Down at number 122 in the world rankings, Suriname have an opportunity to move one step closer to playing in their first FIFA World Cup. An encounter against Bolivia, ranked 76, stands in their way.

The two nations will meet in Mexico on Friday, March 27, with kickoff scheduled for 04:00 AEDT.

One victory won't be enough for either team to qualify, though, as they will need to face and beat Iraq.

Quick Picks

Our pick: Bolivia to win

Value bet: BTTS not to hit

Long shot: Bolivia to win 1-0

Betting Preview

The last time Bolivia qualified for the FIFA World Cup was in 1994, when it was held in the USA. They wouldn't win any of their group games in that competition, securing one draw with two defeats.

Although it wasn't their best qualifying campaign in history, they did manage to win their record most (six games) from the 18 played. On top of that, they had two draws, leading them to finish seventh in CONMEBOL qualification.

During the qualification, they managed to score 17 goals, which was more than Ecuador and Paraguay (who both automatically qualified), but keeping goals out of their net was tough. In the 18 games played, they shipped 35 (the most of all 10 nations).

Suriname had a dream qualification campaign. While it helped that USA, Canada, and Mexico were not involved due to automatic qualification as hosts, Suriname topped the group in the first stage and then went on to qualify as one of the two best second-placed teams. They edged Honduras in this stage on goals scored.

Throughout qualification, Suriname scored 19 goals and conceded just eight times in the 10 games played. They won half of their games, with Richonell Margaret scoring three times.

Betting Markets to Watch

It's perhaps not a surprise to learn that there are no prior meetings between these nations, adding to the potential value that can be found within the World Cup betting odds available.

Both teams have shown defensive tendencies recently, with Bolivia struggling for consistent goals (averaging 0.33 per game) and Suriname's attack faltering (recent 3-1 loss to Guatemala). Historical head-to-heads lean toward low-scoring draws or narrow results, with 67% of Bolivia's recent games under 2.5 goals.

Under 2.5 goals offers strong value, given both sides' low scoring averages (Bolivia 2.17 total goals/game, Suriname 2.5) and predictions of caution. The BTTS not hitting also offers good value, as Suriname have struggled in attack recently.

Miguel Terceros offers value as an anytime goalscorer, having led his country with 7 goals during qualification.

Our Prediction

Check the latest Bolivia vs Suriname betting odds at Sportsbet.

Our prediction is that Bolivia will end up as the most likely winners of this playoff game and will face Iraq in the final.

We don't think there'll be a lot of goals in this game, with the 'Under 2.5 Goals' offering value. The 'No' in the BTTS also presents value, as does the long shot of a Bolivia 1-0 win. If you're new to combining multiple legs for higher odds, this match could be a good starting point.

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