World Cup Best Bets: 3 World Cup Predictions to Back Now

The best, most culturally diverse sporting event is upon us (aside from the Olympics), as I offer three World Cup best bets, focusing on the group stage and one of the tournament's betting favorites. 

Speaking of favorites, Spain and France sit atop the odds leaderboard, with England close behind. Argentina and Brazil round out the top five. My picks below spotlight the Three Lions, Switzerland, and South Africa. 

🏆 3 Best bets for World Cup 2026 

See all of our experts' World Cup picks. 

Total wagered: 5 units | Max profit: 3.99 units

England to reach quarterfinals (-125)

England has advanced to at least the quarterfinals in its last four major tournaments, securing fourth at World Cup 2018 and finishing second at consecutive European Championships. 

While the path to this year's World Cup's deeper rounds won't be easy, with England tasked to deal with Croatia, Ghana, and Panama in the Group of Death, its roster hasn't taken a step back. It's arguably better than previous iterations. And maybe new German manager Thomas Tuchel represents the magic sauce this team needs to win its first title since 1966. 

Even if that doesn't happen, a place in the quarterfinals should be on the cards. It's a bet that our Andrew Reid algrees with and breaks down in his England predictions and best bets.

Switzerland to win Group B (-135)

Switzerland has more pedigree and experience than Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which it will prove in Group B action.

The 19th-ranked team in the world faces a Canadian team that won't have Alphonso Davies or Moïse Bombito at their best, as both try to force a return after serious injuries. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, probably won't have Haris Tabaković, its second-leading scorer in World Cup qualifying, until its last match against Switzerland. Leading scorer and captain Edin Džeko is 40 years old, which won't cause the Swiss any sleepless nights. 

If you want to take it a step further, our Group B predictions and best bets have a play on the exact forecast as well.

South Africa to finish bottom of Group A (-110)

No matter where it turns, South Africa is outmatched in Group A. It will face 14th-ranked Mexico, 25th-ranked Republic of Korea, and 39th-ranked Czechia. It doesn't make a splash in our Group A predictions and best bets.

South Africa is ranked 60th. It's not just about the rankings but also the quality of opposition each team has faced on its journey to the tournament. South Africa had Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria in its qualification group. To say its Group A opponents are cut from a different cloth would be the understatement of the millennium. 

I don't think it can win any of its matches, while a tie against Czechia and the Republic of Korea would be the best-case scenario.  

💡 How I'm betting World Cup 2026 

The above trio of bets rank among my most confident plays of the World Cup. I made three other World Cup futures picks that I'm equally as confident about.  

I decided to go with three minus-money plays to increase the probability of winning. The set would make a nice parlay, with +498 odds. I'd put a full unit ($10) on that parlay, as I feel good about all three plays.

I would have backed Switzerland even without Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina's injury concerns. England has been among the world's best for years, and South Africa will likely use the World Cup as experience for subsequent tournaments. It's the first time the nation qualified since 2010, and it has never advanced past the group stage.