Wednesday 18/06/2014, 21:00, World Cup Group B, Spain vs Chile

Spain vs Chile Betting Preview

Winning on the road has always been a challenge for Chile and even though Brazil is not far from home, the players will still feel the pressure. The fact that they are playing against the reigning champions won't make things easier, but the South Americans won't go down without a fight. Spain needs to collect all three points because even though a second placement behind the Netherlands is not exactly a bad result, they can't afford to lock horns with a top team in the first elimination round.

Spain vs Chile Betting Odds

At Bet365

Spain 1.75, Draw 3.30, Chile 5.50

Spain vs Chile Betting Tips

Del Bosque is expected to use virtually the same side against both the Netherlands and Chile, because the goals are the same and opponents more similar than they seem. The Europeans have more options upfront, but Chile has two top-notch strikers and Vidal is more than anxious to join them upfront.

The real challenge for Spain is to slow the South Americans down and wear them out with many passes, so that a gap will appear between their lines. Chile is mostly an offensive team with a decent defense, but they have a hard time at keeping clean sheets against opponents that don't hesitate to attack them.

Spain is such a foe and even though fitness concerns might cause Diego Costa to play at less than 100% or even miss some games at the World Cup, the defending champions are extremely dangerous. They know how to protect a narrow lead when necessary and definitely have the force to come from behind if Chile gets lucky and scores early in the game.

Assuming the South Americans win the first match against Costa Rica in which they start as certain favorites, they will try to secure a point here. It will be all left for the final round of the group stage when Chile will probably need to win against the Netherlands to advance to the next stage.

Key Facts

• In 5 head to head games Spain won 4 games and one ended undecided, the most recent friendly match
• Vargas scored three times against Spain and he will spearhead the offense tonight

Spain vs Chile Betting Odds Prediction

The South Americans are a dangerous team so the odds of 1.75 for Spain to win are not exactly high, despite looking that way. Nevertheless, players are advised to back the reigning champions at full stakes, as they take this game very seriously and will not take any chances with Chile.
Bet: Spain @ 1.70 with Bet365