it gets to send to the event. You can see all the qualified teams in our table breaking down the World Cup groups.
🥇 When did England last win the World Cup?
England last won the World Cup in 1966. It is the country's only victory since it began participating in the tournament in 1950. However, it has lower World Cup odds than it has in the recent past, meaning the bookies give Three Lions a decent chance of winning number two.
🥅 How does the World Cup tournament work?
The World Cup tournament draws the 32 qualifying teams into groups. The group stage is played as a round-robin, with the top two teams from each group advancing into the round of 16. The round of 16 is then played as a sudden death knockout tournament. You can see how the tournament works in our write-up on the World Cup format.