Ultimate 2026 World Cup betting preview: Odds, best bets for every group, Golden Boot and winner

The 2026 World Cup will be the biggest sporting event held in the United States since sports betting was widely legalized in 2018, meaning a huge amount of American eyeballs and money will be on these games. We're still several months out from first kick on June 11, but there are plenty of betting options available for casual and sophisticated punters alike. Below is a bet I like in every group, along with my value bets for the Golden Boot and 2026 World Cup title winner.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM. Group stage A reminder about the format for this newly-expanded tournament. The 48 teams were drawn into 12 groups of four.

After round-robin group play, the top two teams in each group advance to the round of 32, as do the eight best third-place teams. From a betting perspective, this means odds to advance will be less enticing, since most groups will have only one team with plus-odds to go through. Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season Also remember that six groups include a team yet to be determined, as those spots will be filled in March by playoff winners.

That may affect the odds drastically. In Group B for example, the playoff winner could be four-time champion Italy or a Northern Ireland side that hasn’t made the World Cup in 40 years. Here are my current best bets for every group.