World Cup Group C Betting Preview | Brazil, Morocco, Scotland and Haiti

World Cup Group C Preview

Did you know…In the early 2000s, GoldSheet had a sister publication named European Soccer Weekly?! Long before every European soccer (cough football) match was broadcast in the US on ESPN, Peacock and Paramount, Bruce Marshall and Co. were breaking down the action on the pitch. Bruce shares his thoughts on World Cup Group C, led by the perennial contenders from Brazil.

World Cup Group C Odds

Team	Win the Group	Round of 16	Win the Tournament
Brazil	-330	-260	+850
Morocco	+320	+130	+5500
Scotland	+950	+290	+25000
Haiti	+12500	+4500	+250000

Odds above courtesy of FanDuel as of June 9.

Brazil

Though still among the tourney favorites, Brazil isn’t “the” favorite as it often is at World Cups; indeed, the +800 price to win is higher than most pre-tourney win prices that we can recall for the Samba Boys. Though it can be argued that based upon results in qualifiers, Brazil might be well overvalued, given how many bumps on the road it encountered in CONMEBOL qualifying, indeed its worst-ever performance in the qualifier stage which included, among other things, a winless mark vs. traditional punching bad Venezuela.

Off the field, there were controversies with FIFA and their own federation president removed by court order. On the pitch, many South American observers point to a direction-less period in which Brazil was kept waiting for targeted managerial choice Carlo Ancelotti to finally leave Real Madrid, though that saga dragged on for nearly two years before Ancelotti finally arrived in 2025. Just in time for the last four qualifiers which finally saw the Samba Boys secure passage, though including a loss in the finale to Bolivia after qualification assured and Ancelotti using the occasion to look at more players.

Despite all of the unrest, many informed onlookers are keeping watch with a careful eye, knowing that Ancelotti is a serial winner, with multiples of Champions League trophies (AC Milan and Real Madrid), and knowing that his time at the Bernabeu coincided with the top form of the mercurial winger Vinicius, a key cog for Los Blancos in Champions League wins during 2022 and 2024.

Best all for Vinicius, he now has the left flank all to himself after having been foirced to make room for Kylian Mbappe in the same position at the Bernabeu, a dilemma not of Ancelotti’s making in the 2024-25 campaign but one he could nonetheless never quite solve. Now, Vinicius will have his normal room to operate and spread defenses, while a now-healthy Raphinha (Barcelona) will be charging into the box behind him, perhaps with Man United’s Matheus Cunha, giving Brazil all of the firepower it will need, with the likes of Arsneal’s Gabriel martinelli and Brentfprd’s Igot Thiago 9perhaps the hottest EPL scorer the last few months of the season) itchign for their chances as well.

There is still top international quality all across the pitch, including two primo shot-stoppers in Éderson (Fenerbahce) and Alisson (Liverpool), though there are some concerns that the backline isn’t up to past Brazil standards.

Though Morocco is a du jour pick by some to pip Brazil in the group, we’d rather ride with Ancelotti, and a quick look at the likely path thru the knockouts (assuming Brazil comes in topping its group) has favorable passage to the quarterfinals, where a likely showdown vs. England would await. Game on at that point, but there are plenty of other wagering options available, and we would take a hard look at some bomber prices on Vinicius (+2500) and Raphina (+2800) to be top scorers in the tourney, with the likellihood increasing if Ancelotti can steer a deep run.

Morocco

The new flavor of the month, a chic recommendation in many quarters to make another deep run as Morocco has been doing in recent tourneys such as the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, all of the way to the semifinals, and the recent AFCON last December, to the final where it apparently was the winner (though the final result could still be bandied about the courts a bit more) in a fiasco of a match vs. Senegal.

Though, AFCON histrionics aside, Morocco has reason to be taken seriously. There are some world-class components, including PSG center-back Achraf Hakimi, who got votes in last year’s Ballon d’Or balloting and enters off of another Champions League-winning domestic campaign. Regional obervers also suggest keeping an eye on Real Madrid’s lively midfielder Brahim Diaz, who could be on the verge of a real breakthrough.

What concerns in Tangiers, however, is the recent resignation of manager Walid Regragui, who shepherded the international advances of recent years, though successor Mohamed Ouahbi is familiar with the Moroccan operation, having been involved at the youth level and with the federation for several years.

