In the 2022 World Cup’s Group C, play kicks off on Tuesday, November 22, at 5:00 am ET, with one of the World Cup favorites, Argentina (+550) taking on one of the lowest-ranked teams (51) in the tournament, according to the FIFA World Rankings, Saudi Arabia. It's time to continue our soccer odds series with an Argentina-Saudi Arabia prediction and pick.

On paper, this match shouldn’t be a contest. Argentina is a much better team with much better players, but stranger things have happened when the world gets together to play some soccer.

In this World Cup odds piece, we will look at the odds of the match, discuss why Argentina could win, how Saudi Arabia could win, and then make our picks for this Group C showdown.

Here are the Argentina-Saudi Arabia World Cup odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

World Cup Odds: Argentina-Saudi Arabia Odds

Argentina: -650

Saudi Arabia: +1600

Draw: +650

Over 2.5 Goals: -154

Under 2.5 Goals: +126

Why Argentina Will Beat Saudi Arabia

Argentina will beat Saudi Arabia because, from top to bottom, the South Americans are simply better. And while the Saudis have some of the best players in the Saudi Pro League, Argentina has possibly the greatest player in the history of the sport, Lionel Messi.

The truth of the matter is Argentina is one of the favorites to win the World Cup, and they should easily dispatch Saudi Arabia in their opener. In addition to Messi up front, the Argentines will likely start Inter Milan’s Lautauro Martinez and Juventus’ Angel Di Maria with the Paris Saint-Germain star and bring Roma’s Paulo Dybala and Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez off the bench.

Argentina’s midfield is a little thin, especially with Villarreal’s Giovani Lo Celso injured, but the defense is strong, and Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez has been strong between the pipes for his national team.

The overwhelming talent and skill on the Argentina side dwarf what Saudi Arabia will trot out, and for that reason alone, there’s a good chance the South American’s make quick work of their first 2022 World Cup opponent and turn their sites to Mexico and Poland before the final whistle sounds in this match.

This will be Messi's final World Cup, too, and he will want to put on a show for his fans from start to finish. Look for the PSG star to get his teammates involved right away, and if he does, Argentina won't just score goals, they'll score beautiful ones.

Why Saudi Arabia Will Beat Argentina

At +1600, the short answer to this question is Saudi Arabia probably won’t beat Argentina, but let’s make the case anyways.

The Saudi coach is Frenchman Herve Renard, who is an international team specialist and a legend on the continent of Africa. He won the African Cup of Nations with Zambia in 2012 and Ivory Coast in 2015, making him the first-ever manager to lift that trophy with two different countries. In 2016, Renard took over Morroco and led them to the 2018 World Cup, which was the country’s first appearance since 1998.

Saudi Arabia also shares a border with Qatar, so this match will be like a home game for them. The team didn’t have to travel far at all, and the stands should be packed with Saudis cheering on their team. It will be about as hostile an environment as any 2022 World Cup team will play in this go-around.

As for how Saudi Arabia beats Argentina from a technical perspective, they can do it the same way any massive underdog wins in soccer. The Green Falcons will park the bus, and put 10 or even 11 men between Lionel Messi and the goal. This will frustrate the Argentines and lead to long shots and forced passes.

At this point, all Saudi Arabia needs is one counterattack when the team’s best player and captain, Salem Al-Dawsari, gets one-on-one with Nicholas Otamendi. Al-Dawsari then gives the simplest of fakes, Otamendi falls down like he’s on ice skates, and the Saudi winger slips it past Emiliano Martinez for a 1-0 victory.

Sure, this is a lot easier said than done, but it’s not impossible by any means.

Final Argentina-Saudi Arabia Prediction & Pick

Laying out the way Saudi Arabia pulls off one of the upsets of the century is fun, but it’s not all that likely. The most realistic outcome here is that Argentina wins in a walk, and it’s not all that close.

Most of the betting drama here surrounds the over/under 2.5 goals. It’s somewhat doubtful that the Middle Eastern squad even gets a goal in this match, so the real question is, will Argentina put up at least three on the scoreboard?

For my money, the answer is yes, that is exactly what Argentina will do as they start their World Cup by beating Saudi Arabia 3-0.

Final Argentina-Saudi Arabia Prediction & Pick: Argentina (-650); Over 2.5 goals (-154)