Keys to South American Soccer Betting -- Steve Wyss' Betting Zoo

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I'm delighted to be alongside Nathan Joyce today. Nathan, greatly appreciate you coming on the betting zoo. How's it going?

Very good Steve. Happy to be on there and it's nice to have pressure not having to tip for a change. So yeah, just to talk about my background or things south America without having to necessarily provide anything is a different situation but quite a nice one to be and so you're happy to be here.

Well, he says that now I might try and get a pick out of him before the end of the show you just you don't know with there with what will go on here.

Yeah, this is the show where we find out more about our handicappers the backgrounds stories and things like that of course loads of betting technique tips so Nathan really.

I know you are strongly associated with South American soccer but there's a lot more about you as well and it goes with anyone that I sort of talk to about from the soccer betting world.

Where did that love for start for the actual sport itself forget the betting side for a minute but usually it was this something you sort of grew up into or dreaded develops over the years.

Yeah, my dad played semi pro football he was a goalkeeper for Crowley town and docking back in the day so it's a life that he's always loved and known and I think he still kicks himself now that he didn't go pro.

I still have that conversation with him now and I still see the pain in his eyes at times but he was never really too pushy but I think when you see a pairing get involved with anything you sort of follow suit

and he was so passionate about football so from an early age he just introduced us to it.

He was actually one of the managers when I was like under 9s and the 10s and normally there's a lot of favor for the kid but my dad was tough love with me I didn't get that treatment at all.

So for some reason I stuck with it but yeah I just fell into it from there I think it's probably not an unusual path my dad was massively into it but he knew the game incredibly well

and he was a difficult man to please for your performances but I think that drove me to try and be a better player at the time when I when I was playing and so I always had that love

and like appreciation with football and no it just sort of grew from there really so it just stemmed from from my dad and although my dad was a Liverpool fan he tried to get me in the shirt but I managed to evade that and yeah I never followed him in his footsteps but he respected me for that.

That's where the initial football love I suppose came about.

He's very interesting that your dad could you know was at semi pro level there maybe could have become a pro about yourself what was the sort of best level that you got to play in the game.

I never hit the dizzy heights of what my dad played I played a decent level like Saturday Sunday League and I remember we had like Scouts come and watch our team looking at other players

and I think the moment because every 13 14 15 year old things they're going to make it no matter what level they play and you just have that dream don't know that hope.

And we had a couple of players in our team who were very good one of them now is a coach at Schalke he's so he's gone down the path slightly differently but.

Peter Braskelts came to watch him and that game I scored a hat trick when I was about 14 and it's the only time I've ever scored a hat trick.

And so there was a moment of hope after the game to think maybe that was my opportunity it never came.

So who were Saturday and Sunday League was probably as close as I got to anything but I played it I played at an alright level but I quickly fell out of love playing football from around about 19 20 really I play five sides six sides stuff like that but I don't know I just prefer to to watch it and yeah I just sort of fell out of a play with it I think Saturday Sunday League can take over your life a little bit.

Getting absolutely mullered on a side or Sunday just wasn't for me when I was trying to just get back into work on a Monday so yeah I played at an okay level but yeah nowhere near the level of my dad's unfortunately for him anyway.

You know I was exactly the same actually in terms of I used to play Sunday League soccer until I was about 21 22 I was a goalkeeper predominantly but I could play left back in center back as well.

But then I just stopped playing I mean obviously I've what love soccer madden to soccer watch it a lot but I think I ended up playing other sports more like cricket and golf and things like that.

I don't know why I stopped playing looking back that that young.

I stopped playing for even five side and stuff it's crazy really looking back I was really I wasn't that bad a player and I don't know why I just stopped but the life gets in the way as well stuff like that doesn't it so funny how.

Well look my dad's my dad plays for my dad actually it's not Welsh but he actually played for Wales walking team now so represents the over 65s and they have world cups and in like honestly it's a different world to take it incredibly seriously so.

I'm not telling you to get into walking football Steve but look doors open for everyone and my dad loves it he had to actually living Wales for five years in order to play for them but now we go to here there in every way it's been in Portugal over the last weekend representing so.

It just goes to show like that the kid in you will always be there when it comes to football and trust me just because it's walking football and I watch the little bit of my dad playing and they take it very seriously.

I've seen some of that and it looks very competitive in places and you know obviously it's interesting from a technical level because I played I played a five side game a couple of years ago just a one off to fill in and I think no one expected me to be anything at all and there was a few comments afterwards saying.

Do you know what Steve you're quite good technically aren't you? Yeah I'm alright I'm alright I did used to play a bit you know but I've been walking football the technique would be really really important but I mean it's fascinating sort of break through into soccer for you there Nathan and but really what you are known for is the South American expertise and you know worldwide knowledge as well but what got you actually into that part of the the soccer world really is a good question and there must have been a place that started off.

