Germany and Argentina Favored in World Cup Semifinals

Germany and Argentina are favorites in World Cup 2014 semifinal action, which gets underway on Tuesday afternoon. Taking part in their seventh semifinal in the last nine World Cups, Germany are favored against hosts Brazil in the first semifinal match. The Germans own odds of -115 at Topbet to advance to the final for the first time since 2002, and are pegged as slim +150 favorites in three-way betting.

A shorthanded Brazilian squad will take to the field as -115 moneyline underdogs, and +154 in three-way betting at Topbet. Brazil will be without their captain Thiago Silva, who will sit out a one-game suspension, and goal-scoring sensation Neymar, who suffered a serious back injury in a quarterfinal win over Colombia.

The loss of Silva and Neymar directly impacts Brazil’s World Cup odds, not only making them underdogs on Tuesday against Germany, but toppling them from their perch as favorites in World Cup futures wagering odds, a position they have held since the World Cup draw last December.

With odds of +275 in World Cup futures betting at 5Dimes, the Brazilians now trail Germany, who sit at +265, and Argentina, who have emerged as the favorite at 5Dimes, with odds of +250.

Argentina take on the Netherlands on Wednesday afternoon in the other World Cup semifinal match. As expected, the Argentines are the favorites against the Oranje, with moneyline odds of +135 to defeat the Netherlands in 90 minutes in World Cup wagering at Bovada.

The Argentines are even stronger favorites to simply advance to the final, with Bovada giving them odds of -150, while the Dutch sit at +125.

However, Argentina cannot take the Netherlands lightly; the Dutch have exceeded oddsmaker expectations so far at the tournament. Netherlands entered the group stage as 25/1 longshots in futures wagering at Bovada, and were not a sure bet to advance to the knockout stage.

Their 12 goals scored lead all sides at the World Cup, with Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie leading the way with three markers each. By contrast, aside from four timely goals from Lionel Messi, who is the +350 favorite at Topbet to win the Golden Boot, Argentina have struggled to produce offense; a weakness the Dutch will look to exploit.