France vs. Australia Odds
| France Odds | -400 |
| Australia Odds | +1200 |
| Draw | +450 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (-138 / +110) |
| Both Teams to Score (Yes/No) | (+125 / -175) |
| Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute World Cup odds here. | |
Defending champions France kick off their World Cup campaign in Group D with a fixture against Australia.
This is certainly not the same France team that was incredibly impressive throughout the 2018 event, as there are a number of notable injuries and changes that have molded this squad, but they are still one of the title favorites.
For Australia, just reaching the World Cup was the main goal, but the Aussies have made five consecutive group stages at this point, qualifying for the round of 16 just one time.
Is there any betting value to be head in this fixture? Let's dive in.
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France Have a Number of Pre-Tournament Issues to Address
Coming into the World Cup, this French team has a lot of question marks to answer.
First off, they will have to sort out who will fill Karim Benzema's role in the attack after he was ruled out of the tournament due to injury. That's a devastating blow for the Ballon d'Or winner as well as the team. While superstar Kylian Mbappe is still there to lead the line, Benzema's absence can't be overstated.
Olivier Giroud or Antoine Griezmann are solid options, but when you have a player as in-form as Benzema, his absence is massive. Additionally, midfield rock N'Golo Kante will miss the tournament along with midfielder Paul Pogba. Both players were crucial to France's 2018 run.
In defense, the squad should be resolute with William Saliba, Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano and Lucas Hernandez as options in the middle, and France have world class outside backs in Theo Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.
Finding form early in this event will be crucial as they enter the tournament on the back of just one win in six competitive fixtures.
Australia Looking to Top Previous Results
There is no question that reaching this stage of the World Cup is a win for Australia. They battled through a CONMEBOL playoff to get to this point, defeating Peru on penalty kicks.
However, after qualifying for five consecutive group stages, they'll be hoping to reach the round of 16 after four failed attempts in a row.
In this group with France, Denmark and Tunisia, that will not be an easy task, but a point in this opening fixture would go a long way.
If they can earn a draw and France earns wins against Denmark and Tunisia, then a win or two more points in their final two fixtures could secure qualification.
France vs. Australia Prediction
It's hard to handicap this French side as it is dealing with some big question marks, as noted above.
Because of that, I'm hesitant to get too involved in the fixture. Australia will be motivated, and it is a solid defensive group. That being said, they've shown in recent World Cups that they can get overpowered easily by the bigger sides in the event.
Does France have the pedigree and cohesiveness to thrive at this tournament? It's hard to say. Do they have the quality to find a goal or two against this Australian side? It would be a shock if they didn't.
Consequently, I believe there's value in sprinkling the France "Full Time/Half Time" wager, which means you cash if France is ahead at half time and secures the result.
With a -155 price on the France first-half line, I believe this is enough of a drop in odds to make it worthwhile.
The Pick: France Half Time/Full Time (-120) | 0.5 units
