Group A is headlined by the Netherlands, which should be the overwhelming favorite to win and advance to the knockout phase of the World Cup.
African champion Senegal got a fantastic draw and should be able to make it out of this group as well.
As for Qatar, even though it's the tournament host, it's going to be really tough for the nation to get by the top two teams here. And Ecuador has a mountain to climb to get out of this group.
Group A Odds/World Rankings
*Odds via FanDuel
| ODDS TO WIN GROUP | ACTION NETWORK | FIFA | |
|---|---|---|
| Qatar | +2400 | 48th | 51st |
| Ecuador | +380 | 34th | 46th |
| Senegal | +370 | 19th | 20nd |
| Netherlands | -160 | 8th | 10th |
The Favorite: Netherlands
The Dutch will be the overwhelming favorites to win Group A and have real shot at winning the World Cup given the talent on the roster. The Dutch did bow out in the Round of 16 at Euro 2020 this summer after a player picked up a red card against the Czech Republic, but they did win a tough World Cup qualifying group with Turkey and Norway.
The Dutch are deserving favorites to win Group A.
The Dark Horse: Senegal
Senegal is one of my favorite longshots to win the World Cup and will be a really difficult matchup for the Netherlands in the opening game in the group stage.
Since the start of the Africa of Nations Cup, Senegal has a +7 xGDiff in eight matches and its defense is only conceding 0.55 xG per match. It helps when you have one of the best center backs in the world in Kalidou Koulibaly and one of the planet's best goalkeepers in Chelsea star Edouard Mendy.
Watch out for Senegal to shock the world.
Potential Shock Elimination: Qatar
Even though it's playing on home soil, it's a massive step up in competition for Qatar, which is going to have a really tough time competing with the talent on Netherlands and Senegal.
2022 FIFA World Cup Odds
*Odds via BetMGM Before Draw
| TEAM | ODDS |
|---|---|
| France | +550 |
| Brazil | +550 |
| England | +700 |
| Spain | +750 |
| Germany | +900 |
| Argentina | +1000 |
| Belgium | +1100 |
| Portugal | +1200 |
| Netherlands | +1600 |
| Denmark | +2800 |
| Uruguay | +4000 |
| Croatia | +5000 |
| Serbia | +6600 |
| Qatar | +6600 |
| USA | +8000 |
| Mexico | +8000 |
| Switzerland | +8000 |
| Poland | +8000 |
| Senegal | +8000 |
| Iran | +10000 |
| Ecuador | +12500 |
| Wales | +15000 |
| Ukraine | +15000 |
| Japan | +15000 |
| Peru | +15000 |
| Morocco | +15000 |
| Ghana | +15000 |
| Cameroon | +15000 |
| South Korea | +15000 |
| Saudi Arabia | +15000 |
| Canada | +15000 |
| Australia | +25000 |
| Scotland | +25000 |
| Costa Rica | +25000 |
| Tunisia | +25000 |
| United Arab Emirates | +25000 |
| New Zealand | +50000 |
