Ian Wilkerson
Show Bio
The wait for World Cup soccer action is finally over and there are 3 games on Monday, which will feature England and the Netherlands before the USMNT makes its first tournament appearance against Wales (2:00pm ET, FS1, Peacock & Telemundo).
Temperatures are likely to be high when England starts its quest to be world champion for just the second time in a difficult-looking game with Iran, which topped its Asian qualification group. Then the Netherlands, which will have been delighted with the group draw it has in Qatar, will attempt to beat Senegal, which could be the toughest test Louis van Gaal’s team faces in Group A.
Finally, the big game takes place in Group B with the United States keen to make up for failing to qualify for the last World Cup in Russia 4 years ago when Gregg Berhalter’s team faces Wales, including LAFC’s Gareth Bale.
We have come up with a 3-leg parlay which will hopefully see you through a successful second day of the tournament. Be sure to check out the rest of our World Cup soccer predictions and remember to gamble responsibly.
But now, here is the parlay we have prepared for Monday’s matches, which pays out at +1043 odds at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
England to win & under 2.5 goals (+145)
Netherlands ML (-180)
Gareth Bale anytime goalscorer (+200)
3-leg parlay odds: +1043
Let’s check out the reasoning behind each of our selections:
England vs Iran: England to win & under 2.5 goals (+145) – 8:00am ET
England, which lost in the World Cup semifinals against Croatia in Russia 4 years ago, will be highly fancied to get through Group B but its opening game against Iran could be tricky. The Three Lions have plenty to prove after a disappointing Nations League campaign, but any team that has a striker as good as Harry Kane, the Golden Boot winner in 2018, must be respected.
England should get off to a winning start but the heat could be a factor and Iran should be more suited to the conditions. The underdogs allowed just 4 goals in their final 10 Asian qualifiers and are ranked 20th in the world, so it might be a tight game, so I’ll take England to win in a game with under 2.5 goals.
Don’t miss our USA vs Wales Same Game Parlay
Senegal vs Netherlands: Netherlands ML (-180) – 11:00am ET
Senegal won the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year and will have had high hopes of repeating its run to the World Cup quarterfinals 20 years ago, but it will have to attempt it without star player Sadio Mane and that is a big problem. The Lions of Teranga have been handed their toughest Group A assignment first with a game against the Netherlands, who have been runners-up in the tournament 3 times, but failed to qualify for the last tournament in Russia.
The Dutch claimed 16 points from 6 Nations League games and have an illustrious coach in Louis van Gaal, who led his national team to the semifinals in 2014. With Senegal rocked by Mane’s injury, this is a great chance for the Netherlands to start with a win.
USA vs Wales: Gareth Bale anytime goalscorer (+200)
This is the first time that Wales has qualified for the World Cup finals since 1958 and it will look to 33-year-old Gareth Bale to inspire his country to a memorable reappearance on soccer’s biggest stage. He is likely to be at the heart of everything Wales produces, as he was in the qualification playoffs when he scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Austria and the winning goal in the 1-0 victory against Ukraine.
The USMNT will think a win in this matchup could go a long way towards punching a ticket to the last 16, but Bale is likely to be at the center of everything his team does and could get on the scoresheet whatever the final score is.
Make sure you check out the rest of our World Cup predictions
Pickswise is the home of free Soccer Predictions and soccer parlays. With expert picks from the World Cup, MLS and top European Leagues such as the Premier League and the Champions League.
