2014 World Cup Free Picks: Ghana vs. United States

6 p.m., Monday, June 16 – Estadio das Dunas, Natal (ESPN)

Match Betting Lines

Ghana are slight favorites at +162 in their opening match. The USA are +210 against their rivals and the draw is priced at +220. The total for this fixture is 2 goals, -115 for the ‘over’ and -105 for the ‘under’.

Ghana

The Black Stars are the Butler Bulldogs of world soccer. They will rise to the level of their opponents and are not afraid to take on the best of the best. Relatively unheard of until they burst onto the scene with their 2010 World Cup performance, Ghana is a known name now. However, the group they are drawn into with the likes of Germany, Portugal and the USA will likely not be as kind as four years ago.

United States

Can the US national team finally break through? Similar with Ghana, they aren’t in the right group in terms of perhaps a breakthrough performance. That doesn’t mean advancement into the knockout stages isn’t possible, but they will need to beat either Germany or Portugal just to have a fighting chance.

Match Analysis

Rivals meet once again. Ghana defeated the States each of the last two World Cups and eliminated them from the tournament in the process. Now is it time for revenge? In this tournament the Americans do have the better team, but with that comes added pressure and the need to finally win some big matches when it matters most.

Key Injuries, Suspensions, Yellow Cards

Both teams avoided the pre-tournament injury bug, so this match will feature each team’s best XI.

Tony’s Pick

The United States have to win this match, not just to get revenge on Ghana for previous losses, but also, and more importantly, to show they are indeed someone to be taken seriously on soccer’s world stage. I believe they will produce a quality result, one that gives them hope for the Round of 16. 2-1 win for the Stars and Stripes.

Doc’s Sports has full coverage of the 2014 World Cup and more articles throughout this summer’s major soccer tournament. Strike Point Sports is 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.

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