Wales takes on Ukraine as the teams meet in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying final playoff on Sunday. The last spot in Qatar 2022 is on the line, and the winner will play the United States in a 2022 World Cup opener Nov. 21. The final playoff winner will join the USMNT, England and Iran in Group B in Qatar. Ukraine is playing for those impacted by the Russian invasion in its homeland and is coming off an emotional 3-1 victory against Scotland in a semifinal on Wednesday. That game was pushed back because of the crisis in Ukraine, while Wales played its semifinal back in March, a 2-1 victory against Austria. A sellout crowd is expected at Cardiff City Stadium, and Wales is on an 18-game unbeaten run in home matches.
Kickoff is set for noon ET. Ukraine is the slight +165 favorite (risk $100 to win $165) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Wales vs. Ukraine odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Wales is a +175 underdog. A regulation draw is priced at +195 and the over-under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before making any Ukraine vs. Wales picks or FIFA World Cup Qualifying predictions, you have to see what proven soccer insider Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been stunningly accurate. Green has generated more than $37,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Now, Green has broken down the Wales vs. Ukraine matchup from every angle and just locked in his coveted World Cup qualifying picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Ukraine vs. Wales:
- Wales vs. Ukraine spread: Ukraine -0.5 (+165)
- Wales vs. Ukraine Over/Under: 2.5 goals
- Wales vs. Ukraine money line: Wales +175, Ukraine +165, Draw +195
- WAL: Gareth Bale has five goals and three assists in six WCQ matches
- UKR: Andriy Yarmolenko has scored in three of the past four games
Why Wales can win
The success of the Dragons often rests at the feet of talisman Gareth Bale, who might have lost a step but is still capable of displays of genius. The 32-year-old has 38 goals in 102 matches with the national team, and he scored both goals in the semifinal against Austria. One was a brilliant free kick that underscored his talent. He has 170 goals and 96 assists in his club career, almost all with Tottenham and Real Madrid. Bareth and his Wales teammates should be rested after most took the day off in a 2-1 loss to Poland in a Nations League match on Wednesday.
That was its first loss since losing to Denmark 4-0 in the Euro 2020 Round of 16 last June. Its only other setbacks since the start of 2021 are to powerhouses Belgium, Italy and France. Wales is 3-5-1 in its past nine games. The team has a ton of experience, with Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen running things in midfield and goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey providing leadership in the back. Hennessey has 34 clean sheets in 81 starts for Wales, with an impressive 78.9 save percentage. Tottenham teammates Ben Davies and Joe Rodon lead the line in front of him.
Why Ukraine can win
The Blue and Yellow have the nation and much of the world behind it, and it used that fuel to dominate Wednesday's semifinal. It ran its unbeaten run to nine competitive matches (11 overall) as Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk scored. Ukraine put eight of its 15 shots on target in the game. Yarmolenko is the top international scorer with 45 goals in 107 matches, while Yaremchuk has scored 13 times in 37 games. They should be able to get on the board against a Wales defense that has conceded at least once in seven straight games.
Goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov is the team's captain, and the 37-year-old can still play at a high level. He started just six games for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, but he posted clean sheets in four of them. He has 37 clean sheets in 82 career international matches, saving 80.2 percent of the shots he has faced. Wales has little in the way of scoring outside of Bale, as Ramsey struggled mightily this season on loan to Rangers. The Dragons have 16 goals in their past 12 games, but half of those came in just two matches. Ukraine has 19 in its 11-game unbeaten run.
How to make FIFA World Cup Qualifying, Wales vs. Ukraine picks
Green has scrutinized the Wales vs. Ukraine match from every angle, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He also provides two confident best bets and has a full breakdown of the match. He's only sharing his coveted soccer picks and predictions at SportsLine.
So, who wins Ukraine vs. Wales in their FIFA World Cup Qualifying final match on Sunday? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Wales vs. Ukraine match, all from the European soccer expert who has generated more than $37,000 for $100 bettors over the past four seasons, and find out.