Group E Odds, Schedule & Predictions for 2022 World Cup (Spain and Germany Compete For Top Spot)

The 2022 World Cup is here, and that means soccer fans' attention will turn to Qatar for the next two months.

First up on the menu is group stage action with eight groups of four teams each playing a round-robin to determine which two teams will advance to the knockout stage.

A ton of soccer fans will be focused on Group E action, which consists of Spain, Germany, Japan and Costa Rica. We've also gone ahead and ranked them by FanDuel Sportsbook's World Cup odds for each team to win the group.

World Cup Group E Teams and Odds

1. Spain (-115)
2. Germany (+115)
3. Japan (+1500)
4. Costa Rica (+5500)

The odds make it clear that Group E is a two-team race for first place. Spain and Germany are listed with nearly identical odds to earn the top spot here. That makes sense, as both teams rank among the top 11 in FIFA's world rankings. Meanwhile, Japan and Costa Rica are long shots to even advance at this point.

World Cup Group E Schedule

Click on any of the linked matches below to see The Duel's predictions, odds and best bets.

Wednesday, Nov. 23

• Germany vs Japan (8:00 a.m. ET)
• Spain vs Costa Rica (11:00 a.m. ET)

Sunday, Nov. 27

• Japan vs Costa Rica (5:00 a.m. ET)
• Spain vs Germany (2:00 p.m. ET)

Thursday, Dec. 1

• Japan vs Spain (2:00 p.m. ET)
• Costa Rica vs Germany (2:00 p.m. ET)

World Cup Group E Prediction

Spain is a powerhouse, but it enters the World Cup with a clear issue to address. It needs to find a reliable scorer since David Villa is no longer with the squad following his retirement in 2019. It was forward Ferran Torres who stepped up during qualification on a roster full of talented stars.

Germany makes up the other part of the two-team race. After failing to advance past the Group Stage in 2018, head coach Hansi Flick's team has redemption on its mind. A veteran group led by Thomas Muller put on a defensive clinic during qualification by finishing with eight clean sheets in 10 matches.

Japan is the dark horse here. It has lost just twice in its last 13 international matches dating back to October of 2021. Costa Rica pulled off the impossible by advancing in a group that it was favored to finish last in back in 2014. Don't expect that to happen again, though, as the talent will prevail in Group E.

I like goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to give Germany just enough of an edge to come out on top here.

Group E Standings Prediction:

1. Germany (3-0-0)
2. Spain (2-0-1)
3. Japan (1-0-2)
4. Costa Rica (0-0-3)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

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