Yeah if I had a pound or a dollar for every time somebody asked me that I probably would be able to give it all up and retire now it's people always quite confused as to how I fell into it and I think the question is I started following South American football at uni probably when I was staying up later than I should have done we have a lot more time on your hands.

Now from the age of 10 I used to follow up until recently I used to follow not on forest and back then when I was at uni they weren't very good probably won six seven games and stayed in the championship and that was it really so I used South American football as an escape I just started seeing that games run a little bit later and then I started seeing like believe in teams would be in river play and obviously I knew about river play but this made no sense to me and then I started finding out about altitude and all this long travel.

Traveling and the crazy stories around South America and I just thought I just fell in love with it for its raw authentic self really and the passion out there is is something else and I think especially over the last five to 10 years the way in which the English game has gone in the Premier League and it's all about money and how same teams win things all the time like it was just different out there it was like just football win.

Without money but the raw ability like we've seen it for many years now how South American teams can dominate on a on a world stage or I just thought well where are these players originator from where are they coming from.

So I just started getting hooked on a few games and I come to this day I was trying to remember it this morning before we jumped on the show but I remember watching South Paulo one night and they were three nil up in a home leg and they went away against a serious seaside and they beat them like three four nil and qualified

and I was like what is happening here like this would never happen in Europe or England and I think I was just sort of swept up in the emotional side of the game and how anyone could be anyone and then I just started doing more more research on it and it was just a passion project for so long I didn't really write or talk about it I just kept it in the background.

I was working for bookmakers and my first real job after I used it as a bit of a passion project throughout uni and then when I did my masters and then I worked for well on Gibraltar and I did a lot of the donkey shifts out there and my first sort of jobs in the industry was just covering the websites and to be honest with you I wasn't really doing a lot and everyone had a TV on the desks and whilst people were catching up with old shows or TV.

This was when a limited Aurez, when the Sudamericana and Brazilian football was on and I just was watching it at work and I was like this is sick I'm getting paid to watch South American football and I just got so invested within the teams but it was more like just from a passion or maybe a betting point of view and then it wasn't really until the last five, six years where I sort of started making it my own thing.

So I worked for like odd checker and better fair in the past and I was able to write limited Aurez previews and columns. I think they just let me do it because I kept asking if I could and then I sort of built up a little bit of a reputation from there and then when Brexit happened I think the only good thing to come from Brexit in my eyes was the fact that these work permits were made a lot easier for young South Americans to come direct to Europe.

And funnily enough the first few players who were coming across were going to not an forest so I had a I'll see fans of forest who were following me across socials so I just started writing and talking about it and it started building up a bit more noise and traction and then obviously aside from the go Tim Vickery not many people cover it so I thought this is an opportunity just to weighing with my opinions on who these players are or where they're coming from and then others who were interested in the betting angle.

And then I've just sort of molded everything into one really so whether people follow me for my stories or my betting tips whatever it may be it's it's funny how things work out but there's not many of us covering South America and I think now I've hopefully proven myself over time that I know what I'm looking at and I know what I'm talking about.

And yeah I am the person who will probably not be watching the Premier League on a Saturday Sunday but I'll be heavily involved in watching a top flight game in Ecuador and people may find that a little bit odd but I've always been obsessed with maybe different football shall I say my brother moved to Qatar and I got involved in the Qatar stars league and then started looking at the AFC Champions League and I think this is just where from a betting point of view if we bring it back.

This is where you can find an edge because I was very much thinking well if a bookmaker which is or a trader is setting leads for example are they really going to be knowing what's going on in these leagues and I think that's what gives you an advantage in terms of the prices.

So I think he was there was that satisfaction of not only watching entertainment football but hopefully finding an edge that nobody else was and I think he got a lot of satisfaction out of being that person to potentially find that rather than is it going to be Chelsea or Arsenal this weekend like I'll leave it up to other people that's been covered but where can I make a difference in in an area where I'm really passionate about.

The fascinating yeah I mean it's funny how you get into things like that people always ask me where how did you get into French football how did you get into Scandinavian football.

I suppose that's a question for a different betting zoo and maybe I'm on the other side of the curtain but you don't know what you mentioned there about actually betting in South America because it's always felt a little bit niche to me.

I think the only time I really sort of regularly betted in South America was Copa Libertadoras for a two or three year period I never got into domestic leagues but the libertadoras I did and I think it originated from there was a pro I used to work with and he said you need to get involved here because there's some real mismatched advantages with like altitude and things like that and traveling and motivation and it's a good competition to the betting in midweek when there's not a lot of out on sometimes so.

