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 Friday, June 26th. 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, 6/26

Senegal vs. Iraq – Parlay:

Senegal ML / Senegal 16+ Shots / Senegal Over 1.5 Goals (-140 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Today’s World Cup expert picks feature Senegal’s matchup against Iraq. Both squads need to win to have any hope of advancing past the group stage. However, the onus is more on Senegal to get the victory and to do so by multiple goals. So, let’s build a parlay for our World Cup best bets. 

Here’s the situation for Senegal. In Group I, France and Norway have already locked up the top two spots for automatic qualification. Meanwhile, Senegal is sitting on zero points and needs to win to grab a crucial three points and have any shot of moving on as a third-place finisher. Yet, only 8-of-12 third-place teams in the World Cup will advance. 

That means Senegal also likely needs to win by three goals or more to feel good about its chances of advancing. The African side currently has a -3 goal differential heading into today’s match. For comparison, other third-place squads will either have four points or a better goal differential with three points. 

With all that being said, Senegal needs to attack early and often to score as many goals as possible. So, bank on the Senegalese to score at least two goals, while also sending in 16+ shots en route to the victory. It’s mostly a narrative play, but some stats back it up. 

Iraq allowed 12 shots and four goals to Norway, and then 19 shots and three goals to France in the first two matches. Senegal only had six shots against France, but the attack woke up with 16 attempts against Norway. Let’s hope that carries over into this match. 

More World Cup Expert Picks:

 

 

 

Top World Cup Player Props Today

Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium) – 4+ Shots (+100 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Let’s keep the World Cup best bets going with a player prop. Our World Cup expert picks feature Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne to have four or more shots against New Zealand today. The star midfielder has already been active in the Belgian attack, but the pressure of this match should force him to send in plenty of shots. 

Belgium needs to beat New Zealand today to advance past the group stage. A draw could be enough as well, but that also leaves their fate up to other results. Getting the victory and three points would punch a ticket to the knockout rounds. With that in mind, expect the Belgian attack to push for multiple goals. 

On that note, Kevin De Bruyne is Belgium’s offensive catalyst as the central attacking midfielder. He sent in five and four shots in the first two matches against Iran and Egypt, respectively. He also had four shots in Belgium’s most recent friendly ahead of the World Cup. Plus, De Bruyne averaged 3.8 shot attempts per game in the qualifying matches. 

 

 

 

Best Underdog Picks For Today’s Matches

Kylian Mbappe (France) – Higher Than 0.5 Goals 

Our World Cup expert picks also feature a selection on Underdog Fantasy. Let’s roll with Kylian Mbappe to score at least one goal for France against Norway today. The Golden Boot contender has already been an active goal-scorer in this tournament, and Friday should be no different. 

Mbappe scored twice in both of France’s first two matches. He’s now tied for second all-time in World Cup goals scored, only behind Lionel Messi. The French superstar put in eight goals in the 2022 tournament, and he’s on pace to surpass that total. 

Meanwhile, Norway’s defenders have looked vulnerable. They allowed 11 shots to Iraq and then 16 shots to Senegal. Both were easier matchups than facing the potent French attack, headlined by Mbappe’s goal-scoring prowess. Let’s count on him finding the net again today. 

 

 

 

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: 

Norway vs. France

  • Kylian Mbappe -125
  • Erling Haaland +125
  • Jan-Philippe Mateta +160
  • Ousmane Dembele +170

Senegal vs. Iraq

  • Nicolas Jackson +105
  • Bamba Dieng +120
  • Cherif Ndiaye +120
  • Assane Diao +130

Uruguay vs. Spain

  • Mikel Oyarzabal +155
  • Borja Iglesias +165
  • Ferran Torres +190
  • Lamine Yamal +190

Cape Verde vs. Saudi Arabia

  • Khalid Al-Ghannam +250
  • Firas Al-Buraikan +265
  • Salem Al Dawsari +265
  • Dailon Rocha Livramento +280

New Zealand vs. Belgium

  • Romelu Lukaku -185
  • Charles De Ketelaere +135
  • Matis Fernandez Pardo +135
  • Kevin De Bruyne +155

Egypt vs. Iran

  • Mohamed Salah +205
  • Mehdi Taremi +300
  • Omar Marmoush +310
  • Mostafa Ziko +330

 

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. 

Thursday saw a mixed bag of results. We had 3-of-6 matches hit the over, including Turkiye’s 3-2 victory over the United States. The Netherlands’ 3-1 win over Tunisia was also a higher-scoring contest. However, a 0-0 draw between Paraguay and Australia headlined the unders. That now brings us to a 32-28 record favoring the over in this World Cup. 

Meanwhile, the “both teams to score” prop cashed in 4-of-6 matches yesterday. This had previously been a profitable bet and it came to fruition again. The “both teams to score” pick is now 33-27 during the World Cup.