It’s no secret that the host of the World Cup is a strong favorite to lift the trophy come the middle of July on home soil. However, the argument can be made whether or not the amount of pressure is a good or bad thing for a country that is deeper than the Atlantic Ocean when it comes to talent on the football pitch.Every Brazilian has garnered hope and confidence to witness the World Cup trophy being raised in the country that perfected the beautiful game. Both players and fans alike have been dreaming of this opportunity, and now it is nearly a month away for the chance to prove that dream as a reality.

Brazil are consensus favorites at +300 to win the World Cup.

A Seleção’s depth is potentially so scary that Brazil could easily field two teams that could potentially be strong enough to challenge in this competition. Where do we start? The front man for this operation will be Fred, and he will be surrounded on the wings by superstar Neymar and the attacking abilities of Hulk. Neymar possesses agility, quickness and dynamic ball skills, while Hulk’s sheer powerand burst of speed compliment each other well on opposing flanks. As a nice insurance policy, fellow strikers Jo, Pato, and Robinho will likely play roles off the bench and serve as very capable cover for those selected ahead of them for the starting lineup from manager Luiz Felipe Scolari.

The middle of the pitch for team Brazil is strong, deep, and is equipped with all the qualities one team needs in order to live up the expectations. Chelsea midfielder Ramires’s experience leads the way, while youth is served with diverse skill with the likes of Oscar, Lucas Moura, Paulinho, and Bernard. Two more stars in Fernandinho and Willian, both of whom have shined for their respective English club team during their first year playing in the United Kingdom, are sure to place their individual and collective stamp on this talented midfield unit.

The back four of this national side may not be talked about as much,due tothe wealth of dynamic attacking abilities up front, but there is surely no drop off when accounting for the defensive capabilities of Brazil. Paris St-Germain’s Thiago Silva captains the team, and he is the heart, soul and unquestioned vocal leader for this football team. Silva will be paired with David Luiz as starting centre backs. Luiz’s ability to press forward and take free kicks will be another dimension beyond the physical defensive responsibilities in his team’s own third of the field. Dani Alves, Marcelo, Dante and Marquinhos are all candidates for the wing back roles, and don’t be surprised to see a rotation of sort depending upon the opposition and specific in-game match-ups.

It is clear talent stretches for days with this impressive 23-man squad. The bigger question will be how this team copes with the gigantic pressures of filling the nation’s expectation and carrying these hopes through the month-long tournament toward a potential sixth World Cup trophy. The team has a perfect balance of youth and experience along with a proven manager who has won this tournament before with Brazil. Things couldn’t be set up any more perfectly, and the consensus is the host nation will go out from the opening match to stake the claim that this is their tournament to lose.

Strike Point Sports has established themselves as one of the top soccer handicappers with their success on the big tournament stage. From the 2006 World Cup, Euro 2008, 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, SPS earned $100 clients over $8,200 in profit from these four major events. This summer’s World Cup is going to be another moneymaking opportunity, and they are looking forward to their soccer selections and another winning tournament.

Visit Doc’s Sports for coverage of the 2014 World Cup and more articles leading up to this summer’s major soccer tournament.