So betting in South America advice then what sort of place is it I mean is it a good place for sort of stats models and stuff like that do you need like team news and you know info on the ground.

Do you have to apply almost more of a good instincts to betting in South America because you know the human factor side perhaps is more than in say box standard European league what's the best sort of what's the key to success in betting in South America is the best part of the question.

Yeah I have not made it easy for myself I know I've just said about there being an edge and trying to find that what other people may not see on the other side of the coin.

I stand by it I think betting in South America is probably the most difficult market in the world but if you look in the right places and you do research this is where you can reap the rewards how I approach betting in South America is rare.

There's so much a lot of research a lot of time a lot of effort obviously a lot of how I started is what I see with the naked eye I like to trust myself before letting data sometimes dictate how I see a game I think a lot of people will lead with data first then maybe an opinion on a game and then look at the odds for me I'm very much like well if I'm watching this team week in week out and the day is not supporting how I see a game.

Sometimes that couldn't steer me away from what I've seen and the angle I want to take so I'm the person maybe maybe I'm revealing myself to be quite stubborn here but I like to see and judge a game myself I think I'm a good reader football match but I like to go a little bit deeper and I like to look at the noise around the club.

I like to maybe brush up on the Spanish a little bit and go through and read columns like what's the latest what's happening who's traveled who's not traveling is there a rift within the squad like even not just looking at that game that we can like how can I have a knock on effect over there two or three weeks is that club traveling five six times how many miles of the covering like what players what's the average age of the squad like who's going to be fatigued who's likely to be suspended in a week or two time I'm going to.

I put a pin in a future game in two weeks time that I like the look of so i'm looking at all these angles to and trust me I put hours into it and sometimes it's a no better you have to walk away from it which I think a lot of better can get frustrated with but my principles are very much is a game of patience whether it is only two or three bets in a week or and in other weeks can be up to 12 to 15 it all just depends on on what's happening but.

I'm very much especially fine there'll be certain teams that I would like to follow and say Brazil throughout the season if they're entertaining to watch or good from a betting point of view and I would just like to watch how those games unfold really and then of course you have to bring data into it but i don't like to let it dictate me too much in terms of what i'm seeing on the pitch because teams can change year on year so if we take international for example in Brazil like they finish.

It's the third or fourth couple of seasons ago and then only stayed up last year on the last day of the season now like a they were priced wrong throughout the whole of 2025 because I think the bookmakers had no clue what was going on in the club where I was trying to keep a close eye on the rift that was going on between the board the manager the players.

Like there was floods in that region as well so players were leaving the club where were they go in alley strengthening the other clubs who was like the debt of those particular clubs it sounds like.

I just like to leave no stone and turn really to try and strengthen what I see and just bring so many different elements to the table but.

But as a South American writer and journalist as well like i'm here to tell the stories but sometimes those stories turn into betting angles for you with certain teams to follow and.

Sometimes it's good to follow those teams for certain amount of months whether you are back in and more against them like it's it's quite a nice approach so yeah it's it's quite in depth I like to trust myself first and foremost.

But I loved I have to do digging and I have to find certain angles first as to why I'm actually achieving this and some advice I gave to somebody first will I got given some really good advice first will leave with that I actually interviewed professional gambler maybe seven eight years ago and his advice was find a niche league with a team which has like 10 to 12 teams within it.

And get to know those teams inside out on and off the pitch and obviously you're going to lose a few accounts along the way but that will help you when they go into other competitions for example so.

So he actually helped me and I started looking into like the Bolivian League six seven years ago because I was obsessed with how they were performing in say the Liberty Dores for example.

So I started covering a domestic league and then looking into the Liberty Dores and I want to feel like you've cracked back then you could sort of move into another smaller league say like Ecuador and then follow like two or three back ball teams within there.

Now the only thing is with South America and what's coming out over the last few years is I don't even go anywhere near delivery anymore because there's been so many reports of match fixing and corruption and stuff like that so you have to approach certain leagues with caution but it didn't always used to be like that with Bolivia but actually just sitting down following one league takes a lot of time effort and patience and I don't think the most casual bears will want to do that and I don't necessarily blame them.

But I think that's a really good way of like beating a market because like I said most people will know or have thoughts and opinions on the Premier League but if I asked you if Blooming were going to beat Bolivar this weekend no five percent of people won't know and that's where you can create a market or an opportunity within the market for yourself and I get a lot of satisfaction out of that trying to especially when it all comes together your research and finding everything out to find that angle.

It's really satisfying and I think that is just the angle I like to take with with any sort of betting so it may not appeal to everybody is looking for a weekend Acha but it's it's proven to be pretty successful for me over the years.

Now you are the founder of something called the Copper Club which is described as the number one home for South American football content in English which is interviews podcasts and more and you know what I'm not going to disagree with that I think you are the number one.

