South Korea vs. Czechia
Estadio Guadalajara, Zapopan, Mexico
Thursday, 10:00 p.m. ET
The World Cup is finally here, and on the opening day of the tournament, I am turning my attention away from the home nations and towards a side I believe are being underrated heading into the competition. That comes in the Group A clash between South Korea and the Czech Republic.
Manager Hong Myung-bo is back for his second spell in charge of South Korea after stepping down following the 2014 World Cup, and he now has one of the strongest squads the nation has produced in years. The quality within this group may be the strongest they’ve ever had, with stars such as Son Heung-min and Kim Min-jae leading the way alongside an exciting crop of younger talent.
South Korea also arrive here in excellent form after becoming the only nation to come through two rounds of AFC qualification unbeaten, recording 11 wins and five draws. An impressive qualifying campaign made this the 11th consecutive World Cup for the Taegeuk Warriors and their 12th appearance total (the most in Asian history).
The Czech Republic had a far tougher path to qualification after finishing second in their group and eventually needing the playoffs to reach the World Cup. They got the job done with penalty shootout victories over both Ireland and Denmark, but there were still warning signs throughout the campaign. A defeat to the Faroe Islands was a poor result for a side expected to qualify more comfortably, and those struggles ultimately saw Ivan Hašek lose his job. More controversy followed when captain Tomáš Souček was stripped of the armband after refusing to applaud supporters following a win over Gibraltar.
South Korea have a strong blend of emerging talent, experience and leadership, and I think they have the right balance to surprise a few people and make a deeper run than many expect at this World Cup.
This game is priced close to a pick’em, but I think there is value in backing South Korea on the draw no bet market at -120. For me, that stands out as the strongest play on Day 1.
World Cup Best Bet: South Korea vs Czechia – South Korea Draw No Bet -120
