The 2026 FIFA World Cup is finally here! 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 Tuesday, June 23rd. 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 6/23

England vs. Ghana – England -1.5 Goal Spread (-155 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Today’s World Cup expert picks feature England’s match against Ghana in Group L. Let’s back the favorites to get the victory while covering the -1.5 spread. This projects as a comfortable victory for England with value on the spread odds. 

England made a statement in its opening match with a 4-2 win over Croatia. The first half turned into a back-and-forth goalfest, but the second half told a different story. England took control of the game with a pair of goals while holding Croatia scoreless in the final 45 minutes. 

Croatia’s experience and veteran-laden roster made things interesting early on, but England settled down and let its talent take over. Overall in the game, there were 3.2 expected goals for England compared to 0.7 for Croatia. Plus, the Three Lions out-shot their opponent 22-10 in the match. 

Meanwhile, Ghana barely eked out a victory against Panama last week. The game was destined to end in a 0-0 draw, but a goal 5 minutes into stoppage time gifted the Ghanaians a win. However, Panama held 62% of the possession and out-shot Ghana, 11-7, in the match. The final score wasn’t entirely indicative of how well both teams played. 

Let’s count on England to secure a win by at least 2 goals on Tuesday. The Three Lions’ attackers, led by Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, can create enough scoring chances to pull their team clear. 

More World Cup Expert Picks:

 

 


 

Top World Cup Player Props Today

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) – 2+ Shots On Target (-145 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Let’s keep the World Cup best bets going with a player prop. Our World Cup expert picks feature Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo to have 2+ shots on target against Uzbekistan today. The star striker had an underwhelming first match last week, but an uptick in usage and shots is expected to cash this prop. 

Ronaldo only had 3 shots, and none on target, against DR Congo in Portugal’s opener. He also finished the game with just 25 touches. The Portuguese attack struggled to get him the ball against a compact and aggressive Congo defense. We should count on Ronaldo to be more involved in this second match, especially since Portugal will be plenty motivated to win. 

Uzbekistan allowed 15 shots and 10 attempts inside the box against Colombia last week. Portugal can rack up double-digit shots in this matchup, and Ronaldo should be the main threat. Even if you’re a casual soccer fan, you know how dangerous Ronaldo can be near the box. He may be 41 years old, but the scoring upside is still very much there. Portugal would be smart to get their GOAT more shot attempts and in prime opportunities to put the ball on goal. 

Best Underdog Picks For Today’s Matches

Orlando Mosquera (Panama) – Higher Than 3.5 Saves

Our World Cup expert picks also feature a selection on Underdog Fantasy. Let’s roll with Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera to have at least 4 saves against Croatia today. The opposing shot attempts should be on the higher end to provide enough chances for saves. 

Mosquera had 2 saves in the first match against Ghana. However, that performance came in a game where Panama held 62% of the possession and allowed only 7 total shots, with just 2 attempts on goal. Croatia presents a much tougher matchup today. 

Panama will likely be defending for the majority of the match as Croatia dominates possession through Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic in the midfield. That game flow should result in plenty of shot attempts for Croatia to keep Mosquera busy in net. The European side forced 3 saves from England’s Jordan Pickford in the first match, despite Croatia losing the possession and shots battle. 

 

 

 

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: 

  • Portugal vs. Uzbekistan 
    • Cristiano Ronaldo -170
    • Goncalo Ramos -115
    • Joao Felix -115
    • Goncalo Guedes +130
  • England vs. Ghana
    • Harry Kane -150
    • Ollie Watkins -120
    • Ivan Toney -115
    • Marcus Rashford +180
  • Panama vs. Croatia
    • Ante Budimir +130
    • Petar Musa +130
    • Igor Matanovic +150
    • Andrej Kramaric +160
  • Colombia vs. DR Congo
    • Juan Camilo Cucho +185
    • Luis Diaz +185
    • Luis Suarez +185
    • Jhon Andres Cordoba +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. 

Monday saw a mixed bag of results and totals. The Norway vs. Senegal match saw 5 combined goals with both teams scoring. Meanwhile, Argentina and France won in shutout fashion, with the under cashing in both contests. Then, Algeria beat Jordan in a 2-1 victory that hit the over. 

All in all, we saw two unders and two overs when it comes to totals yesterday. That brings us to a 23-21 record on the over/under during the World Cup tournament thus far. The “both teams to score” prop cashed twice on Monday. That brings us to a 26-18 record on that pick, which continues to be profitable more often than not.