But that in South America for this. Yeah I mean you are exceptional tell us a little bit more about the Copper Club and if those who are interested in in this part of the world this might be something for them to to follow you on because it's not just betting content this is like soccer content as well you get into note the nations the players a lot more the Copper Club.

Yeah so I'm a journalist first and foremost and it's the stories behind football which I love and South America is full of them the Copper Club came around about three years ago now and it was when I first left full time work and I wanted to sort of continue on this South American journey and first and foremost what we used to do magazines we've stopped this year we may bring it back at some point but we did magazines around like tournaments like the Liberty Dores.

Both digital and physical and there's a huge demand for physical magazines which blew my mind at first and then we ended up doing five or six editions in like a two year period where we are it was great I got to interview like sporting directors sit down with clubs interview players do you play a profile just lift the lid on like loads of clubs and like we did deep dive into like independent in the valley where I've seen Moses Crusader came from and obviously Brighton will know all about that as well.

There's Chelsea fans. So it was a case of just telling these stories and like profiling players and then we've just built a nice community of different co hosts for for the podcast so it was originally a magazine spawned to a podcast and look we'll always ramp our content up around like Copper America World Cup so obviously we've got plenty of podcasts coming up over the next couple of months but we're not a shout your podcasts which is probably why some people may not have heard of us and we're not trying to go viral and see what we're doing.

We're not going to make sure we're not going to miss it and clips but we just we mainly focus now on Brazil because that's we've listened to our audients and that's what people want but we still share stories around self miracle in the podcast but we just talk about the situation in Brazil or plays that I've caught or I or we'll preview their Libertadores in the next couple of weeks which always does really well and it's really interesting sort of show to go through but we've recently moved across the

and areas where I think people are interested in.

So Jesse Lindard's moved to Corinthians.

Why has that come about?

So I want to write and talk and explain about his journey.

But then Botifogo, who won the Liberty Doris

and the Brazilian title for the first time in their history

less than 18 months ago,

were in the relegation zone

as we kind of have to a few rounds

and with John Texter sort of running the club

into the ground.

I love that.

I think that's really interesting.

And I want to share that story with people.

So he's lifting the lid on like player profiles

and people who should be on the way to Europe

because that's what people want to know.

But I want to tell these stories in South America

and like writing is like number one passion

as well as obviously speaking for people

who are listening so far.

I'll happily talk and write about it.

And I think I'm surprised that more outlets don't do it.

Maybe that's good for me

because it means more people will hopefully get

to know the Copa Club.

But I just want to shed more light on South America

because look, these are nations where

you look Argentina, Brazil, Colombia

and have wonderful footballers.

But so many stories behind the scenes

which people don't know about.

Or they're just stories in English

which people want to know about and no one does.

So that's what I try and do.

I just try and shed light on these stories

inform people, educate people

and just keep spreading the word really

because look, there should be a place for everywhere

in football but there's just is a lack

of South American content.

So it's good for me.

It keeps me busy for sure

and just gives people an option

just to learn a little bit more out of that

Premier League bubble if I can phrase it that way.

You can follow the Copa Club on X

at the Copa Club.

I've just followed, embarrassingly,

I wasn't following Nathan

so you've got a new follower there.

Well, I appreciate the honesty.

You can follow Nathan on X as well

at Nathan Joy's One.

You can follow myself and meet Mansaka.

Let us know in the comments any questions you got

or any thoughts about this later

but in zoo episode or feel free

to interact with us on the socials, of course.

Now back to the betting front here, Nathan.

I'll tell you one thing I have noticed

for you, I've been working with you

the last half year or whatever.

I think you've got a great eye

for betting what I call goal scorers,

anytime scorers, stuff like that.

Would you say this is your favorite betting market

to get involved in?

What's your strategy behind betting goal scorers

because we get this question a lot.

Should you be betting anytime scorer, first goal scorer,

the rarely seen last goal scorer, of course, as well.

Is it about numbers, formations,

eye tests, matchups or what

because I've been really impressed with your eye

for a goal scorer?

Yeah, I would say it was my favorite market

but I'm always looking within them

because I always think there's a good angle

of bookmakers misprices,

especially with team selections in South America

as an example, of course,

that be player suspended or injured

in two or three days before the match.

There will still be sort of evens

or odds on slightly to be the running to score first.

I think there's just a lot of lazy pricing.

So I think sometimes that presents an opportunity

to get a nice price.

But away from just sort of like slipups

from the bookmaker side of things,

I love to look at teams who are,

I'm a poor on the road,

I like to look at home,

we'll take a home team situation

and if they're paying a poor side

or a team that are considering plenty at the moment.

But there's levels above that

where we can look at who is scoring against them.

Are they vulnerable to centerbacks or strikers

or number 10s?

