Published Mar 30, 5:09am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 30, 5:09am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Mar 30, 5:09am ET
The final spots at this summer’s FIFA World Cup will be decided this week, as the crucial playoffs are staged. Find the odds and our Iraq vs. Bolivia picks here.
Iraq automatically secured their spot in this stage of the playoffs, while Bolivia needed to book their passage in the playoff final with a semi-final success over Suriname last Thursday.
|
|
|---|---|
| Iraq | +141 |
| The Draw | +227 |
| Bolivia | +195 |
Graham Arnold’s Iraq are narrowly preferred in the betting to secure their spot at this summer’s World Cup.
The nation is the most successful in Arab Cup history, but they have only reached the World Cup on one previous occasion. Iraq enjoyed a consistent qualification campaign, winning 12 of their 20 matches, scoring an impressive 30 goals.
However, it would be a slight concern that the nation have suffered defeats in each of their last two, and they have recorded victories in just three of their previous seven.
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Bolivia will have their sights set on only a fourth appearance at the FIFA World Cup this year. The South American nation enjoyed a competitive qualification campaign, finishing seventh in the South American standings.
They also showed great character to battle back from a goal down to beat Suriname in their semi-final last week. Moises Paniagua and Miguel Terceros scored the crucial goals.
However, their record outside of their home country remains a concern, as Bolivia had failed to win in their last four on the road before their semi-final victory over Suriname.
| TOTAL | Iraq | Bolivia | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bolivia have largely been defensively solid throughout the most recent World Cup qualifying cycle. That will be their biggest strength against Iraq on Tuesday, and it could be enough to ensure that they record a 1-0 win in Mexico.
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Pick
Bolivia
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