The World Cup has officially arrived, and the Ladbrokes blog is your one-stop shop for daily tips ahead of all the key games. From the Group Stages, right through to the World Cup Final, check back each day to find out who our football expert is backing!
Round Of 16
Portugal vs Spain Predictions – Round of 16 (Match 5)
Spain vs Portugal Predictions – Round Of 16, Match 93 The Iberian Derby gets a World Cup knockout edition on Monday, and it’s hard to argue Spain don’t deserve to be favourites.
La Roja have looked the most complete side of the tournament so far, cruising past Austria 3-0 in the Round of 32 while keeping their fourth straight clean sheet. Portugal, meanwhile, had to dig deep against Croatia, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring before Gonçalo Ramos found a stoppage-time winner in a dramatic 2-1 result.
Portugal have enough class through Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and Rafael Leão to make this seriously uncomfortable, especially if they can turn Spain around in transition. They also come in with the confidence of beating Spain on penalties in last year’s Nations League final.
That said, Spain’s midfield control, defensive record, and ability to dictate the pace make them tough to knock.
This should be tight, tense, and probably short on clear-cut chances, but Spain’s balance across the park gives them the edge.
Prediction: Spain to Qualify @ $1.50
Value: Over 3.5 Goals @ $2.80
Player Pick: Lamine Yamal to Have 2+ Shots on Target @ $2.10
USA vs Belgium Predictions – Round of 16 (Match 6)
The USA roll into this one with the home crowd well and truly behind them after knocking off Bosnia & Herzegovina 2-0, and they’ll even more confident on attack after FIFA’s ruling to lift Folarin Balogun’s red card, which would have left the Americans extremely short handed on attack.
Belgium, meanwhile, are still alive after pulling a rabbit out of the hat against Senegal, coming from 2-0 down late before Youri Tielemans completed a dramatic 3-2 win. The Red Devils haven’t always looked convincing, but with Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Romelu Lukaku and Tielemans in the mix, there’s still more than enough quality to punish mistakes.
The USA’s energy, set-piece threat and Seattle support should make this a proper arm-wrestle, but Belgium’s tournament experience and attacking depth make them dangerous for the full 90 minutes.
This looks like one that could easily go beyond regulation, with both sides capable of finding the net.
Prediction: SGM – Both Teams to Score + Over 2.5 Goals @ $1.82
Value: Either Team to Win From Behind @ $5.75
Player Pick: Romelu Lukaku Anytime Goalscorer @ $2.50