In the early market stage, many bookmakers opened with the Netherlands as 1-goal favorites, with the away side’s price concentrated in the 0.82 to 1.00 range. As the match approached, the handicap saw a stunning collective upward adjustment. Almost all bookmakers moved the line straight from -1 to -2.5/-3, and some even jumped to -2.5. From -1 to -2.5/-3, the handicap was raised by six levels in succession, a move that is extremely rare in the group stage of the World Cup. More importantly, after the line was raised, the away price did not spike; instead, it was firmly held in the 0.79 to 1.06 range, with some bookmakers even lowering it from 0.82 to 0.86. One bookmaker moved from -1 to -2.5/-3, with the away price adjusted from 1.00 to 0.86. Another raised the line from -2/-2.5 to -2.5, with the away price adjusted from 0.93 to 1.06. The scale of the line movement is astonishing, yet the price remained stable. This is by no means a lure; rather, it shows bookmakers are actively reducing their payout risk on a Netherlands big-win result.
From a fundamental perspective, the Netherlands hold an all-around advantage. After the first two rounds, they have 1 win and 1 draw for 4 points, and they must win by a large margin in the final round to secure first place in the group. Gakpo delivered a perfect performance in the opener, while key players such as Dumfries and Brobbey are in excellent form. Tunisia have lost both of their first two matches and are already eliminated, having conceded as many as 9 goals in two games, with a defense that has been nothing short of porous. Midfielder Quinten Timber is out due to a concussion, which has some impact on the Netherlands’ midfield rotation, but against a Tunisia side with nothing left to play for, the big-win angle for the Netherlands is worth backing. Score prediction: Netherlands win 3-0 or 4-0.