Women's World Cup 2023 outright tips, predictions, best bets and preview
Cameron Pope is Sporting Life's women's football expert. He also provides content for BBC Sport, TalkSport, DAZN and IMG.
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Football betting tips: Women's World Cup 2023 Outright
4pts USA to win the World Cup at 5/2 (General)
1pt e.w. Netherlands to win the World Cup at 40/1 (Betway)
Four years have passed since the USA's triumph over the Netherlands in Lyon and as we count down the days until the first-ever co-hosted Women's World Cup, a whole host of teams are in contention in what promises to be a wide-open tournament.
It's been a long old season for all, with Barcelona's comeback win over Wolfsburg in the Women's Champions League final rounding off the club season less than seven weeks before the first ball will be kicked in New Zealand - and who knows what effect fatigue might have on the tournament.
While the likes of the USA, England, Spain, Germany and France have selected squads brimming with the best talent from the world's top leagues, they are the teams who will be wariest of player overload. And don't forget, there are key characters on all 32 rosters, with debuting nations such as Zambia, Haiti and Portugal all playing without the burden of expectation.
What's more, New Zealand's Football Ferns and Australia's Matildas, spearheaded by talismanic Chelsea striker Sam Kerr, will be gunning to make an impression in front of raucous home support.
Women's World Cup 2023 winner odds (via Sky Bet)
- USA - 9/4
- England - 4/1
- Spain - 5/1
- Germany - 15/2
- France - 9/1
- Australia - 14/1
- Sweden - 18/1
- Brazil - 25/1
- Japan - 28/1
- Netherlands - 28/1
Odds correct at 1200 (11/07/23)
Favourites USA still a profitable punt
As winners of the last two events and a record four times overall, the USWNT are the standout name coming into the 2023 tournament and the richness of talent available to coach Vlatko Andonovski leaves me a little surprised to see the USA available TO WIN THE WORLD CUP at 5/2.
True, this is going to be no cakewalk and winning their third title in a row arguably means beating the strongest field yet after England, Spain and Germany showed their strength in last summer's Euros, but you can do far worse than back the USA to retain their title.
Defender and captain Becky Sauerbrunn is out with a foot injury and versatile new Chelsea attacker Catarina Macario is also absent, but there is a wealth of experience left in the ranks - a real embarrassment of riches. Nine of the 23 players in the squad have World Cup experience and the rest of the list is a who's who of the best National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) prospects.
One attacking talent with frightening potential is clinical 22-year-old Sophia Smith, whose 10-goal tally from just 13 NWSL games this season for the Portland Thorns will have defenders sweating, while the finishing abilities of Trinity Rodman - daughter of retired NBA legend, Dennis - make her a killer asset. Her 17 caps at the age of 21 are testament to that ability.
Counter-attacking opponents could hurt England and these vulnerabilities make 9/2 a little too short for my preference. her last before she retires from the game at the end of OL Reign's NWSL season, the emblematic midfielder will be desperate to exit the international stage with a flourish. One of 28 players to win the tournament twice, she - along with Alyssa Naeher, Kelley O'Hara and Alex Morgan - can break new ground with victory.
No matter the strength of the field, it is difficult to look beyond the world's top-ranked side.
England should be swerved
Chloe Kelly's dramatic Euro 2022 winner catapulted the England squad to superstardom, but is there more glory to come Down Under?
Ask me a few months ago and I'd have been slightly more confident. The defence is the main worry: injury blows to captain Leah Williamson and Arsenal forward Beth Mead have ruled two key figures out, while Chelsea centre-back Millie Bright is fighting to be back fit for the opener as she recovers from a knee injury.
Esme Morgan - who struggled in England's April defeat to Australia, the game that ended Wiegman's 30-game unbeaten streak - and Jess Carter could be the starting partnership at the back against Haiti, meaning centre-half Alex Greenwood will likely be pushed out to the left as we saw in the friendly draw with Portugal.
Counter-attacking opponents could hurt England and these vulnerabilites make 9/2 a little too short for my preference.
Cases can be made for many
Plenty of teams are in the running, make no mistake. Spain were dealt a cruel blow on the eve of the Euros, with star playmaker Alexia Putellas struck down by an ACL injury, while Germany captain Alexandra Popp was later ruled out right before the final.
This time around, both players are fit and both squads primed for battle; we didn't get to see the best of them in England, but we just might in Australia and New Zealand - if a controversy-hit Spain can avoid further turmoil after big-name players ruled themselves out of selection in protest at Jorge Vilda's coaching of the national team.
France, available at 12/1, could also be a threat, now that the unsavoury atmosphere of the Corinne Diacre era is seemingly behind them.
New boss Herve Renard, who led Saudi Arabia at the men's tournament in 2022, has the both home-based and overseas talent available in abundance. But will the return of veteran captain Wendie Renard in defence and attacker Kadidiatou Diani be enough to mitigate the injury absence of talented striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto? And then there's the small matter of facing South American champions Brazil in Group F, who are unlikely to be a serious title contender but tested England in the Wembley Finalissima.
Australia will have home advantage, but questions remain as to whether their squad is deep enough to manage a group containing both Canada and Nigeria and some bookies have them priced as sixth favourites at 14/1, which still looks too short of a price.
Oranje an outside shout
Amid all the above however, there seems to be one nation the bookmakers are overlooking. The Netherlands finished runners-up in 2019 but when Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema became the latest victim of the ACL curse late in 2022, the odds of a repeat performance lengthened dramatically.
But with Betway pricing the NETHERLANDS TO WIN THE WORLD CUP at 40/1, I think the value lies with Oranje leeuwinnen. I'd make this a bet down to the generally available 25/1 (bet365, Sky Bet, William Hill, Coral, SpreadEx).
While Miedema's brilliance is hard to understate, let's not forget the value brought by versatile Wolfsburg attacker Jill Roord and Juventus forward Lineth Beerensteyn. Both are nearing 100 caps at the age of just 26 and the latter hit a peach of a goal in the 5-0 win over Belgium earlier this month.
Also on the scoresheet that day were young Arsenal midfielder Victoria Pelova, a key player to watch, and Lieke Martens, whose goals from out wide will be of major importance with Miedema and co-attacker Romee Leuchter both out.
Though the USA are about as tough a group opponent as you could wish for, the Netherlands should have enough to outlast Portugal and Vietnam. From then on, who knows?
Women's World Cup 2023 Outright best bets
- 2pts USA to win the World Cup at 5/2 (General)
- 1pt e.w. Netherlands to win the World Cup at 40/1 (betway)
Odds correct at 1115 (11/07/23)
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