The World Cup gets underway today with a pair of matches — Mexico vs. South Africa and South Korea vs. Czechia.
All week, we've loaded up on team previews, futures picks, and even a few fun long shots. However, it's now time to focus on the games.
So, let's dive into today's World Cup best bets.
World Cup Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the World Cup matchups that our staff is targeting from today's slate. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 3:00 p.m. | |
| 3:00 p.m. | |
  | 10:00 p.m. | |
| 10:00 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our World Cup odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Mexico vs. South Africa
Raul Jimenez will be Mexico’s main center forward in this World Cup. The 35-year-old striker scored two goals in three CONCACAF Gold Cup matches for his national team and added five more in four CONCACAF Nations League appearances.
Jimenez, who bagged nine Premier League goals for Fulham last season, also found the back of the net in the most recent friendly, a 5-1 victory over Serbia.
He is third on Mexico's all-time goalscoring list, one goal behind the legendary Jared Borgetti, and seven behind Javier Hernandez. Jimenez is also Mexico's primary penalty taker, so if the hosts are awarded a penalty against South Africa, Raul will get a golden opportunity to score.
Pick: Raul Jimenez to Score Anytime (+150)
Mexico vs. South Africa
Mexico will look to make the most of its home-field advantage by starting fast against South Africa.
They are the favorites and will be backed by a fanatical home crowd, so we are picking Javier Aguirre’s team to win the first half.
Mexico has led at halftime in their past four matches, which includes a clash with Belgium in which they were the underdogs.
Pick: Mexico 1st Half 3-Way Moneyline (-115)
South Korea vs. Czechia
The opening match for South Korea and Czechia marks the latter’s first appearance at the World Cup in two decades.
South Korea, on the other hand, is ranked 25th in the world rankings, and is appearing in their 11th consecutive World Cup appearance — no other nation in Asia boasts such a streak.
Our internal data projection model, BETSiE, has projected this match to be very close (1.05 xG vs 1.10 xG). In fact, there’s only one other game in the entire group phase — Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador — that's projected to be a closer match-up.
BETSiE has projected South Korea to score 1.05 goals, with Czechia handed 1.10. The data indicates that there’s not much separation between these nations. So, we’ll be betting on a draw as all signs point to an even contest..
Pick: Draw (+215)
South Korea vs. Czechia
Son Heung-min, South Korea's captain and best player, is 33, but still their main goal scorer.
He didn't have the best of seasons with Los Angeles FC and failed to score in 13 MLS appearances, but did provide eight assists. He also scored two goals in eight CONCACAF Champions Cup games.
With 56 goals for his national team, Heung-min needs only two goals to match Cha Bum-kun’s all-time record of 58 goals for South Korea. Heung-min may break this record at the World Cup, especially if South Korea reaches the knockout stages.
He's also South Korea's primary penalty taker, and he is often involved in goals, so betting on him to score or assist against Czechia has value.