And then I like to look through the goals

that those teams have conceded to be like,

where are the gaps appearing?

Where are those teams vulnerable?

If they're conceding,

there must be some sort of like passing of behavior.

Can't just be sporadic, 30-yard goals

or own goals here and there.

There must be a point or a pattern

where they're rubbish at set pieces

or a number 10 who can run late in the box

or create those opportunities

or if they are a new manager's come in

and they want to play a left back as a left winger

and they're shooting for fun.

Like I just look at those particular opportunities

I think a lot of people will just go,

this striker scored last week,

he's two to one school first, I'm gonna back them.

Well, who are they lining up against?

Like are they playing five at the back

when they're away from home?

Like where do they concede?

If they're any concede from set pieces,

why are you back in a five at 10 striker for example?

So it's of course looking to see where the bookmakers

have been a little bit lazy or naive.

And I think sometimes you can get a start

in striker on number 10

who's number third for fifth down the list for example.

So you get a nice price,

but looking at these teams and looking at recent trends

because teams go through good and bad periods.

So I always think look at the last five, 10 games,

home away or just a little bit of a mixture

to be honest with you

and just see where they're falling short,

where are those spaces?

And then looking to see if it marries up

with the opposition side,

do they have a number 10

who is arguably their best player?

So I don't always look for,

oh he scored three in his last five,

so he's going to score again.

Even if it's a number 10

who hasn't scored in five or six games,

but he's playing against sideways,

going to get those opportunities

and it's a side that should be winning that match.

He's more likely to score in my eyes,

but bookmakers will only have a price at the strikers

or the informed players.

So I think that's what creates an opportunity.

And if we go back to what I said earlier

in terms of looking at team who's being close

to certain teams,

which other bookmakers won't be,

finding out if a centreback's playing in midfield

against a weaker team,

like I love those opportunities,

you can get prices of 20, 33 plus

when any time as well,

when they should be closer to six

and just taking a little bit of a gamble on there.

So I think they're not as often as I would like them to be,

but when they present themselves,

I think there's always a really nice opportunity.

And it's not just South America,

find really good opportunities here in the Middle East,

especially like Saudi, Qatar, places like that,

because look, I'll say it again,

bookmakers sometimes have no idea about these leagues.

So this is where you can really find an opportunity

and just read it about these teams

and then going through highlights,

highlights are just available for us everywhere now

across socials, across YouTube.

I think about when I first started out about 8, 9, 10 years ago,

like that wasn't always there for you,

but now there are, so you can actually,

and good highlights, not the grainy ones either

where you can actually see a little bit of analysis

and different angles,

and that can sometimes help spot those gaps.

So that's why, I wouldn't say it's my favorite angle,

but I think it's one way you can find really good opportunities.

And I think a lot of people just back goal scorer markets,

quite naively, when I think if you just look a little bit closer,

this is why you can find good prices.

Yeah, absolutely.

In terms of goal scorer,

as I always find the position on the field is something

that sometimes bookmakers have overlooked.

I always remember a guy used to play with Chelsea.

Gail Cacuta,

he went to D-Solo alone.

And for some reason, they had him down

as like a center back or a right back or something like that.

And he was like 33, 40 to 1 to score any time.

I think they were quite a big dog that day,

and I remember a bookmaker and he was the last bit I ever had with him.

B-Win?

What were they called?

It was B-Win.

And I enjoyed that one.

But that was the last bit I ever had with him.

I think I took them to the team, it doesn't matter.

But that was a good one to end with.

But anyway, let's just move on to international soccer

because the FIFA World Cup is coming up soon.

Another question you keep getting asked, Nathan,

is how are Brazil going to do in the World Cup

or how are Argentina going to do in the World Cup?

But I think betting on international soccer

can be completely different sometimes.

And I think it requires certain techniques.

Both in international soccer windows were also at tournaments.

And I consider you someone who would be really good at this area.

I mean, you're the sort of guy I know you've been betting

like Asian cups in the past and stuff like that.

I've kind of been the same with African nations cups

down the years.

What would be your best sort of bits of advice

for betting on international soccer

and probably more specifically in tournaments like the World Cup

because some people go in headstrong straight away.

Some people like to wait until matches are sort of done.

Some people have tons of futures bets

and some like to wait till the tournament starting.

How do you approach tournament betting

and say that coming up World Cup?

This is going to reveal a lot about me

and how I see the game completely different everyone else

because the World Cup will come round

and everyone's placing their bets on the winners

or the top goalscorer markets

where I'm looking at markets on teams

who are going to finish third in the group, for example,

which blows people's minds as to why I'm looking at that.

I'm always an under rather than an over kind of guy.

So maybe it comes across a little bit more negative.

