World Cup Groups 2018: Breaking Down Biggest Favorites and Underdogs in Russia

Russia kick off the 2018 FIFA World Cup against Saudi Arabia on Thursday, and the tournament is primed to be as thrilling a spectacle as ever.

Five-time winners Brazil are resurgent, reigning champions Germany remain a force to be reckoned with and the likes of Spain, Argentina and France will also have ambitions of lifting the trophy.

Meanwhile, nations such as Belgium, Portugal and England will be hoping to produce an upset.

Read on for a closer look at some of the favourites and underdogs, complete with the latest odds from OddsShark, but first, here's a reminder of the groups:

Group A

• Uruguay
• Russia
• Egypt
• Saudi Arabia

Group B

• Spain
• Portugal
• Morocco
• Iran

Group C

• France
• Denmark
• Peru
• Australia

Group D

• Argentina
• Croatia
• Nigeria
• Iceland

Group E

• Brazil
• Switzerland
• Serbia
• Costa Rica

Group F

• Germany
• Mexico
• Sweden
• South Korea

Group G

• Belgium
• England
• Tunisia
• Panama

Group H

• Colombia
• Poland
• Senegal
• Japan

Favourites

Germany were joint 9-2 favourites alongside Brazil—the team they thrashed 7-1 in the semi-final of the last World Cup—but have since slipped to 19-4 behind the Selecao, who remain on the same odds.

Die Mannschaft warmed up for this year's tournament by winning the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup last summer with what amounted to a reserve team.

As such, it's of little surprise they boast incredible squad depth:

Their vast array of options is perhaps equalled only by Spain, but their odds have lengthened slightly after they lost 2-1 to Austria in their first warm-up friendly ahead of the tournament, while their only win in 2018 came in their last match against Saudi Arabia.

Group F—which also includes Mexico, Sweden and South Korea—is one of the toughest in the competition, but Germany should have little trouble negotiating it despite their recent hiccup.

As for the Selecao, they are a far stronger prospect this time around than they were four years ago.

Under manager Tite, Brazil are not only more resolute at the back, they're also much more of a cohesive unit going forward with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino emerging as viable options alongside Neymar.

As Squawka Football demonstrated, they have been in strong form heading into the tournament:

Switzerland, Serbia and Costa Rica shouldn't prove too difficult a group for Brazil, who will be a match for anyone in the knockout phase.

Underdogs

England are 18-1 with OddsShark. A second World Cup win for the Three Lions is improbable, but they'll be hoping to at least escape the group stage this time around having failed to do so in 2014.

Beating Belgium for top spot will be a big ask, but Gareth Southgate's side should have enough about them to get past Tunisia and Panama after going through qualifying unbeaten.

There should not be too much in the way of expectation that they progress a great deal further than that, given how relatively inexperienced the squad is, per BBC Sport's Ian Dennis:

Portugal are an even longer 28-1, despite being the European champions.

They will be relying on Cristiano Ronaldo to fire them deep into the tournament.

The Real Madrid man has bagged 81 goals in 150 appearances for Portugal, and as he has repeatedly shown in the UEFA Champions League in recent years, he has an uncanny knack for making the difference in the biggest games, even if his all-round performances are lacking.

As with England, Portugal will have a difficult time topping their group, in their case due to the presence of Spain. Morocco and Iran are more beatable, though, and if Ronaldo can come alive in the knockout phase, they could be a dark horse worth backing.