FIFA World Cup Day 7 Betting Parlay Picks: Bank on England’s Harry Kane scoring against Croatia
It’s the conclusion of Matchday 1 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday.
Groups K and L will finally kick of their respective schedules as the tournament enters the seventh day.
The wait is certainly worth it as two top-five nations in the FIFA World Rankings begin group play, with No. 4 England facing Croatia and No. 5 Portugal taking on Congo DR. Ghana vs. Panama and Uzbekistan vs. Colombia close out the day’s action.
Let’s dive into all four games with our best betting picks.
Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of World Cup game odds, World Cup futures and World Cup specials and props.
Portugal vs. Congo DR – Group K
Location: Houston Stadium
Time: 1 p.m. ET
How to watch in Canada: TSN, TSN+
Two countries at the opposite end of the FIFA rankings meet in the Group K opener as World No. 5 Portugal faces World No. 45 Democratic Republic of Congo.
This will be 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo’s sixth and almost certainly last World Cup appearance. Ronaldo led the Portuguese to a fourth place finish at his first World Cup in 2006, but, they haven’t bested that mark since.
This World Cup is obviously a big deal for DR Congo as it is just the second tournament appearance in the nation’s history, with the first coming in 1974 when the country was still known as Zaire.
I lean to the Over in this game as Portugal could surpass the mark by themselves. The Portuguese put up a ridiculous nine goals in their last competitive match and their final two World Cup friendlies surpassed the 2.5 goal mark.
Portugal vs. Congo DR betting pick: Game total Over 2.5 (-140)
Parlay pick: Portugal 1st half moneyline + Portugal moneyline + Over 2.5 total goals (+150)
You can see our full Portugal vs. Congo DR game preview and score prediction here.
England vs. Croatia – Group L
Location: Dallas Stadium
Time: 4 p.m. ET
How to watch in Canada: TSN, TSN+
It should be a closer matchup in the Group L opener as World No. 4 England faces No. 11 Croatia.
It’s been a story six decades in the making for the Three Lions as they search for their first World Cup since they last hosted the tournament in 1966. Two fourth-place finishes in that span have not been nearly enough to quell the desire of this ‘football’ loving nation.
Croatia, on the other hand, has been one of the most entertaining teams to watch in international soccer for nearly 30 years now. The Blazers have made a name for themselves as a dangerous underdog at the World Cup, finishing third in 1998 and 2022 and runner-up in 2018.
England is under immense pressure in this tournament, but I like that they get the biggest test of the group stage out of the way early. Harry Kane and co. went unbeaten in qualifying and they should have significant confidence as they look to avenge a loss to Croatia in the semifinals of the 2018 World Cup.
England vs. Croatia betting pick: England moneyline (-140)
Parlay pick: 1st half draw + Harry Kane anytime goal + England moneyline (+725)
You can see our full England vs. Croatia game preview and score prediction here.
Ghana vs. Panama – Group L
Location: Toronto Stadium
Time: 7 p.m. ET
How to watch in Canada: TSN, TSN+
Wednesday’s second Group L fixture sees Panama taking on Ghana in Toronto. This is only Panama’s second World Cup appearance after bowing out in the group stage in 2018, while Ghana is in the draw for the fifth time in the last six tournaments.
The big news in this game is the absence of Ghana’s Thomas Partey, who was denied a visa to enter Canada. The lineup still boasts star power with the likes of Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, but Partey’s absence is a blow.
On the flip side, Panama’s form hasn’t been great since qualifying for the World Cup as they are winless in five of their last seven matches, including a 6-2 thumping at the hands of Brazil.
Both these teams have struggled since qualifying and although they each possess enough firepower to find the back of the net, I don’t see one team pulling ahead of the other.
Ghana vs. Panama betting pick: Draw (+225)
Match exact score: 1-1 (+500)
You can see our full Ghana vs. Panama game preview and score prediction here.
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia – Group K
Location: Mexico City Stadium
Time: 10 p.m. ET
How to watch in Canada: TSN, TSN+
The final two teams to play a group stage game at this year’s World Cup will be Uzbekistan and Colombia as they prepare for kick-off late Wednesday night in Mexico City. It’s the first-ever World Cup appearance for Uzbekistan, while Colombia has reached the knockout round in two of the last three tournaments.
Expect plenty of Colombian fans with this game being played in Mexico City. Outside of the obvious home stadium feel that will benefit the Colombians, I’m also expecting an energy drain in the second half with the Azteca sitting roughly 7,400 feet above sea level. Give me a low scoring, Colombian win.
Uzbekistan vs. Colombia betting pick: Colombia moneyline (-275)
Parlay pick: Total Under 2.5 + Colombia moneyline (+200)
You can see our full Uzbekistan vs. Colombia game preview and score prediction here.