But obviously the World Cup format is changing this time

but we'll take previous editions

and I'll always be looking at a particular group

where they have two sort of inevitable teams

who are going to go through

and then where's that battle for third place

going to come from?

I remember, I can't remember the exact year it was

but when England had Panamera and Tunisia

in the group and someone else,

but like Panamera were heavily odds on to finish bottom

with the group where Tunisia were even to finish third

and I probably think that was my biggest bet

of the whole World Cup, which probably not many people would say

but that's where for me, I think no one's really lucky

and I think that's where the opportunities present themselves.

So I always like those to finish third

or to qualify not to qualify

if you think you've got an edge

rather than just steering towards the big dogs

because I think a lot of people will always look towards

doubles, trebles, or actors

of just following the big nations.

And you only have to look at Saudi Arabia

and they'd be Argentina.

People can say that was a complete one often.

I agree to certain extent

but when we have this bigger World Cup now

and these clash of other nations,

which people won't know about,

for me it's looking at like team chemistry.

How do these teams get on?

Because even when a huge nation plays a smaller nation,

like lots of people will be keen to get on the Asian handicap

in favor of like say France doing a job on somebody 2, 3, 4, 0

but when it comes to international level

playing on a World Cup stage or Copa America or whatever it may be,

like team chemistry and how these teams are getting on

behind the scenes is so important.

And I think that was a huge part of why Saudi Arabia

were able to stun Argentina.

And I've gone back to that example

but it's sort of fresh in my mind.

So I might vice beyond that

because that may not appeal to everybody

is to not rush with futures,

not get on, don't go crazy with them

because then you probably really need a 60, 70% of them to land

to come out in profit.

I think it's easy to jump on four, five different goal scorers.

It's not really my strategy.

I like to sometimes sit and see how one or two of the group stage plays

and then is there a prize over the top goal score

that may appeal to me.

And they're sort of better who will be more happy to let one slide

and maybe take a slightly shorter odds in my favour

seeing how the tournament unravels in the first round or two.

But my futures are those to finish the, to finish bottom combinations.

I think the single angles if I like Tunisia at evens.

I think some people see a price they really like

and then try to double up with something

that there are only 70% confident with.

And that's where sometimes greed can sort of get in the way

of what you're trying to achieve.

So for me, it's always singles all the way,

slowly build your pot.

If you have an antipost, don't get me wrong.

Like I am always keen for an outright antipost

if the price is right.

I'm not just going to get sucked into something just for the sake of it.

So and it's an interesting well cut this time, right?

Obviously it's been expanded.

There's a lot more minos there.

But it's going to be really interesting

because a lot of people are going to be taking on the minos all the time

but they can't all lose.

It doesn't work that way.

So look to see how about team chemistry

who's been included, what their preparation has been like.

Because sometimes the big dogs turn up to this well cut.

Look at Argentina.

Their preparation is turning out to be a complete disaster

this time round.

Maybe the last year I've been saying they're a good bet

and Brazil aren't.

And now I'm a little bit unsure as to who is out of either of those.

I don't think Argentina's prep against smaller African nations

is going to necessarily prepare them for the World Cup.

And this may sound like a conspiracy theory now

but I just don't think things are all well

within the Argentinian camp at the moment.

That Lionel Messi's been getting a lot of hate

for standing and clapping alongside Donald Trump.

And that's been happening all across Argentina now.

Like so there's a little bit there.

And I'm press the Arnie and obviously

what happened with Vinicius Jr.

whether he's included within the squad or not.

Like it's making a lot of neutrals

who were probably side with Argentina.

They may not get that back in.

So which is crazy to say out loud

but these political things will obviously

have an impact on the pitch and with the squad.

So will that impact Argentina in a negative way?

Potentially.

And to certain people on my sound,

crazy looking at those angles

but football and football betting

is more than just what happens on the pitch.

And it's a lot about how the teams approach it

and what's happening in and around them as well.

So there's a lot of factors to potentially consider.

So before you have sizable bets or confident bets

just make sure that you've gone through

absolutely everything to make sure you're confident.

And if you like a selection,

even if it's around 1.7, 1.8 and you think

it's the better the tournament,

my advice would be not to double up to try

and improve the odds.

If you like something, be confident, back it.

Very, very good advice indeed.

And I think this is going to be the biggest

then event that's ever been in soccer.

This coming up World Cup in America expanded team

so much interest.

It could be absolutely crazy both on and off the field.

And like I said, he was going to win it.

Well, this is the betting zoo.

So it's time for a pet pick.

And by win percentage,

this is probably the most successful show on that

because we win.

The pets have been in great form.

Including my cat cricket.

She's 4 and 1 on the year.

And we've given her the option to pick the World Cup winner.

I've narrowed it down to either a European winner

or rest of the world winner.

