We are back with more 2026 FIFA World Cup coverage! Before you enjoy the action, let’s dive into the top World Cup expert picks for today’s matches. We’ll dish out a few World Cup predictions for Thursday, June 18th. Check out these World Cup best bets for some of the top players and games on the schedule. Plus, we’ll examine some of the key World Cup odds to keep an eye on. 

Best FIFA World Cup Picks Today 6/18

Canada vs. Qatar – Canada -1.5 Spread (-120 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Today’s World Cup expert picks feature Canada’s match against Qatar. Both teams played to a draw in their opening group-stage games last week. Canada was favored to beat Bosnia in front of a home Toronto crowd, but mustered only one goal after trailing for the majority of the match. Qatar, meanwhile, eked out a shocking draw with Switzerland on a late stoppage-time goal. 

This creates a classic buy-low, sell-high situation. Canada probably should have scored 2-3 goals and earned the win against Bosnia. The World Cup co-hosts had 13 shots and 61% of possession, but only had one goal to show for it. Conversely, Qatar likely should have lost by multiple goals. It allowed 26 shots and 68% possession to Switzerland, with 3.2 expected goals against. The Swiss only netted one goal, though. 

We should see a spirited effort from Canada to get a comfortable victory. Earning 3 points in this match and improving the goal differential is crucial if the Canadians want to advance past the group stage. They face Switzerland next, which is the toughest test of the bunch. 

Meanwhile, Qatar could be in for a letdown effort after stealing a draw in the final moments of its opener. This is still the 49th-best team in the current FIFA world rankings and a clear tier below Canada. The favorites should control the match, especially in front of a Vancouver home crowd.

More World Cup Expert Picks:

 

 

 

Top World Cup Player Props Today

Patrik Schick (Czechia) – 3+ Shots (-110 on BetMGM Sportsbook)

Let’s keep the World Cup best bets going with a player prop. Our World Cup expert picks feature Czechia forward Patrik Schick to have 3+ shots. The squad’s star striker can be a difference-maker in today’s match against South Africa. 

Schick surprisingly didn’t register a shot attempt against South Korea in last week’s opening match. That’s uncharacteristic for the Czechs’ top goal threat, though. He had 26 shots across 8 matches during World Cup qualifying, sending in 3+ shots in 5 of those games. Schick is the focal point of the attack and should be more involved this time around. 

Czechia is expected to have increased possession and more shot opportunities against a lower-tier South Africa squad than it did against South Korea. In their first match, the South Africans allowed 16 shots to Mexico. Schick will likely see an uptick in touches in the attacking zone with scoring chances to follow.

More World Cup Expert Picks: 

Best Underdog Picks For Today’s Matches

Son Heung-min (South Korea) – Higher Than 2.5 Shots Attempted 

Our World Cup expert picks also feature a selection on Underdog Fantasy. Let’s roll with South Korea’s Son Heung-min to have at least 3 shots against Mexico today. As the focal point of the attack, the star forward should send in plenty of shots in a tight matchup. 

Heung-min had 6 shots against Czechia in the first match last week. That’s nothing new for South Korea’s best player, who totaled 38 shots and 10 goals across 12 World Cup qualifying starts. He also had 3+ shots in 7 of those 12 matches. Plus, Heung-min had 7 and 3 shots in the pair of tune-up friendlies ahead of this tournament. 

Heung-min’s attacking ability will be key today. Mexico’s defense will be slightly reconfigured from the opener, as centerback Cesar Montes is suspended after receiving a red card. There could be some uneasiness in the Mexican back line at times, and Heung-min has the playmaking to exploit it. South Korea also looks to get him the ball as often as possible in transition and in attack. 

 

 

 

Most Likely Goal Scorers Today

Now that we’ve broken down the top World Cup expert picks, let’s focus on which players are most likely to score goals. Below is a list of the top anytime goalscorer World Cup odds for today’s matches. The odds are via DraftKings Sportsbook: 

  • Czechia vs. South Africa
    • Patrik Schick +165
    • Tomas Chory +225
    • Jan Kuchta +240
    • Mojmir Chytil +240
  • Switzerland vs. Bosnia
    • Breel Embolo +140
    • Cedric Itten +170
    • Zeki Amdouni +190
    • Dan Ndoye +240
  • Canada vs. Qatar
    • Jonathan David +105
    • Cyle Larin +120
    • Promise David +120
    • Tani Oluwaseyi +155
  • Mexico vs. South Korea 
    • Raul Jimenez +205
    • Armando Gonzalez +220
    • Guillermo Martinez +230
    • Santiago Gimenez +230

World Cup Betting Trends To Know 

Before you lock in those World Cup expert picks, let’s talk betting trends. The World Cup odds and recent history can tell us a lot about how a match may go. Keeping up with the trends can help us cash in on World Cup predictions as the tournament progresses. 

Wednesday featured a mixed bag of final totals. England beat Croatia in an up-and-down match that saw 6 combined goals. Colombia also won, 3-1, in a higher-scoring contest against Uzbekistan. The other two games both went under the total. That brings us to an even 12-12 record on over/under totals during the World Cup. 

Meanwhile, that “both teams to score” prop continues to be profitable. That happened in 3 of the 4 matches yesterday. The bet is now 17-7 in the World Cup group stage thus far, including 12-4 over the last 16 matches.