The FIFA Women's World Cup Knockout Stage begins this afternoon when top-ranked Germany takes on Sweden in the opening match. The match is scheduled for a 4:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on FOX Sports 1. Currently the betting odds for the match have the Germans favored to pick up the win and advance.

Germany vs. Sweden Betting Odds

This is certainly a tough draw for the world's No. 1 team in Germany. They breezed through the group stages with seven points, logging 15 goals and allowing opponents to score just once. The 1-1 draw with Norway was the only real blemish for the Germans in the group stages, but even with as well as they played, they now have an incredibly difficult first match in knockouts.

Sweden didn't play well in group stages, drawing in all three of their matches with Nigeria, Australia and the United States. But as fate would have it, the fifth-ranked team in the world found a way to sneak in to the knockouts and now have a huge task in front of them. The Swedish gave up four goals in group (three to Nigeria to open the World Cup), and obviously scored four themselves.

This could be the best first-round match of the knockouts, with each team ranked inside the Top 5 in the world. Sweden has not been impressive so far this World Cup but a win here would certainly bring a ton of praise as well as knocking out one of the favorites to win.

Germany has so many offensive weapons, Anja Mittag leads the World Cup with four tallies to date. If the Germans are allowed to set the style of play and run free on Sweden, Germany will advance to take on either France or South Korea. That quarterfinals match, especially if it comes against France, will also be a huge test for Germany.

The Germans should win today, they've played the best to date and have arguably the world's best team. Sweden will push them, but the Germans will get it done.

Free Pick: Germany in regulation time

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Pro handicappers Teddy Covers and Steve Fezzik have a bone to pick with MLB Commisioner Bud Selig, who decided the All-Star exhibition game will determine World Series home field advantage. With Royals fans currently voting seven Kansas City players into the starting line up of the American League team, this popularity-based roster of an exhibition game which has way too much impact on the most important baseball series of the year.

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