So this is an early prediction.

Let's see which option she chose to go with.

Here she comes.

And this is very, very quick decision, Nathan, by the way.

This is sometimes Dillison Dallas,

but straight into Europe.

European World Cup winner, according to my cat cricket.

So can she improve on her 4 and 1 record?

Nathan, that is the big question.

Imagine if cricket just completely mugs me off here, by the way.

I've been going, you need to research this.

You need to be looking at that.

And then cricket just goes straight for what she wants.

And wins the 30, 40 minute chat we've had

has just become redundant, isn't it?

Europe will rush the world because I mean,

I mean, treat by this one.

Historically, when the World Cup is outside of Europe,

then rest of the world team to have a better chance.

And I've got a feeling, actually, I don't want to go against her

because she's been so successful,

but I've got a feeling rest of the world might have a more of a chance

than the normal perhaps here.

Yeah, it's going to be interesting where we're entering the unknown.

And although it was a different tournament, the club World Cup

was the perfect example of, like,

it doesn't just work out how the bookmaker has always

expected it to or how people will envision it.

So yeah, the fact that it's in the US,

I think that's going to be,

often more than one curveball for this.

I don't know if I could outright sit here today and say

that on paper are Brazil or Argentina stronger

than the likes of Spain, for example.

But I hear you.

I think the different format may throw people.

I don't have a confident outright selection at the moment.

So I'm sorry for people who have sat with me for this long,

but I don't know if I'd be rushing to back Brazil or Argentina

at this moment in time.

Yeah, I think that's the advice that's generally come from this section.

Just wait and see.

Things can change, of course, before the tournament is still

what three months away, roughly.

So yeah, wait and see what happens.

Some more questions before we finish Nathan,

some sort of extra ones.

What soccer teams or sports teams or players do you support?

Now, you know, the rumour was it for a long time?

Was those tricky trees?

I don't know if the situation's changed now.

I don't have a team that I follow anymore,

which may sound, I took a bit of a garrif bail route,

you know, I've really gotten to my goal over the last year.

So I'm not sure what my flag would say,

but it probably would lead with golf.

I tried to stay neutral in South America for my work

and also everything I do around it.

But each year there's always a team that I will prefer

and watch due to just how they play.

Previous years it's been through my ends

and then Palmeiras and Corinthians and international.

So I don't have an assigned team,

but do you know what?

It's actually really nice now to not let my weekends

be ruined by a football team that I cannot control.

So yeah, I don't have a dedicated team to support anymore,

but yeah, I just champion anyone in Brazil's league,

to be honest with you.

Yeah, another one of the app

because we win team into the golf.

Really, there's so many of us into the golf these days.

Don't blame you at all.

But do you have a favorite soccer player at all time, though?

Oh, for sure.

When you asked me this question,

my loads of players came to mind to like,

so when I was in primary school,

everyone supported Arsenal because they were the team

and everyone loved like Tieri on re,

but I was always the person who loved like Freddie Lumberg.

I think I always like those sort of,

maybe the positions now change,

but those number eights, number 10s,

those more creative players.

And then as I got a little bit older,

I was always into number sixes.

So when I was going to watch Forrest as a kid,

I used to love a player called Guy Moussi,

who was a jambajit player at the time,

just a hard hit in number six

so the fans sort of fell in love with.

But from a South American point of view,

if I'm going with the number 10 and number eight angle,

maybe Ronaldinho was a player just because of obviously,

I don't need to, he needs no introduction,

but I think the player to probably talk about now

because there's been so much noise around him.

I don't know if it's just been trolls,

but I've been fortunate enough in my life to see

so many of the top players of my generation,

but Neymar just stands out

and I think I have to talk about him

because Forbore over the last two, three years

has become so technical, so tactical, so analytical.

And sometimes that bores me,

which is probably why I have stood towards South American Forbore

and I embrace it more.

And I think Neymar is the perfect example.

I think he's just been bad now out of late so much.

And I think people forget just like how good he was

at Barcelona, the numbers he produced for PSG,

like what he has done for Brazil,

like since his injury, like Brazil have been in the mud

for such a long period of time

and that's not a coincidence.

So he's a player you either love or hate

and I think if you turn around and say you don't rate Neymar

or you don't enjoy a play like Neymar,

for me, I just don't think you understand or get football.

It's why we watch it, right?

We want to be entertained,

but he's not just an entertainer, he's just unbelievable.

So once in a lifetime player, for sure.

So yeah, I'll put Neymar down just because there's been

so much heat on him over the last week or two

and I just don't understand it.

Devasive figure.

I used to not like him when he was at PSG.

If I used to often have regular interactions

with my co-host of the Nordic football podcast,

Jonathan Fadooba.

