Who will win the Cup? Here are our odds

With the majority of pundits taking the view that there's a 99 percent chance the top eight teams in the current ICC ODI rankings will reach the quarterfinals at the end of the Cricket World Cup's 42-match group stage, those teams can coast through the prelims and still have an excellent chance of winning it all. Win the three games that matter in the quarters, semis and final, and you're on top of the world. Which teams have the best chance of doing just that? Here are our Cricket World Cup odds:

Australia

Even money: With or without injury-riddled captain Michael Clarke, this team looks ready to win the World Cup for the fifth time and become only the second country to do it on home soil. The fast bowling unit is loaded, the batting is explosive at the top and dominant in the middle order. They are ranked No. 1 in the world and recently rolled through a tri-series at home against India and England.

South Africa

6/5 odds: South Africa have been favourites to bring in the money on countless occasions at World Cups past, but have stumbled badly when it matters most. Despite boasting some of the finest players of the past 20 years, South Africa have yet to win a knockout stage game in this tournament. A scary combination of fast bowlers and energetic batting has many believing this could be the year that all changes -- they'll coast through Pool B, but anyone burned in the past will need to see them in the final to believe it.

New Zealand

3/2 odds: The Cup co-hosts have seen their odds rise sharply in recent months. At the start of the Southern Hemisphere summer, New Zealand were considered by many to be a dark-horse team, but their recent run of success has been so good that they are inching closer toward favourite status. Their bowling depth is outstanding and their fielding phenomenal. If their batting clicks like it has throughout the past several months, New Zealand are an excellent bet to take up.

Sri Lanka

2/1 odds: Sri Lanka have a few factors counting against them leading into the tournament. They have the second-oldest team at the tournament; their squad has gone through a run of injuries; they have tried numerous batting combinations with hardly any of them seeming to work. Yet players like Kumar Sangakkara are the envy of most teams in the World Cup. Sri Lanka tend to fly under the radar, but before you know it, they are in the tournament final. They can't be counted out.

India

4/1 odds: India enter as defending champions and are currently ranked No. 2 in the world behind Australia, but don't let that imply that they have a chance of winning. Their weak bowling attack will struggle to take wickets and, although India's batting is good enough to compensate for that if they need to chase big totals, they'll be under a lot of pressure to consistently outscore the opposition. India haven't won a single official match during their latest tour of Australia, beginning in December. The dice just aren't falling their way, and it's hard to see that changing.

England

7/1 odds: This team has gone through their fair share of turmoil in recent times, with the Kevin Pietersen saga and sacking of captain Alastair Cook in December. However, they have two tall fast bowlers in Stuart Broad and Steven Finn capable of exploiting conditions in their favour. The dead weight of Cook has been unloaded, but new captain Eoin Morgan is struggling to score runs. If he catches fire, watch out, but that's a very big "if" at the moment.

Pakistan

9/1 odds:There are enough distractions going on to make you want to stay away from picking Pakistan to go far. They will be without their best bowler, Saeed Ajmal, and opener, Mohammad Hafeez. There are other injuries to several fast bowlers. Half their squad was recently reprimanded for breaking curfew. Shahid Afridi says he's going to retire after the World Cup. Still, Pakistan plays so wild and crazy, you never know what they're capable of. One advantage: they landed in the far weaker Pool B. They also won the World Cup the last time it was in Australia in 1992, so history is on their side.

West Indies

15/1 odds: West Indies have talent, style and flair ... and much of it will be watching from home. Former captain Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were both ousted from the ODI team just before the World Cup even though they were expected to be major contributors. Shivnarine Chanderpaul, who had long been West Indies' most reliable batsman at the domestic and international level, was no longer an appealing option to selectors at the age of 40. A full-strength West Indies team would be dangerous to face, but this squad is well below its best. It is very difficult to see them challenging the top contenders.

Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Afghanistan, Scotland, UAE

30/1 odds: Cricket's dice are heavily in favor of the big boys. Zimbabwe advanced to the Super Sixes in 1999 and 2003 before their system was wrecked after players left to escape political turmoil. None of the other five teams has ever reached a quarterfinal. Underdogs and upsets are always feel-good stories in any sport, but Cricket World Cups have never produced anything akin to Butler reaching the NCAA tournament championship game, and that won't change this year. These teams might spring the odd upset during the group stage, but forget about any of them reaching the final, let alone winning it.