Megan Rapinoe was shockingly not in the starting lineup for the US Women’s National Team on Tuesday, and that led to a significant shift in the gambling odds for the semifinal match just before kickoff.
The internet was sent into a frenzy when Rapinoe was the only player not taking part in warmups prior to USA’s match against England. It was unclear if the decision had to do with an injury or strategy, with a US spokesperson only saying it was “not a disciplinary decision.”
Rapinoe is one of the US’s best and most recognizable players, and PJ Walsh of The Action Network reports that her removal from the starting lineup caused oddsmakers to change some things around. The USWNT dropped from -140 favorites to win the match to -125, and England moved from +390 to +370. USA’s odds to advance to the final moved from -275 to -250.
If US coach Jill Ellis decided to start Christen Press over Rapinoe for strategy purposes, oddsmakers apparently felt she made the wrong move.
