Italy vs. Uruguay betting preview: odds, prediction favor Italy win

Italy are 31/20 moneyline favorites in their Group D match against Uruguay on Tuesday; a battle of former World Cup champions, with the winner advancing to the round of 16 and the loser going home.

Both squads trail Costa Rica by three points in the Group D standings. After recording victories against both Uruguay and Italy, the Ticos have clinched a spot in the round of 16, and are heavy 1/8 favorites to finish atop Group D.

The Azzurri opened the tournament with an exciting 2-1 win over England. That win briefly strengthened Italy’s odds of winning Group B to 4/11, but that was before they faced Costa Rica, the Cinderella story of the 2014 World Cup.

The Ticos, who had already defeated Uruguay in their opening match, shocked Italy, knocking off the four-time champs 1-0, and vaulting them into first place.

Uruguay, who last won the World Cup in 1950 when Brazil last hosted, are 17/10 on the moneyline against Italy, according to sportsbooks listed at WorldCupOdds.net.

The two squads last met in the third place match of the 2013 Confederations Cup, won by Italy on penalties. Uruguay, who will be eliminated with anything but a win against Italy, entered the tourney as strong 20/37 favorites to advance but are now 9/5 underdogs to see round of 16 action.

Costa Rica is well positioned to finish first in Group D with six points and a +3 goal differential. But a slim chance exists they could slip to second spot if they lose badly in their Tuesday match against England and the winner of Italy/Uruguay is able to fill the net.

Once again, the Ticos have failed to receive the respect from oddsmakers. Costa Rica are 31/10 moneyline underdogs against winless England, who have not held a lead in either of their two group stage matches. For the third time in the tourney, the Three Lions are moneyline favorites, 4/5 against Costa Rica.

In Group C action, Colombia are even odds against Japan, who must win to keep their World Cup hopes alive. The Japanese have been strong defensively, but have scored only once in the tournament so far. The TOTAL in their match is 2.5, with the UNDER having a slight moneyline edge with odds of 20/23.

Ivory Coast faces Greece in the other Group C match. The Elephants, who are 0.5-goal favorites and EVEN on the moneyline, can still finish atop the group with a win combined with a loss by Colombia, but would need to fill the net to overcome the Colombians’ 4-goal advantage in goal difference.