Netherlands Spain Betting – Spain Lifts World Cup In First Trip To Final
Online betting players had a lot of faith in Spain heading into the World Cup, but the pre-tournament favorites didn’t show their worth until a dominating performance in the semifinals. Look for them to ride that result into their first World Cup victory.
- What: World Cup Betting
- When: Sunday, July 11th, 2:30 PM ET
- Where: Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg
- Key Stats: Holland has won four and drawn one of their eight meetings with Spain
The Storyline
Both of these sides will be aiming for their first World Cup, and the Netherlands are in the final for the third time after their 3-2 win over Uruguay. Spain is surprisingly in the final for the first time after their 1-0 win over Germany, and they’re looking to add to their Euro 2008 triumph.
Who Has The Edge On Offense: Netherlands Spain Betting
The midfield duo of Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben have been a force throughout this entire tournament, and both found the back of the net within three minutes of each other to take control of the Uruguay match. They also found more space when Rafael Van Der Vaart was brought on for more attacking nous, and they flourished in the extra space. However, striker Robin van Persie hasn’t been on point for the last few games.
David Villa has been one of the players of the tournament, but he was quiet against the Germans. This allowed Xavi to have his best match of the tournament as he sprayed passes all over the field in a man-of-the-match performance. Andres Iniesta was also a problem for the Germans, and the midfield must have another good effort if Fernando Torres is on the bench again.
Edge: The Netherlands
Who Has The Edge In Defense: Netherlands Spain Betting
The Netherlands are solid defensively, but they’ve shown a few times in this tournament that they take their foot off the gas when they get ahead. When Holland got leads of 1-0 and 3-1, they sat back and absorbed Uruguay’s pressure, and that’s never a good recipe. Keeper Maarten Stekelenburg was inconsistent all match, but he did manage to make big saves when he had to.
For all of Spain’s attacking talent, they’ve allowed just two goals in this tournament, and Gerard Pique has arguably been the best defender in South Africa. Sergio Busquets doesn’t get a lot of press as the holding midfielder, but he allows Xavi and Xabi Alonso to push forward and support the forwards. Easily the best defense in the World Cup so far.
Edge: Spain
Notable Injuries – Netherlands Spain Betting
Midfielder Demy de Zeeuw may have a broken jaw after catching a kick to the face against Uruguay, but it may have stopped a goal.
Spain looks to be fully healthy for this match.
Edge: Spain
Totals – Netherlands Spain Betting
The moment may be too much for a lot of players, and that seemed to be the case for the first half of the Spain-Germany match as both teams were very cautious. With so much at stake, don’t expect a lot of risks to be taken.
Pick: Under 2
Netherlands Spain Betting Prediction & Outlook
Spain is a +110 favorite in this contest, while the Netherlands are listed at +245, and a draw comes in at +225. The head-to-head history between these two doesn’t leave much between them as Holland has won four and drawn one of their eight meetings with Spain, who haven’t played well for the majority of the tournament, but they showed why they’re the No.2-ranked team in the world. Holland lost back-to-back finals in 1974 and 1978 with their “total football” style, but they’re going to have to find a way to slow down Xavi in the Spanish midfield. Likewise, Sneijder and Robben can’t be allowed to have time on the ball to make decisions, and Robben must move from flank to flank to keep Spain from tracking them. Overall, we think Spain is the more balanced team, and they’ll shed their underachiever tag at the World Cup with a sports betting win on Sunday.
