2026 World Cup: Best Bets and Predictions for Portugal-DR Congo and England-Croatia

The 2026 World Cup continues with four matches on Wednesday, and every nation will have played one match in the group stage by day's end. The day begins with Portugal vs. DR Congo at 1 p.m. ET, and will be followed by England vs. Croatia at 4 p.m., Ghana vs. Panama at 7 p.m. and Uzbekistan vs. Colombia at 10 p.m. Croatia vs. England pits two of the best teams in Europe against each other in a rematch of a 2018 World Cup semifinal, a game which Croatia won 2-1. However, the latest 2026 World Cup odds from FanDuel list England as the -140 favorites, while Croatia are priced at +420, and a draw is at +270. SportsLine soccer expert Martin Green is backing England on the three-way money line, stating, "(Croatia) lost 3-1 to Brazil and 2-0 to Belgium in their last two games, which suggests that they could struggle to contain an England attack featuring the likes of Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka."

Cristiano Ronaldo will also be in action during the opening match, but Green prefers his teammate Bruno Fernandes to impact the scoring column, as he's backing Fernandes to score or assist at +120. Then Jon Eimer is also adding a World Cup prop play from Uzbekistan vs. Colombia to round out our Wednesday World Cup best bets. Before locking in your 2026 World Cup picks and other World Cup bets on betting sites like FanDuel, be sure to check our top picks from the team of experts at SportsLine.

Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, he has covered the English Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, the FA Cup, and much more. He's been red-hot on his  soccer betting  picks in 2026, posting a 31-13-2 record and returning over $1,200 of profit on his Champions League picks. Anyone wanting to follow his  World Cup betting  advice at  sportsbooks  and on  betting apps  could see big returns.

Top World Cup picks for Wednesday

- Portugal vs. DR Congo: Bruno Fernandes to score or assist - England vs. Croatia: England to win on the three-way money line - Uzbekistan vs. Colombia: Luis Diaz to score or assist

Portugal vs. DR Congo: Bruno Fernandes to score or assist

"The Portuguese team should dominate possession in this game. Vitinha and Neves are both very comfortable on the ball, and they will dictate the pace of the game. Fernandes will be full of confidence after breaking the Premier League assist record last season, and he has the quality to unlock this Congo DR defense," Green said.

England vs. Croatia: England to win on the three-way money line

"England should make a winning start to their World Cup campaign when they face an ageing Croatia team. The Croats were runners-up at the 2018 World Cup, and they finished third in 2022, but they've regressed in recent years. Captain Luka Modrić is now 40, and several other key players have retired," Green said. "They lost 3-1 to Brazil and 2-0 to Belgium in their last two games, which suggests that they could struggle to contain an England attack featuring the likes of Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka."

Uzbekistan vs. Colombia: Luis Diaz to score or assist

"Luis Diaz terrorized the German Bundesliga alongside Harry Kane and Michael Olise," Eimer said. "Diaz picked up an unreal 45 goal contributions this season in domestic play, and all eyes will be on him as he looks to continue his form into the international scene."

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/2026-world-cup-picks-odds-predictions-best-bets-for-portugal-dr-congo-england-croatia-on-wednesday/)._