The Best Bet: Alfred Finnbogason to heap further misery on poor Nigeria
Iceland pulled off a shock at Euro 2016 to eliminate England from the round of 16 and are out to prove that was no fluke this summer. This is Iceland’s first World Cup campaign and they started things off with a hugely impressive 1-1 draw with Lionel Messi’s Argentina.
The European minnows will now bid to earn their first ever win at the World Cup finals when they play Nigeria on Friday. To illustrate how much of an achievement it is that Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side have even qualified for the World Cup, it's worth noting you could fit the entire population of the Iceland in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja. Twice.
However, it is Iceland that have impressed and Nigeria that have not this summer. The Super Eagles emerged as the neutrals favourite prior to the start of the World Cup, mainly due to the kit they released for the tournament, but they have fallen well short of expectations. They slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Croatia in their opening group game and do not look capable of threatening in Group D.
Alfred Finboggason scored Iceland’s first ever goal at the World Cup and the Augsburg striker has now scored in each of their last three matches. His aerial threat will cause Nigeria problems all afternoon and it’s worth considering the hulking striker as your best bet for this match. You can get odds of 2.5 with Bet365 for the 29-year-old to score anytime on Friday or 6.5 to score first with the same bookmaker.