World Cup Betting Free Picks: Holland vs. Uruguay
Added on Jul 06, 2010 by Jack Thurman in
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The main event at sportsbooks worldwide for Tuesday will be the first World Cup semifinal game as Holland takes on Uruguay for the right to play in the championship match. Spain and Germany will face off on Wednesday to fill the other half of the bracket. Tuesday’s game goes at 11:30 AM Pacific from South Africa:
Holland vs. Uruguay
July 6, 11:30 AM Pacific
Uruguay has been a very pleasant surprise for soccer betting enthusiasts during this World Cup. After making it through the group stage without giving up a goal they advanced to this stage by beating South Korea 2-1 and outlasting Ghana on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation and added time. With all due respect to Uruguay, they benefited greatly from their Group A seeding which included the overmatched South Africans, the erratic Mexico team and the dysfunctional French side. They also had the easiest path through the knockout stage but despite the relatively easy level of opposition needed to get a number of breaks to advance to the semifinals.
The biggest concern about Holland prior to the 2010 World Cup was their ability to play strong defense, but the backline has performed well. Holland has quietly been taking care of business throughout the competition, winning all three Group E matchups and defeating Slovakia and Brazil in the knockout stage. They’re definitely a more complete team than Uruguay and will have another significant advantage in this matchup. Uruguay will be seriously shorthanded due to injuries and suspensions. Luis Suarez is their best offensive player, and he’s suspended for the red card he received for an intentional hand ball near the end of overtime against Ghana. On the defensive end, Uruguay will be without arguably their two best defenders– Jorge Fucile received his second yellow card against Ghana and is also suspended for this game while Diego Lugano is out with an injury.
Holland’s got a deep and versatile offense, and a highly underrated defense. They would have been the play in this matchup even if Uruguay had come in at full strength but given their personnel issues a play on the Dutch team is even stronger.
Bet Holland -1/2 -160 over Uruguay
