South Korea vs Portugal Odds, Picks & Prediction
- Portugal, already assured of their place in the round of 16, face South Korea on Friday
- The latest South Korea vs Portugal odds tab A Seleção as -140 favorites for this crucial Group H clash
- Read below for our South Korea vs Portugal preview and prediction
South Korea must beat Portugal on Friday to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout rounds of the 2022 World Cup. Portugal, with two wins from two matches, are odds-on favorites in the pre-match World Cup odds. South Korea have fallen at the group stage at the last two World Cups, but won their only previous matchup against Portugal in the first round of the 2002 World Cup.
Having fought hard against Uruguay and been very unfortunate to lose to Ghana, South Korea have performed better than their one point from two matches indicates. Portugal won a 3-2 thriller against the Ghanaians and got the better of Uruguay with their attacking quality shining on both occasions.
South Korea vs Portugal Odds
| Matchup | Moneyline |
|---|---|
| South Korea | +340 |
| Portugal | -140 |
| Draw | +310 |
Odds as of December 1st at FanDuel. Use this FanDuel promo code to bet on all World Cup matches.
South Korea are out at +340 to win this match, with an implied probability of just 22.7%. Portugal, at -140, have an implied probability of 58.3% to win this fixture. AFC teams have recorded some seismic wins in Qatar, with Iran, Saudi Arabia and Japan defeating Wales, Argentina and Germany respectively.
Over/Under and Spread
Both of these sides boasted stellar defensive records in World Cup qualification. Each team has been involved in a 3-2 already at this World Cup, though, and the online sportsbooks are expecting a high-scoring game here with -118 odds on over 2.5 total goals. A one-goal spread has Portugal -1 at +195.
South Korea vs Portugal Preview
This is a must-win for South Korea. They piled the pressure on Ghana a few days ago but weren’t able to take anything from the match. Paulo Bento’s side will need to be on the front foot from the first whistle in this fixture, which will inevitably create opportunities for Portugal in transition. The Taegeuk Warriors have a +0.2 expected goal difference through their first 180 minutes of World Cup action, a mark bettered by Portugal (+1.1).
Portugal's attack is a problem 🔥 pic.twitter.com/DiJlaSkgFW
— GOAL (@goal) November 24, 2022
France and England have already rotated considerably in the third round of group stage fixtures, and it will be interesting to see if Fernando Santos does the same. Santos is blessed with plenty of depth, particularly in attacking areas, but making significant changes to the XI might represent an opportunity for South Korea, just as Tunisia was able to record an improbable win over France.
At the time of writing, only four teams are averaging more shots per match than South Korea. Both teams have done a good job at preventing opponent shot attempts, yet the pattern of this match should be pretty open with the onus on South Korea to win. Portugal guarantees top spot with a draw but will be keen to wrap up the first round with a third victory.
South Korea vs Portugal Statistics
| LDWWDL | Form | LWLWWW |
| Group Stage | 2018 World Cup Performance | Round Of 16 |
| 27.8 | Squad Average Age | 26.8 |
| Fourth Place (2002) | Best World Cup Performance | Third Place (1966) |
| 2.00 | Goals Scored Per 90 in Qualifying | 2.10 |
| 0.24 | Goals Conceded Per 90 in Qualifying | 0.70 |
South Korea vs Portugal Lineups & Injuries
South Korea Projected Lineup: Seung-Gyu; Moon-Hwan, Min-Jae, Young-Gwon, Gin-Su; Woo-Young, In-Beom; Chang-Hoon, Woo-Yeong, Heung-min; Gue-Sung.
South Korea Injuries: Hee-Chan.
Portugal Projected Lineup: Costa; Cancelo, Pepe, Dias, Guerreiro; Silva, Neves, Carvalho, Fernandes; Felix, Ronaldo.
Portugal Injuries: Pereira, Mendes, Otavio.
South Korea vs Portugal Prediction
On reputation alone, this seems like a straight-forward Portugal win just as the odds suggest. South Korea, however, put in a solid defensive performance in their hard-fought draw with Uruguay and showed an ability to create chances in the defeat to Ghana. Bento’s side are greater than the sum of their parts and could take advantage if Portugal are short of their best.
58’—South Korea 1-2 Ghana (Gue-sung Cho)
61’—South Korea 2-2 Ghana (Gue-sung Cho)BIG DOUBLE FOR SOUTH KOREA 🔥 pic.twitter.com/qQvBj1tKPp
— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 28, 2022
The circumstances in the group should lead to an entertaining game here. Over 2.5 seems like a good bet at a short price. The way South Korea attacked against Ghana, and how open the Portugal defense has been at times, makes both teams to score worth backing, too.
Pick: Over 2.5 total goals and both teams to score (+116)
Want some extra insurance on your World Cup parlays? Head over to Caesars Sportsbook to claim their parlay bonus. Simply make a World Cup parlay up 4+ legs with each leg having a minimum of -200 odds. If that parlay doesn’t win, you’ll receive your stake back as a bet credit of up to $25.
DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK WORLD CUPBET $5 & GET $200 IN BONUS BETS INSTANTLY!
- FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK WORLD CUP
BET $5 & GET $150 GUARANTEED!
- BETMGM SPORTSBOOK WORLD CUP
GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS!
- CAESARS SPORTSBOOK WORLD CUP
GET UP TO $1,000 BACK - ON CAESARS!
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
