Qualifying for the 2014 World Cup is in the midst of happening, and we are a year away from the greatest spectacle on the planet. Join us here at Bankroll Sports as we break down the World Cup odds for all of the top teams on the planet and make our 2014 World Cup predictions.

South Africa became the first nation to not qualify for at least the knockout rounds of the World Cup when it missed out after three matches in 2010. However, we can virtually guarantee that the hosts aren’t going to be missing out of the knockout rounds in this one! Brazil (Favorites To Win the World Cup: 3.50 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook) is going to host this tournament this year, and that means that the hometown crowd is going to be on full bore for a team that has a heck of a lot of promise to it. Brazil of course, doesn’t have to fight through qualification to get to the World Cup thanks to the automatic qualification of host nations. This is going to be the first chance for the world to see Neymar, who is expected to be the next icon in Brazilian soccer. This striker could bring a real flair for the dramatics to the World Cup, and the fact of the matter is that for all of its glory, Brazil has lacked creativity up front for the last half decade or so.

Brazil might be the favorite on the odds to win the World Cup, but the team to beat is going to be Spain (2014 World Cup Odds: 4.50 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook) has the most talented team in the world, and it is going to be the hardest team to beat in the World Cup for sure. There’s a reason that this team won the World Cup in 2010, and there’s a reason that it won the Euros in 2012 as well. Manager Vicente del Bosque can hold this job for as long as he wants, and he has no reason to give it up. Andres Iniesta struck the World Cup winning goal in stoppage time in 2010, and he might be the third best midfielder in the bunch. David Villa and Fernando Torres make up a fantastic striking combination, and there is no doubt that this will once again be one of the highest scoring team in qualification for the World Cup.

A team that is coming out of nowhere to impress as one of the best teams in the world is Belgium (2014 World Cup Betting Lines: 25 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook). Belgium is one of the teams in Europe that knows that it is going to qualify for the World Cup as long as it doesn’t fall off of the horse. The Belgians were able to really surprise on American soil a few weeks ago, winning a match over a very good United States team. Granted, the tests are going to get tougher as time goes on, and a qualifying stage featuring Serbia, Croatia, Wales, Scotland, and FYR Macedonia isn’t exactly all that challenging. Still, Belgium has done the job, outscoring teams 13-2 in the process of getting towards the World Cup, and with a good group draw, it could be on its way to the knockout round of this tournament.

We think that the team to get in on right now is Japan (Odds To Win the World Cup: 100 to 1 @ JustBet Sportsbook). The Japanese have been one of the most impressive sides in the entire world in terms of qualifying. We know that the Samurai Blue aren’t the most talented team in the world, but they are tactically sound, and they have a real chance of pulling off some upsets in the upcoming Confederations Cup. Japan is the only team that has qualified its way into the World Cup at this point aside from Brazil, and that’s something that we don’t have an assurance of with a lot of the teams with significantly worse odds. Stay away from a de facto Group of Death, and Japan will probably be a favored team to get into the knockout stages when absolutely anything could happen.

2014 World Cup Odds @ JustBet Sportsbook (as of 6/24/13):
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Brazil 3.50 to 1
Spain 4.50 to 1
Argentina 5 to 1
Germany 7 to 1
Netherlands 15 to 1
Italy 15 to 1
England 20 to 1
France 25 1
Belgium 25 to 1
Uruguay 30 to 1
Portugal 30 to 1
Chile 40 to 1
Mexico 40 to 1
Russia 60 to 1
Columbia 60 to 1
Ghana 80 to 1
United States 80 to 1
Croatia 80 to 1
Ivory Coast 80 to 1
Serbia 100 to 1
Sweden 100 to 1
Turkey 100 to 1
Czech Republic 100 to 1
Ecuador 100 to 1
Australia 100 to 1
Ukraine 100 to 1
Japan 100 to 1
Paraguay 120 to 1
Denmark 150 to 1
Cameroon 150 to 1
Nigeria 150 to 1
Switzerland 200 to 1
Poland 200 to 1
Peru 200 to 1
South Korea 200 to 1
Republic of Ireland 200 to 1
Norway 200 to 1
Greece 200 to 1
Slovakia 400 to 1
Romania 400 to 1

Soccer picks are one of our specialties here at Bankroll Sports, and we’re going to be clueing you in on the best English Premiership odds on the board right now, both for our European bettors and our American betting fans.

