The United States will learn its 2022 World Cup opening opponent on Sunday after Wales and Ukraine face off in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying final playoff. The winner of the match will earn the final berth for Qatar 2022 and be placed in a group with the USMNT, England and Iran. Wales will have the crowd on its side at Cardiff City Stadium, and it is unbeaten in its past 18 home games, but Ukraine will play with high emotion for a nation that is fighting the Russian invasion back home. The crisis caused Ukraine’s semifinal to be pushed back to Wednesday, and the Yellow and Blue pulled off an emotional 3-1 road victory against Scotland. That match was supposed to be in March, and that’s when Wales advanced with a 2-1 victory against Austria.

Kickoff is set for noon ET in Cardiff, Wales. Caesars Sportsbook lists Wales as the +155 favorite (risk $100 to win $155) on the 90-minute money line in its latest Wales vs. Ukraine odds. Ukraine is a +185 underdog, a regulation draw is priced at +195 and the Over/Under for total goals scored is set at 2.5. Before you lock in any Ukraine vs. Wales picks, you have to see what proven soccer insider Martin Green has to say.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been stunningly accurate. Green has generated more than $37,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.

Now, Green has broken down the Wales vs. Ukraine matchup from every angle and just locked in his coveted World Cup qualifying picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Ukraine vs. Wales:

• Wales vs. Ukraine spread: Ukraine +0.5 (-195)
• Wales vs. Ukraine Over/Under: 2.5 goals 
• Wales vs. Ukraine money line: Wales +155, Ukraine +185, Draw +195 
• WAL: Gareth Bale has five goals and three assists in six WCQ matches 
• UKR: Andriy Yarmolenko has scored in three of the past four games

Why Wales can win 

As has been the case for several years now, the Dragons will be leaning on longtime superstar Bale, and more often than not, the playmaker has come through. He’s 32 now, but his two goals against Austria showed he can still take over a match, and he will go all-out for what is sure to be his final chance to make the World Cup. One of his goals against the Austrians was a free kick that underscored his prowess, and he could cause major problems for Ukraine’s 37-year-old goalkeeper on set pieces. He has 38 international goals and 170 in his club career.

Wales also has a strong veteran core, with Aaron Ramsey and Joe Allen in midfield, Ben Davies on the back line and Wayne Hennessey in net. Ramsey didn’t have a great season in the Scottish League, but he has 20 goals in 72 matches with Wales. Hennessey has 34 clean sheets and a 78.9 save percentage in 81 starts for the national team, and The Dragons will have a clear edge in fitness. Rob Page rested most of his key players for a 2-1 loss to Poland in a Wednesday Nations League match, which was their first loss since Euro 2020 last June (3-5-1).

Why Ukraine can win

The Blue and Yellow have the nation and much of the world behind it, and it used that fuel to dominate Wednesday’s semifinal. It ran its unbeaten run to nine competitive matches (11 overall) as Andriy Yarmolenko, Roman Yaremchuk and Artem Dovbyk scored. Ukraine put eight of its 15 shots on target in the game. Yarmolenko is the top international scorer with 45 goals in 107 matches, while Yaremchuk has scored 13 times in 37 games. They should be able to get on the board against a Wales defense that has conceded at least once in seven straight games.    

Goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov is the team’s captain, and the 37-year-old can still play at a high level. He started just six games for Shakhtar Donetsk this season, but he posted clean sheets in four of them. He has 37 clean sheets in 82 career international matches, saving 80.2 percent of the shots he has faced. Wales has little in the way of scoring outside of Bale, as Ramsey struggled mightily this season on loan to Rangers. The Dragons have 16 goals in their past 12 games, but half of those came in just two matches. Ukraine has 19 in its 11-game unbeaten run.

How to make FIFA World Cup Qualifying, Wales vs. Ukraine picks

Green has scrutinized the Wales vs. Ukraine match from every angle, and he is leaning over on the goal total. He also provides two confident best bets and has a full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing his coveted soccer picks and predictions at SportsLine.

So, who wins Ukraine vs. Wales in their FIFA World Cup Qualifying final match on Sunday? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Wales vs. Ukraine match, all from the European soccer expert who has generated more than $37,000 for $100 bettors over the past four seasons, and find out.