After the Dutch shocked Brazil, they reminded sportsbook bettors that anything is possible in South Africa 2010. With that in mind, let's have a look at Saturday's exciting matchups in World Cup soccer betting.
Argentina vs Germany – 10:00 a.m. ET
Bodog odds: Argentina +120, Germany +230, Draw +215
It's a matchup sports betting fans and sports fans alike hoped would come to fruition, and everyone got their wish when Argentina and Germany drew each other for the quarter-final. When Germany beat Argentina on penalty kicks in 2006, a brawl ensued. The bad blood continues this year via a war of words between coach Diego Maradona and Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger.
We can expect an intense affair, but also a skilled one. Lionel Messi has been a bit snake bitten for Argentina when it comes to finding the actual net but he's still thrived in the role of attacking midfielder, setting up countless goals. Germany's gotten a highly underrated offensive performance from Mesut Ozil; Miroslav Klose, who is closing in on Ronaldo's career World Cup goals record, tends to get the headlines.
Paraguay vs Spain – 2:30 p.m. ET
Bodog odds: Paraguay +700, Spain -250, Draw +330
The Spaniards gave everyone a scare with their shaky loss to Switzerland early in the tournament but have really started gaining momentum as the tournament progresses. Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta have done a superb job pushing the ball forward to set up David Villa, who has been a monster with four goals in the tourney already. If Fernando Torres can finally find his legs, look out.
Can Paraguay surprise and topple a team that hasn't lost to a South American side at the World Cup since 1986? They reportedly plan to stick to their rugged, aggressive defending style. They're a conservative team in that they focus more on preventing goals than scoring them but, at the same time, they pressure midfielders and try to force turnovers. According to coach Gerardo Martino, that will be the plan again against Spain.
But will fatigue become a factor after Paraguay's exhausting penalty-kicks win against Japan in the round of 16?
