World Cup

Investment banks are big into making predictions — by their very nature they have to be good at it. But the UBS World Cup predictions might need a bit more work. The company gave Italy a 1.6 percent chance to win the World Cup, even though the Azzurri aren’t even in the tournament. 

UBS, which stands for you don’t really need to know for the sake of this article, is an investment bank based out of Switzerland. They recently employed 18 analysts and editors and ran computer simulations to predict the most likely winner of the 2018 World Cup. 

Every four years the World Cup crowns a new champion. But the tournament itself isn’t just about who is left standing at the end; it’s about the fans, the historic meetings of rivals, the David vs. Goliath matchups, the World Cup upsets.

While the globe gathers every four years to see who the winner is, one of the best parts of any tournament is the upset — the unexpected favorite falling to an unlikely underdog. World Cup upsets are no different.

Bruce Arena and Jurgen Klinsmann are two very different people both hung with the blame for failing to get the U.S. to the 2018 World Cup (because it’s easier to blame coaches than the players fans worship). 

Quick! I want you to grab a friend, a piece of paper and a writing utensil. Now, using the 10 items listed below, it’s time to start wagering on the World Cup!

“But what do I bet with?”

Your money! Your savings! Your firstborn child, ya Rumpelstiltskin looking drangus! I don’t care how you do it, just honor the U.S. high court by putting a bet on something, anything! 

Here are 10 fun bets you can explore with the World Cup just 29 days away.