2014 World Cup Odds: Group A Picks and Predictions – Brazil the Favorite: Group A is one of the three in this year’s World Cup that features teams from four different continents. Host country Brazil is the lone powerhouse in the group, having won a record five World Cup titles while Cameroon, Croatia and Mexico have never won a World Cup. Brazil is also the only team in Group A that had an easy time securing its spot in the tournament. The other three countries were pushed to the limit in their respective qualifying tournaments just to make it into the 32-team field. Of course, all four teams start from scratch now as they battle for one of the two transfer spots into the knockout stage.
Projected Winner: Brazil
Brazil has one its group in the last eight World Cup appearances, and that should change in 2014. Not only is Brazil going to benefit from being the host country and having the crowd convincingly on its side, but this team is easily the most talented in Group A. With Neymar leading the offense and Thiago Silva headlining the defense, Brazil has elite talent at every level. At the end of the day, you have the country with the most World Cup wins all-time playing on its home soil in a group without another country that has a single World Cup win. It’s tough to imagine a scenario where Brazil doesn’t win Group A.
Projected Runner-Up: Croatia
It was far from a smooth qualifying road to Brazil for Croatia, but despite firing its coach along the way, this group made it into the World Cup. Yes, Mario Mandzukic is suspended for the team’s first game after getting a red card in the team’s final qualifying match, but that match happens to be against Brazil, and the odds of Croatia winning even at full strength are slim. Whether or not Croatia advances to the knockout stage likely hinges on its game against Mexico, and while Mexico has a richer history at the World Cup, Croatia will be by far the healthier team and should be able to advance.
Potential Sleeper: Mexico
Although Mexico had to battle through injuries and coaching changes, the team eventually qualified for the World Cup. Giovani dos Santos and Javier Hernandez headline a solid offense, and the team as a whole has an intriguing blend of youth and experience. Meanwhile, this team is definitely battled tested after been fighting just to make the World Cup in recent months. However, a rash of injuries to the midfield is far from ideal and will no doubt impact Mexico on both ends of the field. With every team in Group A other than Brazil dealing with problems and uncertainty, Mexico’s offensive firepower and ability to play its best when the stakes are highest will give the team a puncher’s chance to overcome its injuries and sneak into the knockout stage.
Team to Avoid: Cameroon
In terms of talent alone, Cameroon was already the low man on the totem pole in Group A. Forward Samuel Eto’o is the team’s only proven weapon, but he is past his prime and even hinted at retiring during qualifying for the World Cup. Worse yet, rumors have surfaced that there is unrest among the players because of unpaid bonuses, and it seems unlikely that this group is going to develop the chemistry and cohesiveness it takes to make any noise in Group A.
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