Published Mar 30, 4:54am ET by
Alex Dudley - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Mar 30, 4:54am ET
Credit: Shutterstock
The final remaining spots at this summer’s FIFA World Cup will be decided this week, as the crucial playoffs are staged. Find the odds and our Bosnia vs. Italy picks here.
Bosnia will be massive outsiders in their quest to reach a second edition of the World Cup, while Italy will be hoping to avoid missing out on the world’s biggest sporting competition for the third straight time.
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|
|---|---|
| Bosnia | +660 |
| The Draw | +285 |
| Italy | -180 |
The hosts will be the huge outsiders in the betting this week. However, plenty of positives can be drawn from their recent performances, winning five of their eight in qualification, scoring an impressive 17 goals and conceding just seven.
Their spot in the playoff final was secured in dramatic fashion after battling to a penalty shootout win against Wales in Cardiff last week. They have been a tough team to beat in recent internationals, losing just one of their last six in regulation time.
The experienced Edin Dzeko will be their key man, with his goal in last week’s semi-final taking his international tally to 73 in 147 appearances.
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Gennaro Gattuso has been tasked with guiding Italy to the World Cup this summer. A miserable qualification campaign saw them lose two of their seven matches, with both defeats coming against Norway.
In fact, the 12 goals that they allowed in qualifying were the most that they have conceded in a single qualification cycle in their history.
However, the Italians kept their World Cup dreams on track in last week’s semi-final against Northern Ireland, with Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean scoring the efforts. Defensively, they were very strong in that success, as they didn’t allow a single shot on target.
| TOTAL | Bosnia | Italy | DRAWS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Goals | 11 | 2 | 9 |
This is a chance of salvation for Italy, and the fact that they have an unbeaten record against Bosnia can’t be overlooked. Therefore, we expect the Italians to overcome a nervy evening on the road and book their spot in this summer’s World Cup.
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Pick
Italy
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