2026 World Cup Picks: Argentina vs. Cape Verde (Friday)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues today, and so do our 2026 World Cup picks. We have a total of three Round of 32 matches on tap.
At 2:00 p.m. ET, Australia and Egypt (FOX) meet in Arlington, Texas. At 6:00 p.m. ET, Argentina and Cape Verde (FOX) square off in Miami Gardens, Florida. And, at 9:30 p.m. ET, Colombia and Ghana (FOX) meet at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.
All of the matchups are available on Telemundo and FOX One. We followed up a 10-1 record in last Friday’s column with a 6-2 performance on Monday. Let’s do it again, as we look to build our bankroll with our top 2026 World Cup picks and predictions for Friday, July 3rd’s game Argentina vs. Cape Verde.
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Friday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Argentina vs. Cape Verde
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Argentina (-800) vs. Cape Verde (+2200) | Draw (+700) | O/U 2.5 (-172/+140)
The No. 2 team in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, and the defending World Cup champs, take on debutante and surprise Round of 32 participant Cape Verde, ranked 64th. This should be a rather lopsided affair.
The incomparable Lionel Messi scored six goals in group play, while Cape Verde managed just two total goals in three matches, including a pair of scoreless draws. While Cape Verde keeper Vozinha shut down Spain in a scoreless opener, don’t expect Lionel Messi and company to have similar struggles.
Backing Argentina straight up will cost you eight times your potential return, so let’s find other avenues for a payday. Argentina won just nine corners in the first three matches, with six of them coming against Jordan in the group finale on June 27th. Let’s go with a corner match bet of under eight corners.
We’ll also roll with Argentina to get the job done by at least three goals in this lopsided matchup, while going high on the total.
Picks: Argentina -2.5 (+132), Under 2.5 Goals (-172), Under 8 Corners (+155), Both Teams to Score - No (-235) & Argentina to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 (+105)