Top Sportsbooks
Australia vs. Ghana
World Cup Prediction and Betting Analysis
By
John J. Raspanti
The Aussies have their backs against the wall as they face a strong Ghana team that is coming off an emotional 1-0 victory over favored Serbia. Australia was easily handled by the powerful Germany team losing 4-0, and maybe a little confidence. A win for Ghana will advance them to the next round, while Australia faces a very early elimination.
It’s do or die time for the men from down under.
They can take some solace in the fact that they have beaten Ghana Four out of the five times that the teams have met, including in 2008. But of course that was then. This years Ghana team is much improved and…the Game is being played in South Africa. The climate favors The Black Stars too. In its last five matches the Ghana team has won three, lost one and battled to a draw. The Aussies are struggling having lost two consecutive matches.
Ghana is not a high scoring bunch, having scored only Four goals in their last five matches. Their defense is their strength. Australia has averaged a goal a Game in their last five matches, while their defense has really been struggling. Look for the high spirited Ghana team to try and exploit this weakness.
Ghana has recently called out the Aussies saying they will be in full attack mode. They are a very confident group right now, enjoying their underdog status. The Australian team has to figure out a way to counter this confidence, scoring first and quieting the home crowd would certainly help. What won’t help is the loss of Tim Cahill who committed what was a called a dangerous tackle in the Germany Game, Cahill’s intensity will be sorely missed.
The Socceroos are known for their pinpoint passing, positioning and intelligent play. The Stars play at an incredible pace, along with flair and creativity. This is in a sense a match up of polar opposites. The Aussies will have to play their best Game in a few months to get the win. Expect an exciting end to end Game as the aggressive Stars continually attack the gritty Aussies, hoping they will crack under the pressure. Australia will have to stay patient and keep plugging away, the question is can their suspect defense withstand the high powered play of Ghana?
The 3 way odds for this match are:
Ghana -110
Australia +320
Draw +230
We have no Key Release for this match. We lean towards the Ghana side as they are the better team and at -110, it’s a fair price. But there’s also some value with the draw here. After taking a pounding from Germany, the worst defeat of any team in the entire 1st round of Games, the Aussies will be looking for some redemption. Even a tie would be a win for them. Expect them to play “not to lose”. Consider the under 2 goals as well.