Qatar will host 32 Nations (including Qatar) as they battle for who will be crowned the Soccer world champion for the next four years. 

While the players can focus on the matches, the betting aspect is another area you cannot push aside, as sportsbooks and bettors are excitedly anticipating this event.

However, participating in the biggest soccer competition as a bettor requires you to have a betting account that enables you to wager. 

While numerous soccer World Cup bookmakers will offer betting markets on this event, it is essential to look for and stick to a betting platform that suits your needs.

Gloucestercitynews interviewed Tim Harrison, a betting expert at BetZillion, where they discussed a guide to Online World Cup betting.

How Does the World Cup Work?

The tournament usually comprises 32 teams divided into eight groups, i.e. four teams per group. Each team competes with the other teams in the same group, and the top two in each group (16 teams) advance to the knockout phase of the competition. 

However, if two teams finish on the same points after the conclusion of the group stage, then tie-breakers are used to settle this. The first tie-breaker is goal differential, followed by the total goals scored by both teams and the head-to-head result.

The next competition stage is the knockout phase, where the 16 teams get paired, and the losers are eliminated immediately. There are no draws at this stage. So if a team ties after regulation time, the game moves to extra time and then a penalty shootout. After this stage, the competition advances to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals. The FIFA World Cup also allows a third-place match between the losing semifinalists.

Brazil remains the most successful team in the history of this tournament with five trophies, and they'll look to extend that when the contest starts on November 20.

The viewership of this tournament is also massive, with over 3 billion tuning in to watch the previous edition in Russia. More audiences are expected to watch this year’s edition.

Popular Online World Cup Betting Markets

Most sportsbooks, if not all, will offer bets on World Cup matches and numerous betting markets that sportsbooks can jump on during this tournament. Here are a few World Cup betting markets you might find on sportsbooks.

Match Result

The match-result market is a simple bet. Here, you're predicting the winner of a particular game. It's usually denoted as 1X2 by many sportsbooks, where 1 represents the first team, X represents a draw, and 2 represents the second team.

If you believe the first team will win, you will place bets on “1.” On the other hand, if you believe the second team will win, you will place your bet on “2.” However, you can also set a draw (X) bet if you believe both teams will tie the game. 

Tournament Winner

The Tournament winner is among the most exciting bets on top sportsbooks. Your prediction, in this case, is on the team you think would win the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

France won the last edition in Russia by triumphing 4-2 over Croatia in the final.

Group Winners

The 2022 FIFA World Cup has eight groups with four teams apiece. Some betting platforms usually provide bets on the Group Winners. So you have to predict who wins any of the groups from group A to H in the tournament's group stage to win this bet.

Totals

On some sportsbooks, you will find this market written as 'Total,' while on some, it's known as the Over/Under bets. Here, you will predict the number of goals scored in a particular game.

These sportsbooks will usually provide a particular threshold for this betting market. For example:

• Over 1.5, 
• Over 2.5, 
• Under 1.5, 
• Under 2.5,
• etc.

You have to predict whether the total goals will be over or under the particular threshold provided.

Good research is required to use this betting market successfully because some teams score low while others score high. 

A punter can go for the Under 1.5 market if the teams are low-scoring and the Over 1.5 market if they are high-scoring.

Double Chance

This betting market allows bettors to wager on two matches' outcomes. On these sportsbooks, you will find them as 1X and X2. These two symbols denote that the home or first team can either win the match or tie the game (1X), and the away or second team can either win the match or tie the game (X2). 

This market can be favourable when you are unsure of your favourite team's performance or believe the underdog team has a point to prove.

Handicap

Handicap betting is an approach to level the playing field when one team is much superior to the other. Here, the sportsbook can give the favourite team to cover a certain amount of goals. The weaker team gets an advantage, while the outstanding team is challenged at a disadvantage to win the contest.

Top Goalscorer

The Top goalscorer bet is another popular betting market sportsbook will offer in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It is a bet on the player that will score the most goals in the competition. Players like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, and Neymar Jr are favourites to win the Golden boot.

For instance, Harry Kane was the highest goalscorer at the 2018 World Cup with six goals.

Here are the goals: 

Other Betting Markets

Sportsbooks also offer props bets like the number of cards in a game, the number of corners, the number of shots etc. Always ensure you do proper research before settling for any of these betting markets to be a big winner in this competition.

Factors to Consider When Placing Online World Cup Bets

Even though we understand that betting on the 2022 FIFA World Cup is not 100% guaranteed, having a mapped-out strategy will enable you to win more than you will lose in the competition. Here are some of the factors to consider when placing world cup bets.

• Check Team News

Checking their team list is essential for a team you intend to wager on. Sometimes the coach might decide to rest a vital player or a starter who is missing out through injury. Staying up to date with the team news will help you make informed betting decisions.

• Engage in Live Bets

Engaging in live bets can earn you a good profit during the World Cup. Watching the game as it unfolds is crucial because the action you see will help you make your wagering decision. Live bets are always exciting bets in the world cup because a few minutes into the game, you already have an idea of the better team and the kind of In-Play betting to make.

• Do your Research

Research on teams usually takes time because you'll have to check their head-to-head matches, recent forms and many other statistics. However, the time would be worth it when your bet slips are all green due to your research. It is an essential factor that bettors can't do without if they want to excel.

• Bet with Sportsbooks that Offer Great Odds and Promotions

One of the characteristics of a top FIFA World Cup sportsbook is the ability to provide attractive betting odds and promotional offers. 

Betting odds determine your return, so bettors should look for sportsbooks that provide the best odds for this tournament. It would help if you also bet on betting platforms with great World Cup promotional offers.

Conclusion

Online betting is a significant part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and sportsbooks are set for this occasion. While bettors will look forward to making profits at this event, there will also be losses. However, this article provides a guide to wagering on the World Cup, which will, in turn, help in your decision-making while placing Online World Cup bets.