Aided by a home field advantage that most observers believe will be significant, Germany opened as a solid 5/4 future book favorite to capture the sixth FIFA Women's World Cup, which will take place at nine venues across Deutschland, beginning June 26 in Berlin and ending with the final in Frankfurt, July 17.
The German women certainly have earned the role as favorite, not only winning the last two World Cup titles, in 2007 and 2003, but building a winning streak that stretches back to March of 2010. Led by their captain, Birgit Prinz, a veteran of the previous two World Cup wins, Germany is an obvious choice to capture a third straight global title.
Should complacency, age, bad luck or just poor play overwhelm the German National team, look for the United States or Brazil to be the beneficiary. Team USA, which American soccer player Julie Foudy once famously called "Booters with hooters," is held at odds of 5/1 with Brazil right behind at 11/2. The Americans have finished in the top three in every World Cup since 1991 and have won three of the last four Olympic Gold Medals but struggled in qualifying and finished third behind Mexico and Canada, forcing them to enter a playoff before they could earn their spot in the 16-team tournament.
The Brazilian women are every bit as flashy as the Brazilian men and their skill level is high, too. The team roared through the South American qualifying rounds without losing a single game and boasts the world's greatest women's player, the incomparable Marta.
There are four more teams, perhaps, which, given some good fortune, could spring an upset at an attractive price. Sweden and Japan, each 14/1, and Norway and England, each 16/1, comprise the quartet.
The Swedes have been close (second or third in six European Championships and a second and a third in the World Cup) but could vault that final hurdle to the top on German soil. Lotta Schelin, the team's top striker, is a game-changer. Sweden drew into the so-called "Group of Death" with top contenders USA and North Korea.
Japan is fifth in the FIFA world rankings but may lack the big game experience to take the final leap to a title. Watch Homare Sawa, who began playing for the national team in 1993 at age 15 and is regarded as the greatest Japanese player ever.
Norway, which is in the same group as Brazil, is one of the most accomplished women's soccer squads of all-time, having won a World Cup, two European Championships and one Olympic Gold Medal. They head into the tournament on a roll, having gone unbeaten in qualifying.
England has never won any major hardware but the birth of a women's professional soccer league in the UK has spawned interest and the Union Jack lady booters, who have a reliably staunch defense, were second to Germany in the recent European Championship.
The field is rounded out by France, 25/1; North Korea, 33/1; Canada, 33/1; Australia, 50/1; Colombia, 100/1; Mexico, 100/1; New Zealand, 150/1; Nigeria, 200/1; and Equatorial Guinea, 500/1.
The opening round robin World Cup format, where two teams emerge from each of a quartet of four-team groups to engage in single-elimination play, lends itself to separate future book wagering on the winners of each of those groups.
Not for the faint-hearted, Germany is 1/20 to win Group A with France listed at 12/1, Canada at 14/1 and Nigeria at 66/1 to achieve an unthinkable (at least to German fans) upset.
At 5/6, Japan is rated a slight favorite over England, 7/5, to win Group B. Both Mexico and New Zealand are quoted at odds of 10/1.
USA is the 2/3 favorite to win Group C but Sweden, at odds of 13/8, has respect from the sportsbooks and Korea, 7/1, is considered a live longshot. Only Colombia, at 50/1, would be a shocker.
Brazil is 3/10 to exit Group D as the champion although Norway, at odds of 11/4, can't be eliminated. A win by Australia, 9/1, would be a surprise but nothing compared to Equatorial Guinea winning the group at odds of 80/1.
While distaff players aren't held in the same international soccer esteem as their male counterparts, with an interesting, varied and competitive field, Women's World Cup betting should be attractive to gamblers.