The caution here is that if the Moroccans finish second behind Brazil in the group, a likely matchup at the top of the knockout phase vs. the Netherlands would await. For the Dutch, Japanese, or whomever the eventual foe(s) in the knockout phase, we’d suggest taking care of business before 120 minutes and a PK shootout, as going up against goalkeeper Buonou in such a scenario is not advised after he has spearheaded a couple of famous shootout wins for club and country in recent memory, including vs. Spain at the top of the knockout phase at Qatar 2022 (Spain didn’t even convert one from the spot!) and doing it again for Sevilla in the Europa League final vs. Jose Mourinho’s Roma six months later in Budapest.

If the knockout phase unfolds according to plan, however, the Dutch could prove a high hurdle to clear right from the off.

Scotland

The Tartan Army returns to the big stage for the first time since France ‘98, which explains the overwhelming joy and subsequent celebration in the north when passage to 2026 was finally assured that magical November night at Glasgow against Denmark. Requiring extra time only added to the drama that was punctuated by Kenny McLean’s lob from near the halfway line in the 98th minute that put the lead at an unassailable 4-2, though McLean could only share headlines with Scott McTominay’s bicycle kick in the first ten minutes that first ignited Hampden Park and preceded more dramatics later on.

The World Cup will be a more colorful event with the Scots present, as were the Euros two years ago in Germany, when Steve Clarke’s last international tourney in charge was cruelly denied a spot in the knockout phase deep into added time by Hungary at the end of the group phase. (Though it should be noted that all the Scots were able to get out of the Euros was one point).

As for Clarke, he’s at least been getting the Scots into these bigger events, and there is a familiarity within the squad featuring midfield pilot McTominay, who did his thing quite nicely this season in Serie A at Napoli, and left-back Andy Robertson, longtime Liverpool stalwart who has just inked with Tottenham on a free transfer for next season.

EPL observers are also alerting to keep an eye on Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn, who scored some big goals down the stretch for Unai Emery’s Europa League-winning side, and offered at a tempting price (+800) to become Scotland’s top scorer.

A first-ever knockout phase appearance at a World Cup looks a real possibility, too, as long as Clarke’s team secures all three points in the opener vs. longshot Haiti at Foxborough on June 14.

Concern? Options in goal, where Clarke might have to rely on fall-back choice Craig Gordon, who wasn’t even first choice this season at Hearts…perhaps because he’s 43 years old.

Haiti

Here’s another chance for a reminder about how the real longshot sides (like Haiti) at Copa Mundial can nonetheless impact proceedings. With eight third-place sides advancing to the knockout phase, groups with a bottom side likely to be overmatched would seem to have the better chances to advance a trio of teams. Along with Qatar (Group B), Curacao (Group E), Cape Verde (Group H), Jordan (Group J), and Uzbekistan (Group K), Haiti is included within that bunch of longshots.

Just qualifying for the World Cup, and not having to do so via the playoff route, has already made this a success in Port-au-Prince, especially as Haiti hasn’t played a home match in five years due to political unrest, instead performing in Curacao in the qualifiers when the fixture list had Haiti as the host.

Though the Haitians won’t be easy to play against, preferring plenty of graft and physicality, and there are more than a few components who do perform in Europe, including Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor, and All-Name Nancy (Ligue Un) defender Martin Expérience.

Mostly, however, these are fringe performers who aren’t likely to impact proceedings, and cultured finishing is hardly a specialty. The World Cup will be considered a success back home with a single result (even a draw) in group play, and a goal would likely to be celebrated, too. After all, there’s a historical low bar to clear…in Haiti’s only other World Cup, the 1974 event in West Germany, it conceded 14 goals in three losses during group play.

World Cup Group C Predictions

Brazil: Best Bet – To reach quarterfinals at +100, Group finish 1-2 ahead of Morocco at +110. Bigger Price Watch – Top CONMEBOL team at +137, Vinicius leading World Cup scorer +2500.

Morocco: Best Bet – Finish 1-2 behind Brazil +110, eliminated Round of 32 at +110. Bigger Price Watch – Morocco top scorer (must win) Brahim Diaz at +333.

Scotland: Best Bet – Eliminated in the Round of 32 at +100. Bigger Price Watch – Land on 3 points in group play at +250, Scotland top scorer John McGinn at +800.

Haiti: Best Bet – Land on 0 points in group play at -110. Bigger Price Watch – Lowest scoring World Cup team at +800.

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