2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions: Monday (6/29)
The 2026 FIFA World Cup rolls on Monday, and so do our 2026 World Cup picks. We have a total of three Round of 32 matches today.
At 1:00 p.m. ET, Brazil and Japan (FOX) meet in Houston, Texas. At 4:30 p.m. ET, Germany and Paraguay (FOX) square off in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And, at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Netherlands and Morocco (FOX) meet at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, Mexico, in what could be the match of the day.
All of the matchups are available on Telemundo and FOX One. We ended up going 10-1 in Friday’s column. Let’s do it again, as we look to build our bankroll with our top 2026 World Cup picks and predictions for Monday, June 29th.
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Monday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Brazil (-230) vs. Japan (+350) | Draw (+650) | O/U 2.5 (+114/-140)
Brazil won Group C, edging out Morocco on goal differential. The two sides played to a 1-1 draw, so the next tiebreaker was the differential. Vínicius Júnior notched four goals in the three group-stage matches, while Matheus Cunha was good for the team’s other three goals. If Brazil is going to go deep into this tournament, it must have more diversified scoring.
Japan finished second in Group F, picking up one victory and two draws en route to five points and a +4 goal differential. It blasted Tunisia 4-0 in the middle match for its only victory. Japan played to a 1-1 draw against table-topper Netherlands, proving that this side has plenty of quality to compete against other world-class opponents.
However, beating up on a North African mid-tier soccer club and playing to a draw against Sweden is fine, but not terribly impressive. Facing Seleção Canarinho is a gigantic step up in quality and competition, and a task the Blue Samurais might not necessarily be ready for.
We’re in Houston for the early start, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a bit of a sluggish beginning. However, when the dust clears at the end, the best course of action is the safest.
Let’s back Brazil to get the job done, and we’ll go high on the total, as we might be looking at a 2-1 kind of a match. We’ll also play a player prop - Vínicius Júnior to score.
Picks: Brazil 3-way Moneyline (-240), Over 2.5 Goals (-132), Brazil to Win by Exactly 1 Goal (+220) & Vínicius Júnior Anytime Goalscorer (+160)
Germany (-600) vs. Paraguay (+800) | Draw (+1100) | O/U 2.5 (-142/+116)
Perhaps the least appealing matchup of the entire Round of 32 features Germany against Paraguay in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Germany pushed past the Ivory Coast in Group E play for the top spot, beating them 2-1 in the middle match. Deniz Undav led the team in goals during group play with three, followed by Kai Havertz with a pair of scores. Nico Schlotterbeck, who had a goal in two matches, missed the Ecuador game with an ankle injury and is out for the remainder of the tournament.
Paraguay finished third in Group D, which also featured Team USA. It went 1-1-1 in the three matches, posting a -2 goal differential. Paraguay found the back of the net just two times, with Matías Galarza and Maurício as the lone goal scorers.
The depth and quality just isn’t there for the South American side, although there is plenty of strong marking and defense to keep Germany at wit’s end. In the end, Germany should push past Paraguay, but don’t be surprised if this is a little too close for comfort for the European side.
Picks: Germany -1.5 (+100) & Under 2.5 Goals (+116)
Netherlands (-120) vs. Morocco (+190) | Draw (+500) | O/U 2.5 (-134/+110)
The best matchup of the day might be the finale on Monday. The Netherlands, ranked No. 7 in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking, faces Morocco, the No. 6-ranked team. This should be a knockdown, drag-out fight in Guadalupe, Mexico.
The Netherlands slid past Japan in Group F with seven points, while Morocco managed seven points in Group C, but it lost out to Brazil on goal differential. Still, the Atlas Lions were outstanding in group play. They are looking for another deep run, similar to their 2022 run in Qatar, when they finished fourth.
Brian Brobbey led the Oranje attack with three goals in group play, while Cody Gakpo and Crysencio Summerville each found the net twice. The Netherlands had five different scorers in the first three matches, with Jan Paul van Hecke and Virgil van Dijk also scoring.
Morocco was led by Ismael Saibari, who plays his club soccer in Holland with PSV Eindhoven. He scored three times in group play, while Achraf Hakimi, Soufiane Rahimi and Gessime Yassine accounted for the other goals in the group stage.
In the end, the Netherlands might be a touch deeper, but expect this to be close. A draw is too hard to pass up, especially for a potential 5X return. This one could be decided on penalties.
Picks: Method of Victory - Either Team in Penalty Shootout (+500) & Under 2.5 Goals (-142)