World Cup Semifinal Odds: France, Spain, England, and Argentina
Ethan Moore 
Key Takeaways:
- The World Cup semifinals feature France, Spain, England, and Argentina.
- France and Spain are favoured for both teams to score at -130.
- England is priced at +160 to defeat Argentina in 90 minutes.
The FIFA World Cup semifinals are officially set, featuring the world's top four ranked teams: France, Spain, England, and Argentina. This marks the first time since rankings began in 1992 that the top four teams in FIFA's rankings have all made the World Cup semifinals, and all four are previous champions. Furthermore, these squads were the primary betting favorites before the tournament began, and none have lost a game during this event.
France vs. Spain Betting Outlook
France and Spain will clash on Tuesday, July 14, in a match that is considered the toughest game of the tournament to handicap, drawing significant interest in World Cup betting odds. France's attack is heavily praised, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele becoming the first pair of teammates to score five goals each at a World Cup since 2002. France currently leads the tournament with 16 goals and a +14 goal difference, while Spain follows closely with 11 goals and 11.7 non-penalty expected goals.
Defensively, neither team has surrendered many scoring chances, as Spain has allowed just one goal in six games and France has conceded only two. During the knockout rounds, France has allowed a total of 18 shots and 1.0 expected goals, while Spain has conceded 20 shots and 1.3 expected goals. Despite these strong defensive records, the betting market shows value in both teams to score at -130, and the over 2.5 goals is priced at -105, reflecting tight margins often found in Africa Cup of Nations betting.
England vs. Argentina Matchup
England will face defending champion Argentina on Wednesday, July 15, after both nations navigated through tight knockout stages. England has slogged through three one-goal wins, while Argentina has followed a similar path, padded only by a stoppage-time goal from Lautaro Martínez in their 3-1 quarterfinal victory over Switzerland. England has scored at least twice in each knockout game, posting 4.0 non-penalty goals compared to 2.5 for their opponents, drawing attention from punters who also follow CAF Champions League betting.
England is currently priced at +160 to win in 90 minutes against Argentina, offering betting value due to their diverse attack led by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham. While Argentina has generated 6.3 non-penalty expected goals in the knockouts, their expected goal difference drops to +2.9 at even strength. Furthermore, England has faced more difficult opposition, including Norway and Mexico, and Argentina's lack of wide attack makes the English side an appealing pick to advance.
