Two host nations will begin their World Cup journeys on Friday, June 12, when Team USA faces Paraguay at SoFi Stadium and Canada takes on Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto. The US and Canada are two of three co-hosts along with Mexico, which beat South Africa 2-0 on Thursday in the first match of the tournament. The Americans are hoping playing on home soil can lead to a deep run, while Canada are looking to advance out of group play for the very first time. The US are favored to win Group D, while Canada is considered a favorite to advance past Group B. Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina will kick off at 3 p.m. ET in Toronto, while USMNT vs. Paraguay is set for 9 p.m. ET from L.A.
The World Cup is always a big deal when it comes to sports betting, and that's especially true this year with an expanded field of 48 teams. We've put together a three-leg FanDuel parlay for the second matchday of the World Cup, with picks for these two games courtesy of SportsLine's soccer betting experts. Before you make your own World Cup picks, you need to see Jon Eimer and Martin Green's plays.
Eimer is a longstanding fixture in CBS Sports and SportsLine's soccer betting coverage. He's gone 64-41-3 in his last 108 Italian Serie A picks and 17-9-2 in his last 28 German Bundesliga picks. Green went 18-8 in his last 26 picks in this year's Champions League. Anyone following their World Cup betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
World Cup parlay for Friday, June 12
- USMNT Double Chance (-425)
- USMNT vs. Paraguay Under 2.5 goals (-184)
- Canada money line (-125)
FanDuel parlay price: +238
USMNT Double Chance vs. Paraguay (-425)
The Americans will be the center of the soccer world Friday night when they begin their latest World Cup quest on home soil. The action is set to take place in Los Angeles as they face off with Paraguay in Group D. The US are +135 to win Group D, followed by Turkey (+175), Paraguay (+400) and Australia (+800). The Americans have some big names in the fold like Christian Pulisic, Brenden Aaronson and Tim Weah, all of whom the team will lean heavily on, starting against Paraguay. Eimer thinks bettors should be cautious when it comes to USMNT, particularly in their first game of the World Cup. "Nerves and pressure can tend to get the better of even the most seasoned favorites," he said. As such, he's going with the Double Chance of a USA victory or draw over the first 90 minutes.
USMNT vs. Paraguay Under 2.5 goals (-184)
Eimer personally has put together a two-leg parlay of USA Double Chance as well as Under 2.5 goals. As noted, Eimer thinks nerves could be fairly high here with the first matchday for the Americans on their home turf, which could lead to a low-scoring affair. It's worth noting Team USA scored just three goals across four matches in the 2022 World Cup, scoring one or none in all four of those appearances.
Canada money line (-125)
Canada have never advanced out of the group stage at any World Cup, but it looks like they have as good of a chance as they ever will to end that streak, starting with a Group B matchup with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Canada are -125 to win here, and the Canadians are +175 to win their group behind Switzerland (-130) while Bosnia and Herzegovina are +500. Canada are +100 to advance out of the group stage for the first time. Green thinks Canada should emerge victorious at home in Toronto. "They can't really afford to lose to Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opener, so the players should be fired up for this game." Green thinks both teams have dangerous attacks, and even with star Alphonso Davies unlikely to suit up, he believes the Canadians have "enough quality" to win here behind Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, Tajon Buchanan and Liam Millar.
