I’ll be honest with you: my World Cup wagers have not been great so far.
With fifteen minutes left in South Korea v Czechia, I was already mentally spending the winnings. Then Korea nicked it. Fine. Happens. But then Canada, the team I trusted, the team I believed in, couldn’t beat Bosnia & Herzegovina in a match that had all the energy of a Sunday league kickabout after a night out.
And to top it all off, I fancied goals in USA v Paraguay, didn’t back it, and of course it delivered. Classic. That’s the game. That’s the sickness. That’s the thrill. But Day 3? Day 3 is where the tournament really starts. Four games. One long, glorious, unbroken conveyor belt of opportunity. Let’s get gambling.
Odds provided by Stake.com.
Qatar v Switzerland
World Cup Group B, San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, USA, 9pm CET, Saturday 13th June
Prices: 13.00 Qatar, 6.40 Draw, 1.21 Switzerland
Switzerland are such short‑priced favourites here that even the bookies are yawning. And honestly, who can blame them?
Qatar have won one match since the start of 2025. One. Singular. A lonely little victory floating in a sea of mediocrity. They were dreadful at their own World Cup in 2022, losing all three games, and nothing since has suggested a sudden glow‑up.
Switzerland, meanwhile, are the footballing equivalent of a Swiss Army knife: solid, reliable, and annoyingly competent. Akanji, Xhaka, Embolo – a spine you could build a shed on. After Canada and Bosnia cancelled each other out, this is their chance to take control of Group B.
I’m not punting it, the price is pointless, but this should be a comfortable Swiss win. Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one.
Brazil v Morocco
World Cup Group C, New York New Jersey Stadium, Rutherford, USA, 12am CET, Sunday 14th June
Prices: 1.67 Brazil, 3.70 Draw, 5.20 Morocco
Carlo Ancelotti, the eyebrow king, the Champions League whisperer, leading Brazil into a World Cup. It still doesn’t feel real. It’s like seeing your dad on TikTok. But somehow it works.
Brazil’s squad is dripping with talent, but Ancelotti has given them something they’ve lacked for years: discipline. With Gabriel, Marquinhos, and Casemiro forming a defensive triangle of pure misery for attackers, they’re not going to be easy to break down. Then you’ve got Raphinha and Vini Jr ready to roast full‑backs alive.
But Morocco aren’t here to make up the numbers. They shocked the world last time, reached the AFCON final, and have a generationally good squad. Hakimi vs Vini Jr might be the best one‑v‑one battle of the entire tournament. El Kaabi scores goals for fun. Brahim Diaz has a point to prove after that AFCON penalty miss.
Morocco don’t concede many. Brazil don’t concede many. This will be tight, tense, tactical and it’s too hard to call for me, although under 2.5 goals would probably be my bet if I was in better form!
Haiti v Scotland
World Cup Group C, Boston Stadium, Foxborough, USA, 3am CET, Sunday 14th June
Prices: 5.60 Haiti, 4.20 Draw, 1.55 Scotland
Scotland are back at a World Cup for the first time in 28 years, which is roughly the same amount of time since I last had a stress‑free accumulator.
Haiti’s story is incredible, qualifying without being able to play at home, and they’ve got some proper talent in Isidor and Bellegarde. But Scotland know the deal: if they want to get out of the group, they have to win this. And honestly? They should.
McTominay, McGinn, Robertson, and Shankland (fresh off three goals in two warm‑ups) give them enough quality to get the job done. Add in the Tartan Army, who will turn any stadium into a bagpipe‑fuelled fever dream, and Scotland should have too much.
Tip: Scotland to win @ 1.55. 2 units.
Australia v Turkey
World Cup Group D, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada, 6am CET, Sunday 14th June
Prices: 4.80 Australia, 3.70 Draw, 1.72 Turkey
Turkey reached the quarter finals of EURO 2024 with an impressive campaign which ended with a narrow defeat to the Netherlands. They then had a strong qualifying campaign, drawing away in Spain, and got through the play-offs with a pair of 1-0 wins over Romania and Kosovo. Many will fancy them as dark horses for this tournament and there are certainly worse bets than the 100/1 about them before a ball is kicked.
Quarter‑finalists at EURO 2024. Strong qualifying campaign. Drew away in Spain. Play‑off wins over Romania and Kosovo. And a squad stacked with outrageous talent. Kenan Yildiz and Arda Güler are the kind of players who make you believe in football again. They’re electric. They’re fearless. They’re chaos merchants.
Australia? Look, they’ll fight. They always do. Irakunda is a monster of a prospect, and Volpato switching allegiance is a boost. But the squad is mostly A‑League and lower‑tier Europe. This is a big step up. They overperformed last time. They could overperform again. But Turkey are lively, physical, experienced, and absolutely capable of bullying their way through this group.
This feels like a comfortable Turkish win.
Tip: Turkey to win @ 1.72. 1 unit.
Check out Tommy the Punter’s Tipping Record here.