USA England Betting – England Avenge 1950 Loss To The Americans

Online betting players on both sides of the pond will be involved in a healthy amount of trash talk for the opening match of Group C between England and the USA, and the Americans will be out to match their huge upset from 60 years ago. The English won’t have any part in that.

• What: World Cup betting
• When: Saturday, June 12th, 2:30 PM ET
• Where: Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenberg, South Africa
• Key Stats: England is 2-1 all-time against the USA

The Storyline

This is one of the most anticipated matches of the first round, and while England will be a big favorite, they’ll also have revenge on their minds. Although they have a pair of friendly wins over Team USA, the Americans upset the English 1-0 at the 1950 World Cup in Brazil in a match sometimes called, “The Miracle on Grass”.

Who Has The Edge On Offense: USA England Betting

The Americans have talented players going forward, like Jozy Altidore, Michael Bradley, Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, and they have enough talent that they could afford to leave Charlie Davies, who has only just recovered from a car accident, at home. The Americans scored 42 goals during qualifying, and although England has a good defense, they could cause some problems. England still has the edge here, but it’s not nearly as big as you would think.

England is powered by Wayne Rooney, who has to be considered one of the top five players in the world after his brilliant club season with Manchester United. Frank Lampard came on over the second half of the season, and he’ll be counted on for goals from midfield, maybe even more if Steven Gerrard doesn’t improve from a subpar club season at Liverpool. In Glen Johnson and Ashley Cole, England has fullbacks that can rampage up and down the wings, and they may also have the ultimate weapon off the bench in 6’7” Peter Crouch.

Who Has The Edge In Defense: USA England Betting

The Americans’ sportsbook odds are dependent on their ability to stop the other team from scoring, which is something they’ve had trouble doing at the World Cup. However, they can count on some help from goalkeeper Tim Howard, who has played in the Premiership for the last seven years. Carlos Bocanegro and Oguchi Onyewu will be the main players who look to shut England down.

The English are extremely deep at the center-defense position as John Terry and Rio Ferdinand should start for the Three Lions, with Jamie Carragher, Michael Dawson and Ledley King all ready to step in. Carragher may also be asked to play on the right in place of Johnson, his teammate at Liverpool. However, there is still the question of goalkeeping, where David James, Joe Hart and Robert Green are all in the running. James has the experience, but Hart and Green have probably had better seasons. Again, England has the edge here, but it’s small.

Notable Injuries – USA England Betting

Everyone on both provisional squads are healthy to begin the campaign, although England may be worried over an ankle injury suffered late in the season by midfielder Gareth Barry.

Totals – USA England Betting

This could be a relatively open match with both teams having attacking players, so we’re taking the over here.

USA England Betting Prediction & Outlook

England is a -195 favorite in this contest, with the Americans rated at +550, and a draw comes in at +280. While England is better all over the pitch than their opponents, their real edge comes on the bench, both with their depth, but especially with their manager, Fabio Capello. Bill Bradley is a solid manager for the Americans, and he has won hardware in the MLS, but Capello has won titles with three different teams in Italy, along with a Spanish league crown and he’s a two-time winner of the Champions League. Capello has had the England team playing focused, especially when you consider the mess made with Terry’s off-field problems with Wayne Bridge. We’re backing England for a sports betting win to open up the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Bet World Cup: England -195