The defending champions of the EPL are also the favorites this year on the soccer odds, Manchester United (English Premiership Odds Favorites: 1.85 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Red Devils stormed to glory last year behind a tremendous offense with threats like Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov. The team went out and picked up several other stars to reload for the likes of the retired Paul Scholes. The possibility remains that Wesley Sneijder could be coming over to Manchester as well from Inter Milan, and if that transfer goes through before the end of the season, the Red Devils really could be not just the side to beat in England, but the side to beat in the entire world as well. Man U has been Premier League Champions a record 12 times, and there is no team that has claimed more English soccer titles in its history than it has with a total of 19 titles.

List Of Past English Premiership Winners
2010-11 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
2009-10 Premier League Champions: Chelsea
2008-09 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
2007-08 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
2006-07 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
2005-06 Premier League Champions: Chelsea
2004-05 Premier League Champions: Chelsea
2003-04 Premier League Champions: Arsenal
2002-03 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
2001-02 Premier League Champions: Arsenal
2000-01 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1999-00 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1998-99 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1997-98 Premier League Champions: Arsenal
1996-97 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1995-96 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1994-95 Premier League Champions: Blackburn Rovers
1993-94 Premier League Champions: Manchester United
1992-93 Premier League Champions: Manchester United

However, this season, just like last year, the challenge from the other team in Manchester is going to be a tough one. Manchester City (English Premier League Lines: 3.50 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook) probably has its best chance of getting out of the shadow of its United city rivals this year, though it is clear that it is going to be an uphill battle regardless. City does have two English championships under its belt, but the most recent one was in 1967-68, and the team has largely lived without any real gusto for the better part of the last two decades. Last year, Man City finished in third place in the table, wrapping up a Champions League berth, but the team’s leading scorer, Carlos Tevez, could still be headed elsewhere. It’s not like there aren’t a ton of other capable strikers on this team this season, though. Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko are both capable strikers, but we know that Tevez will have his spot on the pitch if he is still with the Citizens. The odd man out really appears to be English great Craig Bellamy, who is rumored to be loaned out or transferred to Celtic in the next few weeks.

The team of the hour this year though, might just be Chelsea (Odds to Win the England Premier League: 2.65 to 1 at 5Dimes Sportsbook). The Blues were the biggest competitors this past season to the Red Devils, but their spending spree came up just short. This was the third time since 2006-07 that the residents of Stamford Bridge ended up finishing as the runners up in the EPL, something that just is not acceptable whatsoever. Now, a proven winner has come to town to manage the team in the form of Andre Villas-Boas, a man who led Porto to one of the best seasons that a Portuguese side has ever seen a year ago. That was really the only critical move that the Blues made in the offseason, and they are going to hope that largely the same side that was second best last season can make the move up the table to the top spot in 2011-12.

2011-12 EPL Odds @ 5Dimes Sportsbook (as of 8/1/11):
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Manchester United 1.85 to 1
Chelsea 2.65 to 1
Manchester City 3.50 to 1
Arsenal 8 to 1
Liverpool 11.25 to 1
Tottenham 48.50 to 1
Everton 500 to 1
Aston Villa 500 to 1
Fulham 1,000 to 1
Sunderland 1,000 to 1
West Bromwich Albion 1,000 to 1
Newcastle 1,000 to 1
Queens Park Rangers 1,000 to 1
Stoke City 2,000 to 1
Bolton 2,500 to 1
Blackburn Rovers 3,000 to 1
Wigan Athletic 3,000 to 1
Wolverhampton 3,000 to 1
Norwich City 5,000 to 1
Swansea City 5,000 to 1

Odds To Win 2011-12 Premier League @ BoDog Sportsbook (as of 8/1/11):
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Manchester United 7 to 4
Chelsea 5 to 2
Manchester City 7 to 2
Arsenal 8 to 1
Liverpool 11 to 1
Tottenham Hotspur 50 to 1
Aston Villa 300 to 1
Everton 300 to 1
Newcastle United 1,000 to 1
Queens Park Rangers 1,500 to 1
Sunderland 2,000 to 1
Blackburn Rovers 2,500 to 1
Bolton Wanderers 2,500 to 1
Fulham 2,500 to 1
Stoke City 2,500 to 1
Norwich City 5,000 to 1
Swansea City 5,000 to 1
West Bromwich Albion 5,000 to 1
Wigan Athletic 5,000 to 1
Wolverhampton Wanderers 5,000 to 1

