Best Bet: Another off day for Suarez and co. unlikely against Saudi Arabia
To say that Uruguay’s display against Egypt was underwhelming would be a real understatement, epitomised by the struggles of star man Luis Suarez.
While Oscar Tabarez’s side may have knocked a late winner last Friday, their display in general was stagnant and disjointed. That said, La Celeste still had enough opportunities to win the game prior to Jose Gimenez’s header in the 89th minutes, and it would be a huge surprise if Edinson Cavani and, in particular, Suarez were as wasteful today.
Up against a Saudi Arabia side that shipped five goals against Russia in the tournament opener, the strike duo will be looking to make amends and fill their boots against a defence that was suspect to say the very least when facing the hosts.
In said game the AFC qualifiers saw plenty of the ball (61.2% possession) but their lack of quality in playing out from the back saw Russia swarm on goal on numerous occasions. If they try to do the same against an attack with the potential of Uruguay’s then they will be in big trouble.
It’s certainly difficult to see beyond another defeat for the Green Falcons, and a potentially heavy one at that, offering little to suggest that they could break down a defence of their opponents’ quality. As such the best bet from WhoScored.com is to back Uruguay in the -1.75 handicap lines, with a win by three clear goals ensuring odds of 1.97 with bet365, winning half of your stake if the favourites come out on top with a 2-goal margin with the other half returned.