Women's World Cup Betting: 2 Teams Are Desperate for Win on Thursday

The second match of the group stage can either set up a team to advance to the next round or eliminate a squad.

We've got two games involving teams looking for their first point of the tournament, and one involving a host nation that can essentially clinch a knockout-round berth with a win.

Here are the games, with all World Cup odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook:

Portugal vs. Vietnam

The two teams that suffered defeats in Group E will face off in likely a must-win game for both .

Portugal was able to hang in the match against the Netherlands, losing just 1-0. The result was certainly respectable, as the Netherlands ranks much higher than Portugal in the FIFA rankings.

However, the performance from Portugal left something to be desired. They completed only 62% of their passes and struggled to create any chances. They had just two shots -- one on a target -- for a measly 0.1 expected goals (xG), according to FBref.com.

Of course, facing Vietnam is a completely different proposition than playing the Netherlands. Portugal should be able to impose their will in this match. A player to watch is Jessica Silva. She doesn't have the best scoring record for her country but did net 17 goals in 17 games for Benfica this season. She's listed at -105 to score at any time.

Vietnam lost only 3-0 to the USA, but that scoreline was kind to their performance. They allowed 4.7 xG, and that doesn't include a missed penalty.

In attack, Vietnam was lacking any type of threat. They weren't able to even attempt a shot against the US and completed just 50% of their passes.

A draw in this one doesn't do either team much good, as they will still need to win their last group game to have a chance to qualify. On paper, this is the easiest group match for both teams, and it gives them an incentive to push for the win.

With that being said, these two sides are far from being the best attacking teams in the tournament. I am drawn to the correct score combinations market -- Portugal to win 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0 at a clip of -110 makes a lot of sense. For a more long-shot bet, Silva to score first (+330) is something to check out, provided she starts again.

Australia vs. Nigeria

Both of these teams were able to get a point in their first match, but they got there in very different ways.

Australia got shocking news just before the tournament started. Superstar striker Sam Kerr was ruled out with a mysterious calf injury that was unknown to the public before the match. Kerr is likely out for at least this game.

The Aussies lacked a bit of a cutting edge in their opening game against the Republic of Ireland. They scored their only goal on a penalty and had just 0.8 xG besides the spot kick.

They'll have more time to prepare for the absence of Kerr ahead of this game against Nigeria. Mary Fowler, who is just 20 years old, stepped into Kerr's spot at forward, and she's a promising youngster who plays for Manchester City in the Women's Super League.

Nigeria perhaps surprised a few people in their first match against Canada. They lost the xG battle just 0.7-0.5, minus the penalty they conceded. Nigeria's showing coupled with the Kerr injury has made the odds for Australia to win this game a bit longer than they were before.

The player to watch for Nigeria is Asisat Oshoala. She didn't have a brilliant game against Canada but has netted an outstanding 90 goals in 96 games for Barcelona. She was the top scorer in Spain in the 2021-22 season.

You can get +470 on Oshoala to score at any time, or if you're really feeling frisky, +1100 on her to score first. If you want a safer wager, -118 on goals to not be scored in both halves is interesting. Under 2.5 goals is -150, so this game is not expected to be a high-scoring affair. That would seem to mean that a goal in each half is fairly unlikely.

Argentina vs. South Africa

The teams sitting at the bottom of Group G are in a similar situation to Portugal and Vietnam, needing a win to realistically have a chance to qualify for the next round.

Argentina was a hard-luck loser in their opening game. They conceded an 87th-minute winner to Italy after playing them fairly evenly for much of the game.

The performance was more impressive defensively, as they held the Italians to just 0.4 xG. Argentina didn't create a ton of chances themselves, however, as they had just five shots and 0.3 xG.

On the men's side, Argentina is known for producing talented attacking players. That isn't really the case for the women's team. Their biggest attacking threat is Mariana Larroquette, who has scored 12 goals in 29 games for the national team.

South Africa really had a great chance to get at least a draw against a much-fancied Swedish team, but they allowed a goal in the 90th minute. Unlike a lot of the underdogs in this tournament so far, they were able to show some attacking intent. They attempted 10 shots, got four of them on target, and created 1.2 xG.

This match is one of the more evenly-matched contests we've seen in the tournament so far. Argentina had been in great form before the loss to Italy, with five wins and a draw in 2023. South Africa, on the other hand, had more mixed form this calendar year, losing a game against Botswana, 5-0, as recently as July 2nd.

This makes +100 on Argentina to win a pretty appealing number. They rank 28th, according to FIFA, while South Africa is 54th. The Argentines don't have much history in this tournament, but this should be a match that sees them get all three points.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.