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The World Cup is finally here. A few months later than normal but here nonetheless. The team at RotoBaller has you covered for all your World Cup needs. We'll bring you DFS articles, game previews, and betting picks throughout the competition.
On the eighth day of group play, we preview the matchup between two Group E giants: Spain and Germany. Spain leads Group E after dominating Costa Rice 7-0, whereas Germany was upset 2-1 by Japan. Kickoff between the Spaniards and Germans takes place on Sunday, November 27th at 2 PM EST. Who will win between Spain and Germany?
Before you read on, remember these essential things: Betting on sports should be fun. If you aren't having fun with it, stop. And never bet what you can't afford to lose. Follow the team on Twitter (@LucidMediaDFS, @PhilOfSports, @EuanOrYouOut, @df_solutions, @Mark_Kieffer, @RichKingFF, @Baseball_Jimbo, and myself, @wagmifantasy), and reach out to any of us if you ever have any soccer questions or need advice on any of this.
Today's World Cup Sportsbook Odds - Spain v Germany
- Caesars Sportsbook World Cup Odds - Bet Now on Caesars
- Spain: +135
- Germany: +190
- BetMGM Sportsbook World Cup Odds - Bet Now on BetMGM!
- Spain: +140
- Germany: +185
- DraftKings Sportsbook World Cup Odds - Bet Now on DraftKings!
- Spain: +130
- Germany: +200
- PointsBet Sportsbook World Cup Odds - Bet Now on PointsBet!
- Spain: +135
- Germany: +190
- FanDuel Sportsbook World Cup Odds - Bet Now on FanDuel!
- Spain: +130
- Germany: +195
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Spain Team Breakdown
Spain looked invincible in their World Cup opener. The Spanish outshot Costa Rica 17-0, dominated possession with an 82% share, and completed 92.3% of their passes, 5% higher than the next-best team. Six different players scored for Spain, including 18-year-old wonderchild Gavi. With a win, Spain would all but wrap things up in Group E.
Strengths: There is not a single nation better than Spain at batting the ball around. Spain completed 537 passes in the opening half of their tournament, the most in the first half of a World Cup game since 1966. Veteran Sergio Busquets and youngsters Pedri and the aforementioned Gavi amassed 259 passes in 211 minutes of play. Busquets' reliever, Koke, and defensive mid/center back Rodri each completed over 98% of their passes. Spain's passing and elite off-the-ball movement create abundant opportunities, reflected by seven goals off of 17 shots in their opener.
Weaknesses: Not many weaknesses were shown in Spain's tournament opener. Costa Rica was not an adequate opponent to expose the Spaniards. Heading into the tournament, many were concerned with Spain's defensive line. The wide 4-3-3 formation they run puts distance and strain between their defenders. We'll know where the weaknesses lie in Spain's squad after they play a more advanced opponent in Germany.
Germany Team Breakdown
Germany had a different experience in their World Cup opener. Ilkay Gündogan converted a penalty kick in the 33rd minute to give the Germans a 1-0 lead that they held for 42 minutes. Japan flipped the switch and bagged two goals in a span of eight minutes to shock the heavy favorites 2-1. With Japan playing Costa Rica, Germany is in a must-win situation to advance out of the group stage.
Strengths: Germany is one of the few countries that can stand toe-to-toe with Spain in the central midfield. Gündogan, Thomas Müller, and Joshua Kimmich form one of the world's most talented midfield units. Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry are some of the niftiest and most skillful attackers you will watch. The Germans rattled off 26 shots and possessed the ball 74% of the time in their match against Japan.
Weaknesses: Germany is missing a dominant forward to take advantage of its plentiful opportunities. Kai Havertz started up top but failed to make an impact in the opener. The Germans' lone goal came from the penalty spot, which is concerning considering they took more shots than any other team in the first round of games.
Spain vs. Germany Preview
Plenty is at stake for both teams here. Spain can cement itself in the round of 16 with a win. Germany has their back against the wall and needs a win in order to move on. If Germany loses and Japan earns at least a tie against Costa Rica, the 2014 World Cup champions would be effectively eliminated. With a win here, the Germans would demand the world's attention as one of the title contenders and put themselves in a great position to advance.
Spain's passing-intensive system will be tested by Germany's defensive-minded center mids. Joshua Kimmich is one of the best defensive mids in the world and will have his hands full with a very liquid Spanish midfield. Spain hasn't faced attackers as talented and skillful as Gnabry and Sané. Both teams are ranked inside the top-12 squads in the world and haven't faced an opponent of their own caliber. Buckle up, this is one of the best group-stage matches we'll see.
Score prediction: Spain 3 - 1 Germany
