2022 World Cup Group A – Analysis, Top Predictions, and Props

Group A is arguably the least competitive group of the 2022 World Cup. The main reason is that this is the one in which Qatar plays, which is one of the worst teams in the entire tournament. The other three teams aren’t considered heavyweights either – Ecuador, Senegal, and the Netherlands.

In this post, we’re going to present you with our top Group A predictions, focusing on the bets like group winner and runner-up, as well as some World Cup props.

2022 World Cup Group A Winner Prediction – Netherlands (-250)

Obviously, the Dutch have the most star power on the roster, which is why they’re expected to win the group. Still, we don’t think their job is going to be easy. The thing is that Netherlands’ offense might not be too productive. That said, scoring in the games against Ecuador and Senegal won’t be easy.

This goes especially for the Ecuador game, as this is a team that tends to show up in big games. For instance, in the World Cup qualifications, Ecuador conceded just one goal against Brazil, as well as one against Argentina in the games played in 2022.

On the bright side for the Dutch, they don’t have to worry much about their defense. With players like Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt, they simply cannot concede too many goals in the group phase. And that should be enough to get them to the knockouts from the no.1 spot in Group A.

Group A Runner-Up Prediction – Senegal (+200)

Sadio Mane is Senegal’s biggest star, but the Bayern forward will miss the tournament in Qatar due to an injury. Nevertheless, this team does have many great players on the roster. Their captain, Kalidou Koulibaly, for example, is one of the best defenders in the world.

They also have a decent goalie in Alfred Gomis, as well as a couple of hard-working midfielders – Idrissa Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyate, and so on.

There are plenty of amazing players on this roster, but as a team, they haven’t been too impressive in 2022. That said, we don’t think they can finish top of the group, but they definitely have the quality to advance to the next phase of the competition.

Best Group A Prop Bet – Qatar to Finish Bottom (-164)

There are a couple of Group A props worth mentioning, with our favorite being the “To Finish Bottom” bet. We’re 100% certain it’s going to be Qatar that ends up in the no.4 position in Group A.

The reason? Qatar is the only team that got to the World Cup without going through the qualifications. This team qualified for its first World Cup in history by simply being the host of the tournament.

If you’re not an extremely passionate soccer fan, you probably don’t know a single player from the Qatar national team squad. It’s because all of them play for the clubs in their national soccer league (Qatar Stars League).