The last two spots in the World Cup are always reserved for the intercontinental playoffs, matchups that will pit teams that haven't done quite enough yet to get into the World Cup but are given one last chance to succeed. This year, we have teams flying all over the world for bizarre matchups that were previously thought to be impossible to pull off, and that will make for some interesting soccer over the course of the weekend.
The Honduras/Australia match will be played at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, November 10 at Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula. The New Zealand/Peru fixture will kick off live on beIN Sports from Westpac Stadium in Wellington at 10:15 p.m. ET
Honduras vs. Australia Odds at BookMaker.eu
Honduras +105
Australia +280
Draw +225
Over/Under 2.5
Anyone who watched the final day of qualifying in the Hexagonal knows just how dangerous this Honduras team can be when it really gets going. The crowd in San Pedro Sula is absolutely bananas about this team. The pitch conditions aren't going to be anything to write home about, and that's probably going to create a huge period of adjustment for the Aussies that are used to playing on pristine pitches "Down Under."
There is a tremendous amount of talent on this Honduran team, especially up front. Romell Quioto and Alberth Elis are teammates on the Houston Dynamo in the MLS while Anthony Lozano is also a man who can spark this offense. Carlo Costly is the old vet who has 32 goals for his country in 76 career appearances. Another Dynamo member, Boniek Garcia and captain Maynor Figueroa do the best they can to keep the net for Donis Escober clean.
The Aussies have been here before in the intercontinental playoff, but most of the men on this team haven't traveled to a place quite like this before. Then again, Australia did have to beat Syria in the Asia playoff just to get to this point, and surviving that tussle was hard enough.
The star of this team is Tim Cahill, but the man who might be the most important is Matthew Ryan. Ryan has been a stalwart in net for newly promoted Brighton & Hove in the Premier League, and he represents the future of soccer in Australia for sure once this qualifying effort is over and Cahill hangs it up.
New Zealand vs. Peru Odds at BookMaker.eu
New Zealand +375
Peru -135
Draw +260
Over/Under 2.5
Oceania really gets a bad beat in every World Cup qualifying cycle. The confederation doesn't have a guaranteed spot in the World Cup, and that's why Australia now qualifies as an Asian team rather than a team from OFC. New Zealand was easily the best team out of Oceania during this World Cup cycle, but it's overmatched here against a Peruvian team coming out of South America full of confidence.
The Peruvians managed to finish fifth in the CONMEBOL qualifying group and put the two-time defending Copa America champions from Chile away on the last night of qualification. There isn't a slew of offense on this team to write home about, but the one thing Peru definitely did in qualifying was defending like the dickens. They allowed 26 goals in 18 matches, and though that number was nothing to write home about, it's truly exceptional considering the talent that CONMEBOL brings to the table.
If the All Whites have a shot of getting to the World Cup for the third time in their history, they're going to need a huge showing from Shane Smeltz and Chris Wood. These two men rank No. 2 and No. 3 respectively on the all-time goal-scoring list for New Zealand, and they're going to have to produce at least a moment or two over the course of these 180 minutes to have any shot at pulling off what would be a massive upset.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go.
Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
