Ghana’s late winner gave us a win on the moneyline and the total for Wednesday – both at underdog odds. We’ll look to keep that momentum turning into Thursday. We’re taking a look at each individual matchup and helping you with every way to play each match. We’ve got the World Cup Best Bets for June 18 – and we’ll have them every day.
Four more games are on the docket for Thursday. Come check out what we have cooked up for today’s slate of action.
CHECK OUT THE SPORTS GAMBLING PODCAST’S DAILY BEST BETS
Daily World Cup Best Bets – June 18th
Czechia vs. South Africa
Kickoff – 12:00 am EST
Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, Georgia
Broadcast – Fox
Neither of these teams looked very good in their first contests of the group. Czechia fell to South Korea by a score of 2-1, while South Africa was blanked by Mexico 2-0. Although neither result was what they wanted, one team managed to look a lot better than the other in the loss.
South Africa looked completely unsure as to how to put an attack together. Across the whole game, they scrounged together just 0.07 expected goals. There were no close moments and no real sustained offensive attack. Czechia, meanwhile, put together a real attack that saw four shots on goal and gave them a brief lead. With a weaker defense in front of them, I expect Adam Hlozek and the rest of the Czechia attack to be more successful.
Best Bets for Czechia/South Africa: Czechia ML (-125) and Over 2.5 Goals (+115)
Switzerland vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina
Kickoff – 3:00 pm EST
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California
Broadcast – FOX
Here’s another set of opponents who disappointed in the opener. Switzerland took a 1-1 draw against huge underdogs in Qatar. Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina struggled with the defense of Canada and also ended with a 1-1 draw.
There is something to be said for creating chances though, and that’s something Bosnia-Herzegovina couldn’t do. They had only one significant chance and made good on it. They played above their expected goals and could actually be pretty happy with the draw. Switzerland, on the other hand, had 68% possession and played nearly the whole game on the attack. The lack of finishing perhaps tells us something for the total, but I like the control we saw out of Switzerland for the line.
Best Bets for Switzerland/Bosnia-Herzegovina: Switzerland -0.5 (-190) and Under 2.5 Goals (-115)
Canada vs. Qatar
Kickoff – 6:00 pm EST
BC Place – Vancouver, Canada
Broadcast – FS1
The opponents of the other Group B matchup we just discussed, Canada and Qatar obviously also walked away with a draw. And while I am not a huge fan of the attack of Canada and the chances they create, Qatar didn’t look like they had any ideas on offense. They had just 0.60 expected goals and only scored on a stoppage time own goal. Add in that they are getting a road game with a raucous crowd and it should be all Canada in this one.
Despite expecting that Canada is going to win easily, Canada’s slow attack makes me favor the under in this one. 2-0 Canada sounds just about right – which you can get at +500.
Best Bets for Canada/Qatar: Canada -1.5 (-115) and Under 2.5 Goals (+125)
Mexico vs. South Korea
Kickoff – 9:00 pm EST
Estadio Akron – Guadalajara, Mexico
Broadcast – Fox
On a day full of teams that didn’t impress me, we get a nightcap between a couple of solid squads. The standout of the pair is the attack of the South Koreans, led by Bestikas forward Oh Hyeon-Gyu and Son Heung-Min – who came on as a super sub. Mexico had their own attack success story, but the level of competition makes me wonder if it’s sustainable.
Despite being on foreign soil, I see the South Korean squad getting an upset to take control of the group.
Best Bets for Mexico/South Korea: South Korea (+295) and Over 2.5 Goals (+125)
If you’d like even more info to help make your World Cup bets, check out the World Cup Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes for the whole tournament to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar with their World Cup picks today.
