2026 World Cup: Best bets for Canada-Qatar, Scotland-Morocco and more

By the end of the day, all 48 teams will have played a game at this World Cup — and the second set of group games will begin on Thursday. The stakes are elevated now, as many teams can advance or be eliminated based on the results of these second group games. Given the expanded format with eight of 12 third-place teams advancing, guessing how teams will approach these second games is a bit of a challenge. Teams might press more for a win, knowing that six points definitively puts them in the knockout stage, and four points is more than likely enough. Or teams might batten down the proverbial hatches even more, thinking that a point or two through two games puts them in position to advance with a point or three in the group finale.  Making my best guesses on how teams will approach these games, here are my best bets for the second group games (grouped by day): Thursday Czechia win (-130) vs. South Africa South Africa lost the tournament’s opening match 2-0 to Mexico, and Bafana Bafana may have been the most disappointing team in the first set of group games. They were outshot 16-3 and didn’t take a shot in the final 35 minutes despite trailing by two goals most of that time.  Being down one man for most of the second half and down two men for the final six minutes was of course a factor, but when terms were even, South Africa still took only two shots — and only one within 35 yards of goal. Maybe things can be turned around, but missing two midfielders because of red cards won’t help.  Czechia wasn’t super impressive in the opener either, losing 2-1 to South Korea after scoring first in the 59th minute. The Czechs scored on a set piece, after they led UEFA qualifying with 10 set-piece goals. Mexico created five set-piece shots against South Africa, so look for Czechia to do more of the same en route to three points.  Canada-Qatar under 2.5 goals (+110)   Qatar did very little in its opening 1-1 draw with Switzerland, taking six shots and stealing a draw on a stoppage-time equalizer. Canada drew 1-1 as well, coming from behind grab a point against Bosnia & Herzegovina. Canada has more firepower than Qatar but remains a defense-first side that sometimes struggles when forced to play on the front foot. Alphonso Davies would be a welcome addition to Canada’s lineup, but he appears unlikely to play as he recovers from injury.  With both sides sitting on a point, the winner will likely be advancing to the knockout stage, and 1-0 is the ideal sort of win for both teams’ style. Neither country has ever scored more than one goal in a World Cup game, so the under is my play in this one.  Friday Morocco win (-135) vs. Scotland This line baffles me a bit. In the opening group matches, Morocco went toe-to-toe with Brazil for half an hour before slowing down. Scotland was fortunate to escape with a 1-0 win over Haiti, taking only three shots after going ahead in the 28th minute. Yet Brazil is -1000 to beat Haiti, while Morocco is only -135 to beat the Scots, who will surely park the bus to steal a draw and get to four points before facing Brazil in the group finale. The gaps between the top two teams and the bottom two teams isn’t that large. Haiti created several good chances against Scotland, especially in transition, and Morocco is a far better attacking side, both on the counter and when building up. Three points will also be vital for Morocco, which could easily win the group and likely get a more favorable knockout draw. So, I don’t see the Atlas Lions parking the bus, but rather going all out for a win. I don’t mind paying some juice at -135. Saturday Ivory Coast double chance (+145) vs. Germany Germany has posted the biggest win of the tournament so far, beating debutant Curacao 7-1 in the opener. Ivory Coast will present a very different challenge.  The Ivorians are known for their group of dangerous young forwards, including Manchester United’s Amad Diallo (who scored the winner in a 1-0 opening victory over Ecuador), and RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande (who was the most impressive attacker in that game). Those players should give Germany fits as well, and the Ivory Coast defense is legit, having conceded zero goals in African qualifying and limiting Ecuador’s opportunities effectively.  Maybe Germany is actually a top-tier title contender, but I’m not convinced the talent is as world-class as usual yet. This Ivory Coast team looks poised to finally make a World Cup knockout stage, and more than capable of getting a win or draw here.