Back Australia to ‘Win to Nil’ in their 2018 World Cup Qualifier against Thailand

Recommended bet: Australia to Win To Nil @ 7/4 (2.75) with bet365

Australia currently occupy the second and final automatic World Cup qualification spot in Group B, with eight points from four unbeaten games.

With key group rivals Japan and Saudi Arabia going head-to-head in Saitama, the Socceroos trip to the Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok gives Angelos Postecoglou’s team an opportunity to go top of the group and put some distance between themselves and Japan.

Having already taken four points from trips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Australia look well-placed to secure a place at World Cup 2018, but were they to drop points to Thailand a lot of that good work would be undone.

Thailand’s hopes of securing a place in Russia 2018 are already all but mathematically dead and buried and, realistically, just reaching the final group stage was a major success for the Elephants.  

The disappointment is that they have yet to register a single point from four matches, although that’s probably not a fair reflection on their performances to date.  That said, their least convincing performance was in their last group game, when they went down 4-0 to an Iraqi side who had also suffered three straight group losses going into the match.

Thailand coach Zico may well be more focused on his team defending the AFF Suzuki Cup, which begins just days after this game.

Postecoglou omitted 36-year-old Socceroos legend Tim Cahill from his squad for the game, claiming that his decision is to give striker’s Achilles injury time to heal fully.   Brisbane Roar striker Jamie Maclaren has been called up as a result.

Following the death of Thailand’s long-serving monarch, King Bhumibol, last month, supporters have been asked to treat the match as a solemn occasion.  If the atmosphere is subdued, that’s likely to be a further boost for the visitors.

It’s difficult to envisage anything other than an Australian victory in this game, but the odds are too short to appeal by way of a straight bet on the match result.

Thailand has scored just one goal in their four matches to date and there seems little reason to believe they will improve on that record against Australia. On that basis, backing Australia to Win to Nil at 7/4 (2.75) looks a solid bet.