Soccer Betting Podcast

Billi breaks down the first 4 World Cup Round of 16 matches, taking place on Saturday and Sunday, headlined by Mexico v England. Two late goals from captain Harry Kane spared England’s blushes against DR Congo but they will need to raise their levels significantly if they are to overcome co-hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in the last 16 on Sunday night. 


If England are at their best they should be able to beat Mexico but largely they have underwhelmed at the World Cup. They impressed in their opener against Croatia but then struggled to impose themselves against Ghana and Panama, before coming close to what would have been a humiliating defeat to DR Congo.In contrast, Mexico have probably improved with each game so they are the form team coming into this clash. El Tri also have the benefit of home advantage and this game will be played at altitude as the Azteca sits 7,200ft above sea level – the Mexican squad are used to playing in these conditions and England don’t have the time to adapt.

Billi breaks down his second set of selected games from the Round of 32. USA impressed during the group stages and the co-hosts will feel they have a chance to go far at the World Cup but they need to end a winless streak when they face Bosnia in the round of 32 on Wednesday night. A 3-2 defeat to Turkiye in the final batch of group games means the USA are winless in 12 games against European teams, with 10 defeats. They now haven’t managed a competitive win over a UEFA team since 2009 – when they upset Spain in the Confederations Cup. That run will be a concern for head coach Mauricio Pochettino, but not something clueless plastic US soccer fans are aware of, as they continue to blindly look past their opponents.

The Round of 32 is set and Billi breaks down 4 selected games from Monday and Tuesday's slate. France reached the final of the World Cup four years ago and they look good value to reach the same stage of the competition if their first three games are anything to go by.They topped Group I after winning all three matches, as they proved too much for Norway, Senegal and Iraq. Their reward is a clash with Graham Potter’s Sweden, who finished third in Group F on four points. Sweden hammered Tunisia 5-1 before then losing 5-1 to the Netherlands and they should come unstuck against France. Didier Deschamps’ team have scored three goals or more in four consecutive matches and they should put Sweden to the sword in East Rutherford.

Colombia and Portugal meet at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday night in a game that will decide who claims top spot in World Cup Group K.The South Americans have the advantage after two wins, while Ronaldo and Portugal have four points on the board and have to win to move ahead of their opponents and avoid Spain in the Round of 16.

The key games show looks at five of the early key games from the third phase of the group stage, including matches involving Canada, Brazil and the clash between France and Norway, which is a straight shootout for top spot in Group I, as two of the world’s best strikers go head-to-head in Foxborough on Friday. Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe already have four goals apiece in their race for the World Cup Golden Ball, with their sensational displays contributing to two wins apiece for their nations.

The key games show looks at five of the early key games from the second phase of the group stage, including matches involving Argentina, France and England. The USA put in a blistering display to beat Paraguay 4-1 in front of a home Los Angeles crowd and the Star and Stripes will be hoping for more of the same against Australia.

The opening round saw Argentina legend Lionel Messi made history as he became the oldest player ever to score a World Cup hat-trick as La Celeste thrashed Algeria in their opener, and he is expected to make the difference again as their title defence continues against Austria.The 38-year-old has scored 120 goals for his country and has found the net nine times in his last seven appearances for Inter Miami and Argentina. His hat-trick against Algeria took him level with Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading goalscorer in the World Cup, and he looks good value to take another record for himself in pursuit of his first-ever World Cup Golden Boot award.

The key games show looks at five of the early key games from the second phase of the group stage, including matches involving the USA, Brazil and Germany. The USA put in a blistering display to beat Paraguay 4-1 in front of a home Los Angeles crowd and the Star and Stripes will be hoping for more of the same against Australia.

In contrast to the US, Brazilian fans wouldn't have been happy with what they saw in their opener. Aside from a stunning goal by Vinicius Junior, there was little sign of Brazilian swagger in their 1-1 draw with Morocco. The African side were the stronger team in the first half, before largely controlling the second. That draw has raised the stakes as the five-time winners arrive in Philadelphia to take on Haiti. The battle for top spot could now come down to goal difference, so Carlo Ancelotti will hope his side can dial up their intensity and put up an impressive performance against the group minnows.

The key games show looks at five of the eight remaining game week 1 matches, including England's opening match against Croatia- who they lost to in the semi-finals of the 2018 tournament. However, it's not a great omen for the Croatians that their squad is largely the same from their run to the final in 2018. That side wasn’t exactly young, and their group stage exit at Euro 2024 suggests this group has had their day. England beat Croatia in their opening game of Euro 2020 before making the final, and they’ll hope that a victory in Dallas can kick off a similar run this summer.

World Cup 2026 kicks-off tonight at the Estadio Azteca, with Co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa. The Mexicans head into their first hosting of the World Cup since 1986 unbeaten in eight matches, and it is worth noting that El Tri have recorded a joint-best quarter-final showing in both their previous World Cups on home soil. This is hardly surprising given the high altitude of many Mexican stadiums, which may explain why almost half of Javier Aguirre’s squad are based domestically. Their recent unbeaten run includes draws against European heavyweights Belgium and Portugal, and they have conceded just two goals in this sequence.

The key games show also includes five other Matchday 1 matches, including the USA's opener against Paraguay. The road to the USA’s opening game at the 2026 World Cup has been a rocky one, and it's fair to suggest that the tournament co-hosts don’t seem entirely ready for their clash with Paraguay in Los Angeles. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have lost three of their four games in 2026, and they’ve kept just one clean sheet across their previous 14 internationals. Meanwhile, Paraguay return to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, and certainly can't be dismissed after finished level on points with Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia in qualifying.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is right around the corner and the biggest tournament in world football is also one of the world’s biggest betting events. Millions of people place bets on the tournament, with many casual fans taking the opportunity to have a wager on the event. Unfortunately, many of these fans will be looking for good information, and will end up finding some used car salesman type - who only took an interest in football because of the tournament - masquerading as a "Soccer" expert, leading them down a path where their bankroll is blown before the the knockout stages.

Luckily you've found this podcast. Over the past week, Billi has delivered 6 extensive group preview episodes over on the Soccer Betting Podcast, and now closes out his Fututes content with this very episode- primarily focusing on the outright market. Billi has watched this sport since religiously since 1989, and has covered football betting since the 2014 World Cup, when he began on the Sport's Gambling Podcast as their lead Soccer expert. Since 2013, he's delivered 156 months of consecutive tracked and transparent betting profit across all sports, and has navigated his way through 11 major international tournaments (World Cup, Euros and Copa Americas) since then, delivering 10 winning tournaments- with his only losing tournament being Euro 2016.

American restaurants are known for generous portion sizes and this summer’s World Cup will be an all-you-can eat feast of football. The tournament, co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, has been expanded from 32 teams to 48 and the 16 venues are scattered across the North American continent. From Vancouver in the north to Mexico City in the south, from California to Massachusetts, this is a World Cup on a grand scale. In the outright market, there isn't much separating the top sides in this tournament, and it won't be surprising to see any of the top 7 names making it to East Rutherford, New Jersey, where the World Cup final takes place on July 19. Matches at last summer’s Club World Cup in the USA were played in sweltering conditions with thunderstorms forcing several lengthy breaks in play. Therefore, its massively important to factor in who is and who isn't equipped to handle the circumstances, heat and conditions.