Following the Men’s World Cup this past winter, the women take center stage this summer with the Women’s World Cup kicking off Thursday morning on FOX.
The opening day begins with three matches, starting with Norway and New Zealand squaring off in the Group A game that the Norwegians are heavy favorites in.
Meanwhile, the United States Women’s National Team begins their run for a third-straight and fifth title overall on Friday against Vietnam.
We will have you covered throughout the tournament with our favorite props daily. So, follow along as we dive into the best betting value at the Women's World Cup, including USA vs Vietnam.
World Cup Picks – USA vs Vietnam & More
Norway vs New Zealand – Norway Win to Nil (+100 via bet365)
The host countries typically fare well at World Cups, but I am not expecting much from the Football Ferns. In fact, New Zealand have never won a match on the world stage in 15 attempts and never advanced past the group stage.
This is also the same side that has lost 7-of-9 friendlies in 2023, failing to find the back of the net in all of the defeats and only scoring three in nine matches.
You also could go back to the SheBelieves Cup in 2022 where New Zealand didn’t score in the three fixtures, resulting in losses to the United States and Iceland and a draw with the Czech Republic.
Meanwhile, Norway were dominant in qualifying, finishing first in their group with an undefeated mark of nine wins and a draw. Over the 10 games, the Norwegians only allowed a pair of goals and only failed to score once.
The results coming into this competition haven’t been as impressive for manager Hege Riise’s team, but I do expect them to control the possession and tempo of the opener.
Once you add in the fact that New Zealand typically plays a defensive shape, I believe the host nation will continue to struggle in front of goal in a defeat.
USA vs Vietnam – Over 10.5 Corners (+100 via DraftKings)
If you remember the last World Cup, the USA opened the campaign with a 13-0 triumph over Thailand, and I believe this game against Vietnam could end in a similar fashion on Friday.
Head coach Vlatko Andonovski’s team will have plenty of possession of the ball, and any player on the field will like their chances of scoring.
With all of the possessions and shots, the Americans will have a lot of opportunities for deflections or saves going out for corners, which is where I’m headed for my favorite prop of the game.
This has also been profitable in recent blowouts by the USWNT. Since 2021, all but one of the six victories by six goals or more by the USA has finished with more than 10.5 corners.
As for Vietnam, this is a side that has lost by nine goals to Spain and by seven against France in recent friendlies, who are both ranked behind the Americans in the FIFA world rankings.
We should see a dominant display from the defending champions in their first match, leading to many corners and a winning ticket.
