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🇮🇷 Iran v New Zealand 🇳🇿 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup   2am (Tuesday) Group G’s opening round wraps up in the early hours of Tuesday morning UK time when Iran meet New Zealand in Los Angeles on Betdaq. As I said in my Group G preview, no group at this World Cup comes loaded with more off-field drama, and this is the fixture at the very centre of it. With the USA and Iran at war following the joint US-Israeli operation, this becomes the first World Cup match in history where a host nation receives the team of a country it is actively at war with. Whatever happens on the pitch, this game will be remembered for everything around it. And then obviously all the chat around this game is going to be about off-field matters more than the football!   On the pitch, Iran come into the game as the odds on favourites at 1.88 with New Zealand 5.1 and the draw is 3.6 at the time of writing. Off the pitch, the circumstances are simply unprecedented. President Trump declared it was not “appropriate” for Iran to be at the tournament “for their own life and safety”, Iran’s national team responded by suggesting the USA should be excluded as hosts instead. I suppose they’ve been going back-and-forth with Trump for months now! FIFA president Gianni Infantino put the participation question to bed very early in fairness to him, but the conditions imposed on Iran are extraordinary. The squad are not permitted to stay overnight on American soil - they have been handed a same-day entry and exit mandate, flying in on the morning of each match and leaving straight after the final whistle. Their planned base in Tucson, Arizona was abandoned, and they will instead spend the entire group stage camped across the border in Tijuana, Mexico.   You have to say those conditions are a massive disadvantage; I know modern footballers have a very “easy” and “luxurious” life style compared to the average person, but quite obviously flying on the morning is a big disadvantage compared to the other sides they face. Even the visas only arrived ten days before this game, with around fifteen members of the backroom and administrative staff denied entry altogether.Preparation-wise, it is about as far from ideal as you couldget, which is a shame because Iran the football team deserve better. This is their fourth consecutive World Cup and seventh overall, they topped their AFC qualifying group, and they conceded just 12 goals across 16 qualifiers.   They are a very solid side, and no surprises that they are favourites here. I think they will win despite all the issues though because New Zealand are in dreadful form. They have lost nine of their last eleven matches, including a 4-0 hammering by Haiti, and they have failed to score in four of their last five. Chris Wood is their talisman and all-time leading goal scorer, but he is still working his way back from a five month injury. Obviously the big worry with Iran is the tournament preparation – how can you avoid that – but this New Zealand side look very average and I’d have Iran shorter than 1.88. I’m going to reduce stakes a little given the situation, but I’m still happy with a confident three point bet.   The Ultra Says: Three points win Iran to beat New Zealand at 1.88 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia v Uruguay 🇺🇾 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup   11pm Group H wraps up its opening round on Monday night UK time when Saudi Arabia meet Uruguay at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Betdaq. As I said in my Group H preview, this Group is all about Spain, so realistically this is the battle for second place and both sides know it. Win here and you have one foot in the knockoutstage. Uruguay are obviously very well fancied for that second spot, but remember the last time Saudi Arabia opened a World Cup? They produced one of the greatest upsets in the history of the tournament, beating Lionel Messi and the eventual champions Argentina 2-1 in Qatar!   Given the gulf in class between the sides here, it's no surprise that Uruguay come into the game as the odds on favourites at 1.47 with Saudi Arabia 8.8 and the draw is 4.7 at the time of writing. Obviously there will be a lot of talk about the Saudi Arabia result against Argentina last time they started a World Cup, but the problem is that almost everything else has changed since then, and not for the better. The manager was sacked in mid-April after a couple of dismal friendly results. The qualifying routes tell their own story too. Saudi Arabia needed the AFC fourth round to get here, beating Indonesia 3-2 before a nervy 0-0 draw with Iraq saw them over the line on goals scored. Uruguay finished fourth in the CONMEBOL round robin, level on points with Brazil, and we all know how competitive South American qualifying is.   Uruguay have Marcelo Bielsa in charge, whom Leeds fans will remember fondly and most Premier League fans. Bielsa hasn’t had it all his own way though; a few poor results brought calls for his dismissal, and the iconic Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani era is over, with Suarez left out of the squad altogether. The baton passes to Federico Valverde of Real Madrid and Darwin Nunez up top. They have a lot of talent in their squad. Uruguay under Bielsa are intense, high-pressing and physically demanding, and that is exactly the sort of test you don’t want when you’ve had a handful of weeks under a new manager. Saudi Arabia were limited going forward even before the upheaval.   It might be very interesting to see how much Uruguay have in the tank later in the tournament given the demands of Bielsa’s tactics, but for me it would be a surprise if they didn’t get the job done here in their opener. Saudi Arabia are there for the taking. The 2022 Argentina shock will be mentioned plenty in the build-up, and rightly so, but that side had Renard, momentum and a settled plan. This one has none of those things. Uruguay aren’t the most prolific themselves, and Bielsa sides can leave the door open, so I’m not going to go crazy with the stakes here but Uruguay showed enough in CONMEBOL to say that they are levels above Saudi Arabia and I’d have them a few ticks shorter.   