Uruguay vs. South Korea Odds & Prediction | World Cup Preview

Uruguay vs. South Korea Odds & Prediction | World Cup Preview article feature image
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Pat Elmont/Getty. Pictured: Darwin Nunez.

Uruguay vs. South Korea Odds

Thursday, Nov. 24
8 a.m. ET
FS1
Uruguay Odds-134
South Korea Odds+425
Draw+260
Over/Under2.5 (+120 / -150)
Both Teams to Score (Yes/No)(+120 / -163)
Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute World Cup odds here.

Kicking off World Cup action in Group H, Uruguay take on South Korea in one of the early matches on Thanksgiving Day.

The South American side returns to the global tournament as one of just six countries to hoist the World Cup Trophy more than once, with their last victory coming in 1950.

Meanwhile, their opponents come into the competition after finishing second in Asian qualifying behind Iran. The Koreans are looking to make the knockout stages for the first time since 2010.

If you were looking for your morning entertainment before your family feast, this matchup with multiple global superstars is a good place to start.

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Uruguay a Mix of Old and New

Manager Diego Alonso was hired in 2021, and he has a great mix of the old faces and some fresh new stars at his disposal.

Most fans will recognize Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani from Uruguay’s previous trips to the World Cup, and they are joined by Federico Valverde, Darwin Núñez and Rodrigo Bentancur from the next generation.

The one to watch from the new core is Valverde, who has turned into one of Real Madrid’s most important players over the last year. The central midfielder was instrumental in helping Los Blancos win the Champions League last season, and he will be a vital player for his country in this competition.

La Celeste finished third in CONMEBOL during qualifying behind Brazil and Argentina, and they are a trendy pick to make a deep run in this tournament.

South Korea Looking to Maintain Level

The big question surrounding this Korean team is the health of star striker Son Heung-min, who had surgery on November 4 after suffering a facial fracture in an on-field collision during a Champions League match.

Son was seen wearing a protective mask in training, and the hope is that he should be good to go in this opener.

Even without the Tottenham Hotspur attacker in the lineup, this side still has dangerous attackers to scare opponents, including Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Hee-Chan Hwang. The Premier League striker had three goals and four assists in qualifying.

This is also the same country that held teams to just 11.2 xG in WCQ, but you must question if that was down to the competition rather than great defending.

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Uruguay vs. South Korea Pick

Looking at this game with an odds perspective, the bookmakers have Uruguay as the moneyline favorite with -138 odds to go with a total of 2.5 goals. I do want to back the South American side, but I’m looking for a better price.

With that said, my best bet is a Single-Game Parlay, pairing a victory by La Celeste with the total flying over one goal at +137.

I have big question marks about how this Korean side is going to stack up against a very talented Uruguay midfield. I also wonder just how fit Son really is after having surgery earlier this month.

The Asian team will have to hold out a squad with dangerous strikers in Suárez, Cavani and Núñez, which is a frontline that could score multiple goals here.

In fact, there were at least two goals in five of Uruguay’s eight victories during qualifying and in 11-of-18 games overall.

I think the South American country has a great shot at topping Group H, and I’m happy to get them at a plus-money price in their opening match.

The Pick: Single Game Parlay – Uruguay ML & Total Over 1 Goal (+137)

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