Women's World Cup: France vs. Brazil preview

Women's World Cup Round of 16

Host nation France enters the Women's World Cup Round of 16 with a doozy of an opponent Sunday. Les Bleues will take on Brazil in Le Havre, with a nation behind them and the pressure of lifting the trophy on home soil growing exponentially.

(France -355, Brazil +625, Draw +340)

Best play: France win 2-1 (+875)

France hasn't looked great since it opened the World Cup in spectacular fashion with a 4-0 win over South Korea. The host country will hope to see its best performance yet against a Brazil team that has shown already that it is still one of the premier teams in the world.

France is loaded with talent and has a great roster from top to bottom. The French have defeated knockout-round qualifiers the United States, Japan, China, Norway and Nigeria so far this year, but have also struggled at times. Brazil has some aging stars, but they're still stars. Marta, Christiane and Formiga are the engine that makes Brazil go, and they'll need them operating on all cylinders to pull off the upset.

France is going to get out to a great start early, with a Wendie Renard goal (+800), and they'll add a second just before the half. Marta will make things queasy for French fans with a goal (+335), but it will not be enough for Brazil as the hosts advance by a 2-1 score.

---

Find more Women's World Cup coverage on BetAmerica Extra!