Argentina vs Saudi Arabia Betting Tips: 13/2 bet for Group C opener at World Cup 2022

The opening game in Group C kicks off a busy Tuesday of World Cup action when Argentina take on Saudi Arabia at 10am. Tom Winch has previewed the game and provided his top tips for the action...

Opening World Cup fixtures don’t get a lot tougher than this for Herve Renard and his Saudi Arabia side, they face one of the World Cup favourites in Argentina, who will be expected to make a winning start to their campaign at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentines are second favourites to lift the prestigious trophy in Qatar so the price of 1/6 for them to win here provides little surprise, although the Saudis won’t roll over by any means which could provide some value.

The goal line is set at 2.75 with a variety of different bookmakers whilst the Asian line is set at -2 meaning the South American side will need to win by three clear goals in order for the bet to land, which seems a little steep given the oppositions low scoring affairs in recent times.

Saudi Arabia have been involved in 19 consecutive games which have seen two or less goals scored during the 90 minutes, which is a remarkable streak, but they’ll need to be on top of their game if they want another low-scoring clash. 

With the depth in quality throughout the Argentinian squad, it’s difficult to see them not picking up maximum points, but I don’t believe they’ll run away with it, however.

Combining a lack of goals alongside Lionel Messi and co to win seems like an angle to get behind on Tuesday morning, with bet365 offering 20/23 for Argentina to Win / Under 3.5 Goals.

Since 2020, Argentina have won 17 competitive matches, 15 of those have seen three or less goals scored, so it shows that they’re getting the job done but they rarely blow teams away.

It’s most definitely Saudi Arabia’s toughest game of the group yet it might be the best time to face Argentina as they might not be up to full speed given it’s the opener.

Even earning a point will be a huge achievement for Renard’s side which shows how big a task is on their hands.

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Again, I’m heading down the low-scoring route here with a big price of 13/2 (bet365) for an Argentina 1-0 win which was the exact score that they beat Brazil by in Rio de Janeiro in July 2021.

One way traffic will be expected here, Saudi Arabia will be compact and will frustrate their opponents whenever a situation arises to do so. Five of their last six defeats have come at a 1-0 scoreline which provides plenty of positives backing the long-shot.

Both of these plays provide plenty of value in my opinion, there’s no way I’d be backing Argentina to win as a single so taking an unders play, which of course is never the most enjoyable watch, seems the best way to tackle this match in Lusail at 10:00am on Tuesday.

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