On paper, Group H looks like one of the easiest groups to predict in World Cup soccer betting for 2010. That means there’s no reason why we can’t get a nice pay day if we do our homework on each team. Here’s how the group shapes up.

Spain (-400)

Spain is virtually interchangeable with Brazil as the top overall favorite to win the World Cup, so it’s no surprise to see the Spaniards heavily favored to win Group H at every sportsbook. If star striker Fernando Torres’ health wasn’t in question, Spain would probably be the No. 1 favorite. But Torres is still recovering from knee surgery and we really won’t know until the last minute if he’ll be ready to contribute in South Africa.

Still, the Spaniards are extremely talented with or without Torres. Xavi is a superb playmaker at midfielder and truly one of the best players in the world at any position. With elite players all over the pitch, Spain should be a force.

Chile (+500)

It’s been a long time since Chile felt this confident about its chances to excel at the international level. It won more matches than any other team in South American qualifying and won its first-ever competitive game against Argentina. They don’t get the fanfare of the big favorites but these guys can score. Humberto Suazo had 10 qualifying goals and he has good support from Alexis Sanchez and Mark Gonzalez.

Switzerland (+1000)

This is an organized, disciplined team but one that doesn’t appear equipped for a deep tournament run. It enters the tournament winless in four games and its loss to Luxembourg in qualifying was pretty embarrassing. Left back Christophe Spycher and striker Marco Streller’s injuries weaken the team. The Swiss should score a bit more than normal with Blaise Nkufo and Alex Frei leading the charge but they still will have to work extremely hard to keep up with Spain and Chile.

Honduras (+4000)

My betting advice: don’t expect much if anything from the happy-to-be-here Honduras. It won just two games away from home in qualifying (against Canada and El Salvador – big whoop) and it seems to be hurt by its coaching more than most teams. Reinaldo Rueda uses an extremely conservative, play-not-to-lose 4-5-1 formation that hasn’t helped Honduras survive many matches anyway. It will have to take chances to survive Group H – but it won’t.

Today’s free pick: Spain and Chile. The Spaniards are a given and, while the Swiss certainly have the ability to push and possibly surpass Chile, I think Chile’s offensive flair and depth make it one of the tournament’s most underrated teams.