Iran vs. England
November 21, 2022 8:00 am EDT
The Line: England -300 / Iran +1100 // Total: 2.5
(Get latest betting odds)
England and Iran kick off their World Cup campaign in a Group B soccer showdown at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
England believes this is the year they can break through again and make a run in the World Cup, and if that’s going to happen it’s going to need to start with picking up three points here. One big issue heading into this game is they are dealing with some key injuries. Reece James and Ben Chilwell are both not available for this game. Kyle Walker is working back from a groin injury, and his status is up in the air for this game. James Maddison missed the training last week, but he might be able to go in this game. If he does go it’s expected he would come off the bench. On September 26th in the UEFA Nations League game, England played to a 3-3 draw against Germany. Luke Shaw started the scoring in the 71st minute, and Mason Mount and Harry Kane added another couple of goals.
On the other side of this matchup is Iran who is better than what people expect, and they could be a surprise in this group, especially if they pick up a point here. One big issue for Iran heading into this game is they are dealing with an injury to their star player. Sardar Azmoun is dealing with a torn hamstring, and although he is on the squad, there are major doubts that he is going to be able to go in this game. If he can’t go, they are going to need more offensive production from Mehdi Taremi. On November 10th, Iran faced off against Nicaragua in a warm-up for the tournament, and they won 1-0. Mehdi Torabi scored in the 15th minute to secure the victory.
I do think England finds a way to win this game, but there isn’t a lot of value in betting on them. Iran is going to not get many quality scoring chances, but their defense is good, and they are going to slow down England in this game. England will still probably score a goal or two, but it won’t be more than that here. Iran isn’t going to score, and this game is going to stay under the total. Back the under 2.5 goals.
