With no AFL this weekend, Before You Bet has gone the extra mile to provide you with extra betting tips to fill the massive void left with the bye week!
This Thursday night marks the opening of the 2022 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship. The international volleyball landscape is as competitive as it has been since the early 2000s, which means there is an abundance of value to be found for the two week event.
Check out our full preview and betting tips for the event below.
2022 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship Betting Tips
Dates: Fri, 26 Aug 2022 – Sun, 11 Sept 2022
Teams: 24 (from 5 confederations)
Location: Poland (Katowice, Gliwice, Ljubljana)
Volleyball, Teams, Format
If you’ve only come across volleyball in it’s ‘beach’ format, then you’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn that iteration has a more athletic, faster paced and overall more exciting older brother in indoor volleyball. Bill Simmons once proclaimed that indoor volleyball is where some of the most athletically gifted individuals hide out, if you need any more proof, check out the video below.
Now that you've seen what these guys can do, let's talk about the World Championships themselves. The tournament will consist of 24 teams broken down into six groups of four. Stage 1 will see the competing teams play each opposing team in their group, from there, the top 16 teams after the group stage will duke it out in the knockout bracket until just one remains.
Qualification into the tournament is simple, be ranked inside the top 24 teams in the world and book a ticket. This qualification process has ensured that we will see the best level of volleyball possible throughout the two weeks.
Preview
As we mentioned above, Men's indoor volleyball has not been this competitive in a long time. Gone are the days where the Brazilians would rock up to a tournament and everyone else would play for 2nd place. Now, there are upwards of six genuine powerhouses in world volleyball, any of whom could conceivably be seen wearing gold at the end of the two week fixture.
Poland ($3.50)
The No.1 ranked team in the world at the moment comes in as early favourites to win the tournament, but it hasn't been all sunshine for the Poles of late. They were without their star outside hitter Wilfredo Leon for the recent Nations League, which resulted in them knocked out in the semi-finals by the USA. Unfortunately, Leon will remain on the sidelines for the World Championships, and this absence can't be understated. They have some of the top ranked players in the world in outside hitter Kamil Semeniuk, setter Marcin Janusz and opposite hitter Bartosz Kurek, but without their star, I can't see them winning this tournament.
France ($4.00)
Poland might be the No.1 ranked team in the world based on ranking points, but based on form, you can't look past the French. They are the reigning Olympic and Nations League champions, winning the latter just a few months ago in a thrilling final over the USA. Outside hitter Earvin N'Gapeth is one of the most dynamic players in the world and setter Antoine Brizard had a breakout performance in the Nations League. France are certainly a team capable of winning their 2nd straight international tournament.
USA ($5.00)
The United States have undergone a comlpete overhaul in their international system over the last few years and after a short trip down the rankings, they are starting to become a powerhouse of world volleyball once again. The new led by arguably the best setter in the world in Micah Christenson is an exciting blend of skill and athleticism. If you want to watch a bunch of kids playing the game in all or nothing fashion, then the USA is the team for you.
Brazil ($6.00)
THE juggernaut of men's indoor volleyball since the turn of the millenium seems to finally be somewhat vulnerable. In saying that, it's entirely conceivable for the Brazilians to find a spark and cleansweep this entire tournament, they are just that good at volleyball. Finding a reliable opposite hitter was their main concern and the reason for a quarterfinals exit in the Nations League. However, with De Souza Wallace back in the line-up, the Brazillians will be a force to be reckoned with once again.
The Rest
The best of the rest is clearly the Italians at $7.00, however, I think they are just a touch too young and raw at the moment to really take the next step and win a major tournament like the World Championships. Their best player is just 20 years old, which is an extremely daunting prospect given the Italians made it all the way to the semis of the Nations League last month.
If you only watch one game this tournament, make sure it's a game involving Japan ($41). They might not be the best team in the world, but they sure are the best to watch. They play the game in a very free flowing, athletic manner and opposite hitter Nishida Yuji is arguably the most dynamic player in the world.
If you want a tip from the clouds in this tournament, take a look at the Netherlands at $71. They were without their star opposite hitter Abdel-Aziz Nimir for portions of the Nations League but he is back in the line-up for this tournament and he is, bar none, the best player in the world at the moment. He is the type of hitter that is capable of taking his team on a deep run in a major tournament.
Betting Tips
I really fancy the USA to go deep in this tournament. They will be absolutely buzzing after reaching the final of the Nations League and will likely only gain confidence from that performance, knowing that they can now match it with the best in the world.
I also really like the Brazilians. I think the addition of a reliable opposite hitter makes them arguably the most talented side in the world again and in major tournaments like this, the Brazilian canary yellow jersey seems to have a similar effect as the famous Yankee pinstripes.
If you take both to win and apply a little betting strategy, you can get effective odds of $2.72 at Bet365. We like that a lot.
USA or Brazil to win
$2.72
If you're hunting a little value and don't mind waiting until a bit closer to tip off, look for the Netherlands/Japan markets to make the quarters or semi-finals. Both of those nations are on the rise and could take this opportunity to jump up into the next tier on the world stage.
Japan to make the make the QF (Odds coming soon)
Netherlands to make the QF (Odds coming soon)
