Bodog.com are offering plenty of different betting types for the group stages of the 2010 World Cup, which start on the 11th of June. With eight groups of four teams each playing each other once, the top two in each group go through to the knockout Round of 16. With options to bet on whether a given team will successfully make it through the round, forecast and reverse forecast bets for the teams that do, betting on the points scored and the finishing position of group teams, there are a whole host of different ways to bet during what should be an exciting couple of weeks of football.

Group D is one of the toughest groups of all to call, with Germany, Ghana, Serbia and Australia all vying to make it through the round. With Germany among the favourites to win the cup outright, Ghana a well fancied team with the advantage of the African climate on their side, and Serbia and Australia both having impressed in qualifying, this is a very close group with plenty of potential for surprises. The action from Group D starts on the 13th of June.

Germany, who are currently around 12/1 to win the World Cup itself, are the favourites to win the group. In the straight forecast market for the two qualifying teams in the correct order, Germany followed by Serbia has the shortest odds at 11/4. Germany then Ghana is 7/2, and Germany with Australia second is 6/1.

Serbia are the second favourites in the group, at 66/1 to win the cup with most bookmakers, however some are actually placing Ghana’s chances a little higher, with Bwin offering 66/1 on Ghana and 80/1 on Serbia, so it is tight between these two in terms of overall expectations reflected in the win market.

Bodog offer 6/1 on a straight forecast with Serbia winning the group and the Germans qualifying in second. For Ghana to win followed by Germany is 8/1. If you take Germany out of your prediction and go with Serbia then Ghana you get 16/1, Ghana then Serbia fetches 20/1.

Australia should not be ruled out as having a chance of qualifying though, they made it through a very tough group in the last World Cup in 2006 and are not a team who are afraid of being the outsiders. A straight bet on them finishing second in the group could earn you a 4/1 return.

The longest odds you’ll get on this group on a straight position bet is for Germany to finish last. This eventuality will fetch you 11/1, though compared with the favourites in some other groups finishing last this isn’t much. For England to come bottom of their Group C is 33/1, and Argentina are 18/1 to come bottom of Group B, which shows just how unwilling the bookmakers are to offer too much on any scenario in this unpredictable group.