Spain will try to stay in the hunt for first place in Group B when it visits Athens to take on Greece on Thursday in a 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying match. Spain (4-1-1) is two points behind Sweden and won’t want to slip up before facing the Swedes on the final day of World Cup Qualifying’s group stage. Greece (2-3-1) knocked off the Swedes 2-1 in Athens, and it needs a victory Thursday to even have a chance at the second spot. Spain and Greece played to a 1-1 draw in the group-stage opener in March.
Kickoff from Olympic Stadium is set for 2:45 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Spain as the -275 favorite (risk $275 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Greece vs. Spain odds, with Greece the +700 underdog. A draw is priced at +275 and the over-under for total goals scored is set at 2.5. Before you lock in your Spain vs. Greece picks or make any 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying predictions, you have to see what proven soccer insider Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. Green has generated well over $36,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Now, Green has taken a close look at Spain vs. Greece and locked in his coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of Green’s picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Greece vs. Spain:
- Greece vs. Spain: Spain -1.5 (+125)
- Greece vs. Spain over-under: 2.5 goals
- Greece vs. Spain money line: Greece +700, Spain -275, Draw +275
- GRE: Vangelis Pavlidis has 31 goals in 84 career club games
- SPA: Alvato Morata has 60 goals over his past five club seasons
Why you should back Spain
The Spaniards want to do anything they can to avoid a playoff, and that means winning the group. Spain will get to a second-round playoff regardless after reaching last month’s Nations League final, where it lost to France 2-1. The 2-1 loss to Sweden was Spain’s first World Cup Qualifying loss on the road since 1993. It held 75 percent possession in the loss, but had just four shots on target. Spain had the ball for 80 percent of the match in the previous meeting with Greece and allowed just one shot on goal, but that was the equalizer.
The Spaniards have dominated possession in nearly every game but haven’t always gotten the goals to show for it. They also have three top forwards out with injuries. The good news is, they face a Greek team that has just one clean sheet in its past 10 matches. Alvaro Morata, who had 11 goals last season with Juventus and has one with Spain this year, is expected to lead the attack.
Why you should back Greece
Greece plays hard on the back end and tries to keep the game close, and it worked out well in its March meeting with Spain. It scored on its only shot of the game, with Anastasios Bakasetas converting a penalty kick. The captain also scored in the win against Sweden but will miss out on Thursday’s proceedings with a booking suspension. Vangelis Pavlidis also scored in that victory, and the 22-year-old is an active striker who could trouble Spain’s back line.
Petros Mantalos is likely to take the place of Bakasetas, and he has nine goals and 26 assists in his past three seasons in the Greek Super League. Dimitris Goutas could make his international debut, and the center back has four goals in 10 matches this season in the Turkish Super Lig. The Greeks lost the return match with Sweden 2-0, so they need to win and will come in with a do-or-die attitude. Greece hasn’t allowed more than one goal in a competitive match since October 2019, and it has allowed only six in the six qualifying games.
How to make Greece vs. Spain picks
Green has taken an in-depth look at Spain vs. Greece from every angle, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He also has three confident best bets, two of them offering plus-money payouts, and a full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing those World Cup Qualifying picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Greece vs. Spain? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Spain vs. Greece, all from the European soccer expert who has generated well over $36,000 for $100 bettors over the past four seasons, and find out.
