We take a look at four FIFA World Cup group stage fixtures taking place on Friday the 19th and Saturday the 20th of June from a betting perspective below. USA and Australia clash in a battle between two opening round winners while Scotland face Morocco in Group C. Brazil meet Haiti before Turkiye and Paraguay battle for crucial points in Group D.
FRIDAY
USA vs Australia
USA made a superb start to their World Cup campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Paraguay. The Americans were in control from the outset and took the lead after just seven minutes through an own goal by Damian Bobadilla. Folarin Balogun then doubled the advantage in the 31st minute before adding his second, deep into first-half stoppage time. Paraguay pulled one back through Mauricio in the 73rd minute but Giovanni Reyna put the nail in the coffin with a goal in the 98th minute.
Australia also opened with three points after producing a disciplined 2-0 victory over Turkiye. Nestory Irankunda gave the side their breakthrough in the 27th minute before Connor Metcalfe wrapped up the win with a second goal 15 minutes from the final whistle. Notably the Australians defended well throughout and never looked seriously troubled.
Head-to-Head
The nations have met twice previously with USA winning both encounters. Their most recent meeting came in October 2025 when the Americans recorded a 2-1 victory, while they also defeated Australia 3-1 in 2010.
Betting – Click here to bet
USA 1.63
Draw 4.25
Australia 5.75
Verdict
Both sides arrive with confidence after opening victories, but USA looked particularly impressive going forward and possess greater attacking quality across the pitch. Australia are organised and difficult to break down, though the Americans should create enough chances to secure another win and I am backing both sides to find the back of the net.
BET: Result USA and Both Teams to Score at 3.85
SATURDAY
Scotland vs Morocco
Scotland began their tournament with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Haiti. The Scots took the lead in the 28th minute through John McGinn who scored what proved to be the decisive goal. They managed the game effectively thereafter and collected an important three points but will have been disappointed they could not beat the keeper again.
Morocco produced one of the standout results of the opening round after holding Brazil to a 1-1 draw. Ismael Saibari put the North Africans ahead in the 21st minute before Vinicius Junior equalised for Brazil shortly after the half-hour mark but Morocco defended resiliently in the second half to earn a valuable point.
Head-to-Head
The only previous World Cup meeting between these nations came in 1998 when Morocco claimed a convincing 3-0 victory.
Betting – Click here to bet
Scotland 5.00
Draw 3.65
Morocco 1.77
Verdict
Morocco showed their quality against Brazil and look capable of progressing from the group if they maintain that level of performance. Scotland are a competitive side but may struggle against Morocco’s pace and technical quality as well as their discipline in the dying moments of the fixture. I am putting my money on Morocco to pull off the win in a low scoring affair.
BET: Result and Totals – Morocco and Under 3.5 Goals at 2.35
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Brazil vs Haiti
Brazil were unable to make a winning start after being held to a 1-1 stalemate by Morocco. Vinicius Junior got on the scoresheet in the 32nd minute after Brazil had fallen behind earlier in the contest and despite dominating possession for long spells, the South Americans could not breach the Moroccan defence to pull ahead.
Haiti suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Scotland in their opening fixture. They conceded in the 28th minute and were unable to find a response despite remaining competitive for much of the encounter which will certainly boost their confidence overall although they face a stern test here.
Head-to-Head
Brazil have dominated this fixture historically and have won all three previous meetings. Their most recent encounter ended in a 7-1 victory for Brazil during the 2016 Copa América.
Betting – Click here to bet
Brazil 1.12
Draw 10.00
Haiti 23.00
Verdict
Brazil dropped points in their opener and should be highly motivated to respond this time around. The gap in quality between these sides is significant and Haiti may struggle to contain Brazil’s attacking talent over ninety minutes, this leads my pick to handicap market as I believe Brazil dominate the clash and produce multiple goals as they have against Haiti in the past.
BET: Asian Handicap – Brazil -3.5 at 3.00 (Brazil need to win by 4 goals or more)
Turkiye vs Paraguay
Turkiye opened their World Cup campaign with a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Australia. They conceded in the early stages of the match before a second goal flew past their keeper in the 75th minute. Despite seeing plenty of the ball, Turkiye lacked a cutting edge in front of goal and will be desperate to improve this at a rapid rate with not many opportunities remaining.
Paraguay were heavily beaten 4-1 by the USA in their first group match. An early own goal by Damian Bobadilla put them behind before the USA struck twice in the first half. Mauricio reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute but Giovanni Reyna’s late goal concluded a difficult evening for the South American outfit.
Head-to-Head
The only previous meeting between the nations ended in a goalless draw during an International Friendly in 1995.
Betting – Click here to bet
Turkiye 2.05
Draw 3.40
Paraguay 4.00
Verdict
Both teams desperately need points after losing their opening matches. Turkiye arguably faced the stronger overall performance in defeat and have shown solid defensive qualities across the last year. With Paraguay leaking four goals in their opener against an inform USA side but still scoring one of their own, I think this fixture will shape up to be competitive and I think it will end in a draw.
BET: Draw at 3.40
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
