Women's World Cup Betting: Semifinals Begin on Tuesday With a Spain-Sweden Showdown

The 2023 Women's World Cup has reached the semifinals, and we are now just three matches away from crowning a champion.

Spain, Sweden, Australia, and England are the four sides left standing as we head into the final phase of the tournament.

When Spain clashes with Sweden on Tuesday, lifelong dreams will be on the line.

With that in mind, let's take a look at Tuesday's one-game slate.

All World Cup odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.

Spain vs. Sweden

Spain booked their place in the semifinals with a 2-1 win over the Netherlands in extra time. While the final scoreline was close, Spain was the better side for most of the match. They dominated on expected goals, with 3.4 xG and only 0.8 xG allowed, per FBRef. It ended up coming down to the wire, but Spain was the better side and secured the result they deserved thanks to Salma Paralluelo's goal in the 111th minute.

Spain has been an exceptional side at this World Cup. They have yet to allow more than 0.9 xG in a match. Outside of their 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stages, a match they lost only 0.9-0.7 on expected goals, Spain has produced an xG margin of at least +2.2 in each match.

A small concern for Spain is that they are underperforming their xG numbers on the defensive of the ball. They have conceded a goal in each of their knockout round fixtures despite allowing just a combined 1.1 xG against. For the tournament, they have conceded six goals from 2.5 xG allowed. Their only clean sheets came against Costa Rica and Zambia in the group stages. Some of that is likely due to bad luck, but some of it could be defensive and goal-keeping issues for Spain.

Spain's 15 goals scored from 16.7 xG have helped them deal with their slight underperformance on defense, but when they struggle to finish, they can run into trouble, which is exactly what happened against the Netherlands.

Still, Spain is a deserving favorite in this fixture. For the tournament, they rank first in xG (16.7) and xG differential per 90 (+2.83). The next closest team on xG differential still remaining in the tournament is Sweden at (+1.04).

As for Sweden, they advanced to the semifinals with a stunning 2-1 win over Japan. Entering that match, Japan had been arguably the best team in the tournament, with four straight wins, including victories over Spain and Norway by a combined score of 7-1. However, those seven goals came from just 1.9 xG, and against Sweden, Japan's insanely efficient finishing came to a sudden halt, resulting in just one goal from 1.7 xG.

Sweden has had an excellent tournament to this point. They cruised to three straight wins in the group stages with nine goals from 7.7 xG and just one goal conceded from 2.2 xG allowed. In the knockout stages, they have pulled off back-to-back upsets against the two most storied teams in Women's World Cup history, eliminating both the United States and Japan.

Sweden enters this fixture with only two goals conceded so far this tournament from 5.3 xG allowed. Their defense will be put to the test against Spain's prolific attack, but they passed a similar test against an in-form Japanese attack and could certainly do so again on Tuesday.

This match is set up to be a colossal clash between two of the best teams in the tournament with a spot in the final on the line. Get your 4:00 a.m. ET popcorn ready.

As it stands, Spain is favored to win this match (-178) and has the second-best odds to win the World Cup (+175) behind England (+155).

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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.