2026 World Cup Picks: Japan vs. Sweden (Thursday)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup continues Thursday, and so do our 2026 World Cup picks. We have a total of six matches, beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET with Curacao and Cote d’Ivoire (FS1) in Philadelphia, and Ecuador and Germany (FOX) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. At 7:00 p.m. ET, Japan and Sweden (FOX) tangle in Arlington, Texas, while Tunisia and Netherlands (FS1) match up in Kansas City. In the 10:00 p.m. ET window, Paraguay and Australia (FS1) meet in Santa Clara, California, while Turkiye and Team USA (FOX) meet in Los Angeles.
All of the matchups are available on Telemundo and FOX One, too. Let’s build our bankroll with our top 2026 World Cup picks and predictions for Thursday, June 25th’s game Japan vs. Sweden.
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Thursday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Japan vs. Sweden
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Japan (-120) vs. Sweden (+350) | Draw (+260) | O/U 2.5 (-122/+100)
Japan, who played to a 2-2 draw with Netherlands, is neck-and-neck with the Dutch for the top spot in Group F. Sweden was roughed up by Netherlands 5-1, but it returned the favor with a 5-1 win over Tunisia, and the Swedes are very much in play for advancement to the Round of 32, if not the top spot in the group if things break right, although it would take a Tunisian miracle.
Will we get good Sweden, or bad Sweden? It likely won’t be as big of a scoring machine as it was against Tunisia, who has been a sieve in this tournament. And, it won’t be as bad as it was against Netherlands, either.
The difference here is Japan’s strong midfield, which will give Sweden fits. And, the Swedes do not have much of an attack out of Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak. If Japan can blanket those two, it will cruise. Still, I could see a 2-1 win by Japan, so let’s go high on the total.
Picks: Japan Moneyline (-120) & Over 2.5 Goals (-122)