Portugal vs. Uruguay Odds
| Portugal Odds | -106 |
| Uruguay Odds | +230 |
| Draw | +240 |
| Over/Under | 2.5 (+120 / -150) |
| Both Teams to Score (Yes/No) | (+100 / -134) |
| Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute World Cup odds here. | |
Monday sees Portugal play Uruguay at the Lusail Stadium in a game which will have huge ramifications on Group H.
Portugal are in the driver's seat having picked up three points about Ghana and a win will see them qualify for the next round. However, if Uruguay win it blows the group wide open.
Having drawn their opener it's essential that Uruguay win this, because if they fall to defeat then they'll need to win their final game to qualify. There's great value to be had on one of the teams in this game though, so read on for our best bet.
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Portugal Facing Tactical Dilemma
Portugal beat Ghana in their opening game of the World Cup 3-2, with Ronaldo's goal one of the main headlines as he wrote his name in the history book for scoring in five different World Cups. He will start again here and as usual the play will all revolve around his orbit.
Does Ronaldo help this team or does he stifle it? That's an interesting debate but there is no way he is benched. Ronaldo will likely be flanked by Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes. Felix was poor against Ghana and Rafael Leao would be a better choice down that flank but he will likely be overlooked again.
The midfield will drive this battle with Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva and Otavio in the middle of the park. Portugal's ability to win will rely on them getting the better of the Uruguayan midfield three.
The back four has quality but Danilo is arguably the weakest of the four and he's somebody that Darwin Nunez and company will focus on attacking.
Uruguay Not The Side They Once Were
Uruguay were really bad against South Korea. If the South Koreans could finish then they'd have lost but South Korea aren't blessed with great strikers.
The Uruguayan defense is aging with Diego Godin and Martin Cacares at RB and RCB combining for 71-years old. They are slow and cumbersome and that is one of the main reasons that Portugal would be smart to start Leao down that side.
The Uruguayan midfield has some talent, particularly Federico Valverde, but he can't do it all himself and in the last game too much was left to him.
In theory, the Uruguayan attack is their strength but Luis Suarez was dreadful against South Korea and age has well and truly caught up with him. They should bench him but instead Darwin Nunez will need to continue to find spaces. If he has a big game then Uruguay stand a chance.
Portugal vs. Uruguay Prediction
Portugal are far from their finished item and they still very much look like a work in progress. Whether the coach will make any major changes before this game is doubtful but even without them they should be able to beat Uruguay.
The Uruguayans, touted by many as dark horses to win the competition, were the biggest disappointment of the first game week and gave a hopeless performance against South Korea. If they play anything like that again then Portugal will win this one with ease.
Ultimately, when it really matters this Portugal team will get it done. It may not be as pretty as it should be, but they'll win.
The Pick: Portugal ML (-106)
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