2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Friday (6/12)
The 2026 World Cup rolls on Friday, with a pair of matches involving host nations. First off, Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B play at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at 3:00 p.m. ET. And, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the United States and Paraguay battle in Group D play at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA. Both matches are available on FOX, Telemundo and Peacock. Let’s build our bankroll with our best 2026 World Cup picks and predictions for Friday, June 12th.
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Friday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Canada (-125) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (+370) | Draw (+260) | O/U 2.5 (+118/-144)
The good news is that co-host Canada opens the 2026 World Cup in Toronto, and the atmosphere is likely to be electric. However, top Canadian star Alphonso Davies (hamstring) will miss the opening match due to a hamstring injury. The good news is that Jonathan David will be on the pitch and available.
However, this is a difficult opening match for the co-hosts, as Bosnia and Herzegovina is a battle-tested group with a star of its own in 40-year-old striker Edin Džeko, a.k.a. “The Bosnian Diamond,” who stars for FC Schalke 04 in the German Bundesliga. The all-time top goal scorer and most capped player of the Bosnian national team.
Canada heads into play having never recorded a point in World Cup play. It is expected to grab its first point at some point of this tournament, perhaps even on Friday. However, it will be a tall order to get a result against a tough squad without Davies.
A victory by either side will go a long way toward punching their ticket to the Round of 32. If you are quite adventurous, consider Bosnia and Herzegovina to spring the upset for a chance to nearly quadruple your money.
However, the safest and smartest play is backing the draw. We could very well see a scoreless draw to start, or perhaps a 1-1 result. As for the total, let’s roll with the under.
Picks: Draw (+260) & Under 2.5 Goals (-144)
USA (-110) vs. Paraguay (+320) | Draw (+240) | O/U 2.5 (+134/-164)
Another co-host nation gets underway, as Team USA hosts Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles at 9:00 p.m. ET.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Argentinian coach, makes his World Cup debut for the USA. The results were mixed leading up to the first World Cup game. The Americans topped Senegal 3-2 in a tune-up last weekend but lost 2-1 to Germany in their final preparation match.
Team USA is ranked No. 16 in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, and expectations are obviously quite high. The Americans have reached the knockout stage in each of their past three World Cup appearances. This will be the first time the USA and Paraguay have met in a World Cup match since 1930, when the USA won 3-0.
Paraguay is also led by an Argentinian coach, Gustavo Alfaro. They suffered a 2-1 loss to the USA in a friendly back in November, but posted three victories in the past four tune-up matches, including a 4-0 pounding of Nicaragua. Still, this side is a longshot to have a long stay in a group that also includes Australia and Türkiye.
The best bet is to go rather aggressively on Team USA on the three-way Moneyline. We could very well have to sweat out a 1-0 result, but the prediction here is for the USA to win 2-0. We’ll still go low on the total, as captain Tim Ream and the defense are looking to throw a blanket on La Albirroja.
Also, let’s go with a Correct Score Combination for the chance to more than double our wager, with the USA to win 1-0, 2-0, or 3-0.
Picks: USA Moneyline (-110), Under 2.5 Goals (-164) & USA to Win 1-0, 2-0 or 3-0 (+210)