SOCCER

FanDuel Women's World Cup Single-Game Helper: United States vs. Thailand

Alex Morgan and the American attackers may score at will as huge favorites against Thailand in their 2019 Women's World Cup opener.

The World Cup is here, and FanDuel is offering daily fantasy contests. They will feature the game between the defending champion United States Women's National Team and Thailand on a single game slate.

The USWNT have a 98.8% implied probability of winning their opening match, per odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. The top odds for a final score is 4-0 in favor of the Americans, with four U.S. players having more than a 25% implied probability of finding the back of the net. In other words, the USWNT are expected to dominate this game.

FanDuel has altered its soccer format for the Women's World Cup for the multi-match offerings, and it's important to know how those changes impact things. The single-match slates, however, are the same format as usual.

Be sure to check out the Tuesday main slate match primer, but for now let's look at some players across different price points that can shine for either the United States or Thailand.

Forwards/Midfielders

Alex Morgan, USWNT ($16)

Morgan is the most expensive player on the slate, which is to be expected for the center forward on a team that is so heavily favored. She has scored twice in her last three appearances for the National Team. In her career, Morgan has scored 100 goals on international duty and was the fourth-fastest in USWNT history to reach that mark. Morgan was named one of Time's Most Influential People, which has a lot to do with her off-the-field pursuits, too, but she can cement her legend as a player at this tournament. Morgan has the best odds to score in this game and more than a 55% implied probability of scoring two or more goals, which makes her a good captain pick, though she'll likely be the most popular captain play.

Megan Rapinoe, USWNT ($14)

Rapinoe seemingly always plays with a chip on her shoulder, but her ability speaks for itself.

She has been deployed in a front three by manager Jill Ellis, often to the left of Morgan. In many ways she is the catalyst for the USWNT attack and often finds herself over the ball in set-piece situations. Any of the U.S. front three are in play and make sense as captain choices, but the extra time that Rapinoe should spend on the ball improves both her ceiling and her floor. She is tied with Carli Lloyd ($11) -- who is expected to be a sub -- for second-best odds to score against Thailand.

Wilaiporn Boothduang, Thailand ($10)

Thailand are going to be on the back foot for much of the match. While Suchawadee Nildhamrong ($14) was highlighted in the main slate primer for her ability to help defensively, especially on set pieces, Boothduang will likely be sitting back the entire game trying to protect the back line. The 31-year-old midfielder is a physical player who has mostly avoided earning cards. She has three cautions in the past 10 international matches. She is not a goal scorer, but she has been a mainstay for the Thailand team. The $10 price provides solid value as she has the chance to rack up plenty of defensive action points.

Rose Lavelle, USWNT ($9)

Lavelle has overcome lingering hamstring issues and is now an important part of the attack for the USWNT. Her vision has been on display recently as she often finds the right pass. This will be the first World Cup for the Washington Spirit midfielder. Lavelle has seven goals and four assists for the National Team, but that does not show her true involvement. She is often cutting inside to allow Kelley O'Hara ($7) to provide overlapping runs. There should be enough space against Thailand for Lavelle to either spring O'Hara and follow into the box or find a streaking Morgan or Rapinoe with a ball of her own.

Defenders

Crystal Dunn, USWNT ($8)

It is games like this where Dunn excels. A former winger, she has the speed to recover defensively and should go forward often in a match in which the U.S. will have a lot of the ball. Even though she should start at left-back, Dunn is not afraid to get forward and take a few shots. She has three goals in three games this season for North Carolina in the NWSL after scoring 23 in 24 games last year. Any defender who has the ability to score a goal is a unicorn in DFS, and Dunn outshines others on the back line near the opposition goal. Dunn will pay attention to her defensive responsibilities as her motor often allows her to overcome mistakes. If this game gets out of hand, as expected, expect Dunn to send in a few speculative shots.

Sunisa Srangthaisong, Thailand ($5)

Srangthaisong can help save funds and allow you to jam in the USWNT attackers. She is likely to start at left-back and is currently the least expensive options among the expected starting defenders for Thailand. She does not match some of the height of the defending champions, so her work will be done with her feet as she tries to block crosses and put in tackles to fend off U.S. attacks near the end line. Ultimately, many on the Thailand team will rack up points through defensive actions, but Srangthaisong's price makes her very appealing.



Doug Smith is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Douglas Smith also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username aquemini03. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her
articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.