World Cup Parlay Today: Best Parlay Bets & Prop Picks for Friday, July 3
It's the final day of the Round of 32, and we have a trio of games on tap to make our World Cup parlay for Friday. The action gets underway with Australia and Egypt at 2 p.m. ET, our early evening treats us to Lionel Messi and Argentina continuing their championship defense against debutant Cape Verde at 6 p.m. ET, and we book our final Round of 16 team with Colombia vs. Ghana at 9:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the action on FOX or Telemundo or stream on FOX One.
My World Cup best bets dig through the noise to find three top value plays, coming up with a parlay that pays +565, highlighting shots on target for a player in the late game, one team to win the corner battle in the opener, and a dominant performance in the middle game.
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⚽ World Cup predictions today: July 3
See all of our experts' World Cup picks based on the latest World Cup odds and favorites
| 💰 Best bets | 📊 Best odds | ⚖️ Wager (units) |
|---|---|---|
| Australia vs. Egypt most corners: Egypt | -138 via bet365 | 1.5u -> 1.09u |
| Argentina to win both halves | +110 via bet365 | 1u -> 1.1u |
| Jhon Arias to have 1+ shots on target | -120 via bet365 | 0.75u -> 0.63u |
Total wagered: 3.25 units | Max profit: 2.72 units
💸 World Cup parlay
- Australia vs. Egypt most corners: Egypt (-138)
- Argentina to win both halves (+100)
- Jhon Arias to have 1+ shots on target (-120)
Parlay total: +565 | Wager: 0.5 units | Possible profit: 2.83 units
💰 Best World Cup prediction today
Egypt to have the most corners (-138) vs. Australia
Australia, as they have done throughout the tournament, should concede possession and spend the game defending in a compact, low block. That tactical setup supports Egypt piling up attacks down the wings, which should result in a steady stream of corner opportunities. Rather than expecting them to win the game, I'm going to back their territorial pressure to result in them having the majority of the corners through sustained possession.
Egypt has routinely averaged more possession than Australia (54.5% vs. 40.8%), and despite the market seeing this as a tight, low-scoring game, Egypt should have sustained attacking phases. That should create an angle for the African side to win the corner volume market.
Our Gary Pearson's Australia vs. Egypt prediction backs regulation time to end in a draw. Even if the scoreline is even, the corners market won't be.
Kickoff time: 2 p.m. ET
Australia vs. Egypt odds: Australia (+265) | Draw (+195) | Egypt (+135)
How to watch: FOX, Telemundo, FOX One
💵 SBR Edge: Stat advantages
On top of having a field-tilt advantage on account of the possession edge, Egypt should have more progressive passes and in turn, get off more shots. That points to a me a greater willingness to attack and generate pressure in the final third. That spells a victory in the corner race, something they achieved in both of their Group Stage games that stayed tight.
🔥 More World Cup predictions for Friday
Argentina to win both halves vs. Cape Verde (+110)
It's been a valiant World Cup for Cape Verde, but it's too bad it ends today. Argentina will dictate this game from the opening whistle, and Cape Verde will know (much like they did against Spain) that their only hope is to sit back and absorb the relentless pressure from Lionel Messi and company. Our Philip Wood doesn't give them a great chance of doing that successfully in his best Messi prop bets.
Argentina's attack has been one of the most proficient in the tournament, and despite Cape Verde's defensive success, I think the title holders can get the job done in both halves. Argentina starts and finishes incredibly strong, scoring four of their goals in the opening half and four in the final half. Even when Argentina takes early leads and commands games, they control territory and game rhythm throughout.
That should stymie a Cape Verde squad that mustered only seven shots on target across its entire group phase, a number that Argentina could match today.
Rather than target the "Argentina to win to nil" market, which is -200, let's push for them to find a way to break down the staunch Cape Verde defense in both 45s with much better value.
Kickoff time: 6 p.m. ET
Argentina vs. Cape Verde odds: Argentina (-700) | Draw (+750) | Cape Verde (+1900)
How to watch: FOX, Telemundo, FOX One
Jhon Arias to have 1+ shots on target vs. Ghana (-120)
Colombia's defeat of Ghana looks to be another comfortable victory to end the day. The South American side is stronger than many give them credit for, patiently building from a 4-2-3-1 shape to a 3-2-5 in possession, using fullbacks to push high and allowing wingers to drift inside. The team doesn't rely on a single superstar but rather has a cast that contributes to the offensive output.
They're also great at limiting transition, which spells bad news for Ghana, but spells good news for this player prop. Arias has established himself as an integral part of the push to five in the attacking phase, and he's shown a willingness to shoot (his line to have two shots, which he's done each game of the tournament, is a steep -500). Of his seven shots during the tournament, he's connected on three of them.
And that's perhaps even a little lower than we should expect. He struggled while playing with Wolves this last season (who on Wolverhampton didn't?), but after moving back to Serie A in February, he logged 1.96 shots/90 and 0.8 shots on target/90. In three of the last five seasons domestically, he's posted numbers in that range.
So in a game where Colombia is likely to have the lion's share of possession and turn in the most shots, I'm going to back the central midfielder to get his at this price.
Kickoff time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Colombia vs. Ghana odds: Colombia (-230) | Draw (+340) | Ghana (+750)
How to watch: FOX, Telemundo, FOX One
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