And every week Neymar seemed to like do these tricks

in Paris, which used to annoy me.

And I was like, come on, there's no need for this.

And he's like, actually, I really like him

because he's one of the few people in soccer

who is having fun.

And there's not enough of that these days.

He's what Jonathan was used to say.

And maybe I can take his point a little bit.

There's been no denying his ability in my opinion.

I think that part of my maize yet gets questions

on his ability, but yeah, he's been divisive

with other ones, interesting answer.

Now, and if you were a manager, Neymar,

I reckon you'd be quite a good manager.

Would you be like Jose Merino, Pep Guardiola,

would you be like a clock type

or someone else perhaps in style?

This is a really interesting question.

If I've said Neymar here and I love creative players,

I can't turn around and say I'm going to be someone like

Pep, can I or even Merino Park in the bus,

but I think there's a time and place, isn't there?

So maybe there's a mix there of probably Merino,

if I was a minnow and I was playing against somebody

who I could really annoy, but out of those three,

I probably have to go towards Clark.

I just want somebody, I want my,

I probably want my team to be quite chaotic.

So you turn around and said that I'd be a good manager

and maybe that answer was completely thrown

that in a different direction.

I'd probably want my team to be chaotic,

attacking on the front foot,

but then hopefully I'd know how to frustrate teams,

I'll use that word and have that Merino approach

as I'm when requires,

but football's there to be enjoyed right in school goals.

So anyone but Pep, I know he's had success,

but that wouldn't be my style.

It's funny, I criticise a lot of these sort of negative

managers and boring managers,

but I actually think if I was in charge,

I would be all about the results, actually Nathan

and probably happy to bring them out.

Yeah, I don't know, I'd be answering

is I just don't know what I'd be like.

All right, this is the question I see everyone.

You're not going to get an Amazon docker,

if you go and play sensible football.

So I might only be in charge six weeks,

but at least YouTube would be interested

in my documentary.

So be interesting to see.

Okay, I asked this question to everyone

or something similar.

What would be your ideal three-course meal, Nathan?

Honestly, I've been thinking about this non-stop,

since you posed it to me,

and I've changed my answer a lot,

but I am a huge fan of Indian Pakistani

cuisine, so I think my starters

and my sort of middle feast overlap.

So, but I just like it when there's a huge spread.

I can pick and choose some osuers,

chanacha, rotis, dansak,

chicken kharahi, all of their sort of mix.

You put that in front of me,

and then you can put whatever design in front of me

at by that point, and probably so full.

I'm not even bothered.

I'm not a huge dessert fan.

If you could offer me another curry,

I'd probably take that.

But if you look at guns in my head,

during the winter, whatever,

I'm probably going to go like really classic

in terms of sticky, toffee pudding

or something like that.

But for me, it's all about the stars and the main.

So yeah, any type of cuisine

from that sort of side of the world,

that's what I want, that's what I'm after.

Good call.

I do like it a good Indian.

I must say, Nathan, I'm kind of with you.

I'm not over the set on dessert.

I mean, I don't get me wrong.

I'm not going to turn down a good one.

But yeah, it's all about that main course for me

and a good starter as well.

Feed you up nicely.

100% I like that idea.

Right, final question that I've never actually asked

this one before.

I don't know why this idea came in my mind.

Imagine you are on a long-haul flight

and you have to be sat directly next

to another member of the app because we win team.

Would you choose?

I think this is an unfair question, isn't it?

I think it was a little bit harsh,

because I don't want to upset anybody.

I think you and I, Steve, would have a good time,

but I will probably have to pick someone else

and I'll go with Lewis Jones

because look, we can get a good YouTube channel

on the go for me.

Jones enjoys on tour.

We can have that.

But I think he's there every time I've heard him

on the show or even when I've been within once or twice,

he's got away with words, doesn't he?

His approach is always quite fascinating.

So a long-haul flight, I mean,

I try to sleep for most of it,

but if I'm going to have an hour or two with somebody,

I think Lewis Jones could teach me a thing or two for sure.

Good answer.

Yeah, I mean, I was thinking myself with the question,

you could,

it depends on what you want from the flight, really,

if you want a good chin rag with someone,

if you want a good conversation,

or you want a bit of peace and quiet.

I mean, I could easily pick Simon Holden

because it'd probably be his sleep after time.

For that, or something like that.

Anyway, that is the end of the episode

of the Betting Zoo.

Nathan, that was brilliant.

Thank you so much for your time.

No worries.

Let us know what you think, guys,

in the comments, any questions, put it out to us.

And like I said before, feel free to reach out

on the socials.

Remember to please like the video we need

as many likes as we can.

And anyone new, feel free to subscribe.

Until the next episode of the Betting Zoo from me and Nathan.

Goodbye, take care.