Latest 2012 Premier League Odds @ Bet Online Sportsbook (as of 8/1/11):
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Manchester United 1.80 to 1
Chelsea 2.50 to 1
Manchester City 3.50 to 1
Arsenal 7.50 to 1
Liverpool 9 to 1
Tottenham Hotspur 40 to 1
Everton 200 to 1
Aston Villa 200 to 1
Any Other Team 100 to 1

2011 Champions League Final Odds, Picks & Info
2011 Champion League Final Date: Saturday, May 28th, 2011
2011 Champions League Kick Off Time: 2:45 ET
2011 Champions League Location: Wembley Stadium, England
2011 Champions League Final Favorite: Barcelona (-200)
2011 Champions League Final Underdog: Manchester United (+175)
2011 Champions League TV Coverage – Network: Fox, ESPN3.com

And it all comes down to this… Soccer betting fans have been waiting all season long to see two of the best international sides in the entire world come together for the Champions League Final picks, and on Saturday, May 28th, we’ll finally see exactly what we were looking for. The champions of the English Premier League, Manchester United, will take on the champions from the Spanish La Liga, Barcelona in a battle of two of the biggest titans in the soccer world.

Manchester United should have the advantage from the standpoint of having the home crowd on its side, as this all or nothing fixture will be played at Wembley Stadium, not all that far away from its home at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have been absolutely thrilling in this entire season, from their triumph in the EPL all the way through the Champions League.

United made it through a relatively easy first group which featured Rangers, Valencia, and Bursaspor, accounting for all but four possible points in the competition, allowing just one goal. From there, it was a challenge against Olympique Marseille before winning 2-1 on aggregate. The quarterfinals featured a 3-1 aggregate victory over English rivals, Chelsea, and the semifinals were no problem whatsoever against the struggling German side, Schalke 04. The Red Devils won 6-1 on aggregate to reach the finale.

The defense for the Red Devils has been tough all season long. In the EPL, they had one of the top units in the league, but in the EPL, there really has been no comparison. Manchester United has allowed just four goals in its 12 fixtures to date, and top keeper Edwin van der Sar has only surrendered three of them.

Wayne Rooney is the offensive leader of this team in spite of the fact that he wasn’t the leader in goals during the season. He has three goals, and he only trails Javier Hernandez, who has four in this competition. Dimitar Berbatov, who had 20 goals in the EPL campaign, has yet to find pay dirt here in the Champions League, but you can bet that he’ll be looking for glory in the finale on Saturday night at Wembley.

Barcelona might not have won the Copa del Rey this year, but that was about the only distinction that it didn’t end up collecting on the season in Espana. The Catalans won the La Liga title with a whopping 96 points, four clear of Real Madrid, and they outscored their foes by an absolutely astounding 74 goals. They won 30 of their 38 matches, some of which came with some substandard sides out on the pitch.

Barca was a little bit more prone to allowing goals in this competition, as it ended up conceding three in the first round of fixtures alone. After that though, the road was incredibly tough to get here, as the Spanish side definitely earned its spot in the finale. Arsenal actually beat the Catalans at the Emirates, only to lose 3-1 in the return leg to get eliminated. From there, the only goals scored were relatively meaningless strikes by Shakhtar Donetsk and Real Madrid. The runners up in Spain were beaten 2-0 on their home pitch, which gave Barcelona arguably the most impressive victory in this competition regardless of team to date.

Lionel Messi has been absolutely off of the charts in this competition, and if Barca is to beat the Champions League lines on this day, he will probably be the man to do the damage. He had a whopping 11 goals on 64 shots in 10 matches, numbers which are just stunning. He’s definitely not the only goal scorer on this team, though. Pedro had four goals in just seven matches, while David Villa had three goals.

The last time that these two behemoths of the sport collided was in the 2008 Champions League finale. Messi scored the game clincher in the 70th minute that day of a 2-0 win for the Spaniards.

Manchester United vs. Barcelona Match Odds @ Bet Online Sportsbook (as of 5/22/11):
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Barcelona +109 (-0.5, +109)
Manchester United +275 (+0.5, -119)
Draw +205

Barcelona To Lift Trophy -200
Manchester United To Lift Trophy +150

Current Champions League Final Odds @ Sportbet Sportsbook) (as of 5/22/11):
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Barcelona +106 (-0.5, +106)
Manchester United +296 (+0.5 , -120)
Draw: +248

Barcelona To Lift Trophy -200
Manchester United To Lift Trophy +175