⚽ England vs. Croatia Prediction: World Cup Picks & Best Bets (June 17)
Group L action (finally) gets underway at the 2026 World Cup, with the group's top two teams squaring off at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. My England vs. Croatia prediction breaks down how to find the best value as English fans sit on the edge of their seat wondering, once again, if it's finally coming home this time around.
England is a -145 moneyline betting favorite to open their group stage play with a win. You can catch all the action on FOX or Telemundo, or stream it on Peacock, from the opening whistle at 4 p.m. ET.
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⚽ England vs. Croatia predictions: Pick to win & player prop bets
See all of our experts' soccer picks across the best World Cup betting sites.
| 💰 Best bets | 📊 Best odds | ⚖️ Wager (units) |
|---|---|---|
| England moneyline | -138 via bet365 | 0.5u -> 0.36u |
| England Over 5 corners | -110 via bet365 | 0.75u -> 0.68u |
| England Over 6 corners | +162 via bet365 | 0.25u -> 0.41u |
| Nico O'Reilly 2+ shots | +240 via FanDuel | 0.25u -> 0.6u |
| Elliott Anderson to be booked | +600 via bet365 | 0.25u -> 1.5u |
⚽ Who will win England vs. Croatia?
I absolutely expect that England will come out on top today, using their youth and tempo to control proceedings and eventually find their way through an experienced Croatia squad. England will use their shape to control and contain opponents and will be patient as they try to break down a low block they're likely to face.
But it's not only the offense that will help guide the Three Lions to victory - it's that the midfield containment and stout defensive backline managed to put up eight straight clean sheets through qualifying. It's not as though there is a void behind the midfield. James, Stones, Guehi, and O'Reilly will be quick to turn around attacks, winning back balls, and cleaning their lines. Croatia will be lucky to see 35% of possession.
Score prediction: England 2, Croatia 0
💵 My best bet: England Over 5 corners (-110)
England's possession naturally leads to high numbers of corners - only two of its eight WCQ games saw fewer than six corners, and some saw very crooked numbers (10+). Croatia's back three will play as a compact group and work to turn away cross-heavy wing play from wide overloads. I like England to get at least six corners, and I'm going to play the first run of the ladder and take a shot at seven, too.
🦶 Who will score in England vs. Croatia?
Follow all of our expert soccer betting analysis for the 2026 World Cup.
Harry Kane, F, England
This should be a low-scoring, grind 'em out game. With few names likely to find the back of the net, let's look at one of the world's best strikers.
Kane is fresh off a 36-goal campaign (in 31 games) for Bayern Munich, adding 14 more in 13 Champions League games. He'll be on the receiving end of the crosses from the wide overloads, and has the skill to break down the compact backline of Croatia. The odds aren't fantastic here, but the bottom line is that the former Tottenham man is the top choice.
And if a goal isn't enough Kane for you, our Philip Wood breaks it all down further with his best Harry Kane props.
Best England vs. Croatia goal-scorer pick: Harry Kane (+125 via bet365)
💰️ More World Cup predictions today
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🥅 Will both teams score in England vs. Croatia?
This makes for a tough market for this game, and one that I'm personally not dipping into. England might have been dominant on the backend during qualifying with their eight clean sheets, but none of their opponents are at the level of Croatia.
That said, I think we get the same result tonight. Croatia doesn't boast a prolific offense, and I'm backing the English backline to be too adept to allow them through. I expect that once the England side grabs a one-goal lead it sits back a bit and focuses on defending.
Both teams to score (BTTS) pick: No (-125 via bet365)
💡 How to bet on both teams to score (BTTS)
Our soccer expert Jeremy Vernon broke down how to bet BTTS at the World Cup with a full history and statistical analysis of the popular prop betting market across more than 7,000 matches.
📊 England vs. Croatia odds
We're tracking the latest World Cup odds and favorites to win this year's tournament.
📺 How to watch England vs. Croatia
- Date: Wednesday, June 17
- Kickoff: 4 p.m. ET
- Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
- TV: FOX / Telemundo
- Streaming: Peacock
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