The Ultra Says: Two points win Uruguay to beat Saudi Arabia at 1.47 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇦🇷 Argentina v Algeria 🇩🇿 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup 2am (Wednesday) The defending champions finally enter the tournament in the early hours of Wednesday morning UK time on Betdaq! Argentina take on Algeria in Kansas City – Group J is all about Argentina and in my opinion they have a very easy draw. I feel they offer good value in the Outright market, and even Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot market is good value given the draw. Arguably the greatest footballer who ever lived starts what is almost certainly his last World Cup here - a record sixth appearance, and he turns 39 during the tournament. As you would expect, Argentina come into the game as the odds on favourites at 1.42 with Algeria 10.0 and the draw is 4.9 at the time of writing. Argentina are trying to become the first men's team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup title, and the history books are stacked against them - three of the last four defending champions were eliminated at the group stage. And of course, who could forget Argentina themselves losing to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the last World Cup! That memory alone should guarantee no complacency here. The truth is, they arrive in a very good spot; Lionel Scaloni has built an exceptional side. They pretty much tick every box, and given the weather is going to be incredibly hot at this World Cup – on paper I feel Argentina don’t have to get out of first gear until the latter stages which is a huge boost to their chances of defending their crown. Algeria are back at the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when they reached the Round of 16 and pushed Germany all the way to extra time - still their best ever performance at this level. As I covered in the Group J preview, they qualified by winning their CAF group unbeaten, seven points clear of Uganda, although that was quite limited opposition in fairness. The headline name is Riyad Mahrez, who is 35 now and has been in the Saudi Pro League since leaving Manchester City in 2023. They will likely struggle against this top quality Argentinian side, but given there’s eight places for the third-placed sides in the Group – they will fancy their chances of getting through. Argentina should win this, but obviously the market is expecting that given they are trading 1.42. I still feel there’s a shade of value in that price mind. I know openers can be cagey, and I know the Saudi Arabia ghost will get mentioned plenty, but this is a different situation entirely - that defeat is precisely why Scaloni's side won't take anyone lightly. You would think that Algeria will come here to defend and try to grind out a draw, but that’s not their style usually. Algeria's attacking intent might actually play into Argentina's hands, and I’m happy to take the 1.42 on Argentina here to get their World Cup off to a winning start. The Ultra Says: Three points win Argentina to beat Algeria at 1.42 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇮🇶 Iraq v Norway 🇳🇴 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup 11pm We keep going with Group I Tuesday night UK time as Iraq meet Norway in Boston on Betdaq. We have two nations ending long World Cup exiles on the same night - Iraq are back for the first time since 1986, a 40-year wait, and Norway are back for the first time in 28 years. And of course, all eyes will be on Erling Haaland making his World Cup debut at last - back in the USA where his father Alfie played for Norway at the 1994 tournament. It’s fair to say that everyone will be expecting a Norway win here given the gulf in class between the sides, and it’s no surprise that Erling Haaland and Co come into the game as the red-hot favourites. Norway are trading 1.23 with Iraq 16.5 and the draw is 7.6 at the time of writing. Norway arrived at this tournament in the most emphatic fashion imaginable. Only two teams in UEFA qualifying won every single game - England and Norway - and the Norwegians scored a very impressive 37 goals too. That was the highest scoring qualifying campaign in European history. And remember, they had Italy in their group; it's not like they had an exceptionally easy ride like England did. They sealed it with a 4-1 win away in Italy, Haaland scoring twice, and the big man comes into this with 17 goals in his last eleven internationals. He will be the focal point of everything. The warm-ups went fine too - a 3-1 win over Sweden followed by a respectable 1-1 draw with Morocco. The qualifying numbers were very impressive; now we get to see how they perform on the big stage. Iraq's qualification story is remarkable in the sense that they had to overcome a lot. 21 qualifying matches across 28 months, navigating AFC qualifying before the inter-confederation playoff in Mexico in late March, where they beat Bolivia 2-1 in the final. With regional airspace closures creating logistical nightmares, FIFA even arranged a charter flight to get them there. Their coach is the Australian Graham Arnold, who managed Australia at two World Cups, so he has plenty of experience of this stage. They will set up exactly as you'd expect here - deep, organised and disciplined. We know they will arrive here to play for a draw, so it’s going to be up to Norway to make all the running. Norway should win, but obviously there’s no prizes for tipping 1.23 shots. We’ve had Germany at 1.06 and Spain at 1.11 – at least 1.23 is getting reasonably close to a price you might include in an Acca! Iraq's organisation is admirable, but the step up in class from AFC qualifying to facing Haaland and Odegaard is enormous, and Norway simply blew away every defensive minded side they met in qualifying too. I feel this one is going to be about how many goals can Norway score, but I like them to keep a clean sheet here too. Iraq won’t offer much going forward here and Norway will control the game. Both Teams Not To Score looks nice value at 1.66. The Ultra Says: Two points win Both Teams Not To Score at 1.66 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇫🇷 France v Senegal 🇸🇳 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup 8pm Group I gets underway Tuesday night as France take on Senegal at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Betdaq! It’s our first look at one of the big tournament favourites; Spain just edged favouritism in the final days before the World Cup started. There’s plenty going on heading into this fixture - Didier Deschamps beginning his farewell tournament after 14 years in charge, Kylian Mbappe arriving off the back of a very toxic season at Real Madrid, and Senegal turning up with the wounded pride of having their Africa Cup of Nations title stripped from them in March. And of course, these two have met at a World Cup before - the famous 2002 opener when Senegal stunned the reigning champions 1-0! France come into the game as the odds on favourites at 1.49 with Senegal 8.2 and the draw is 4.6 at the time of writing. As I said in my Group I preview, France just tick every box – their squad is exceptionally talented and it would be a surprise if they didn’t go deep into the tournament. They are the number one ranked team in the world, and everyone remembers how close they went against Argentina at the last World Cup. There was a little wobble in the warm-ups, a 2-1 friendly defeat to Ivory Coast in early June, before they steadied things with a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in which Michael Olise helped himself to a hat-trick. It’s hard to know how much to write into the warm-ups; there were a lot of bad reports about the pitches and I don’t think many sides took them too seriously other than trying to get used to the heat. Obviously a huge talking point here will be Mbappe. What a strange season it has been for him at Real Madrid - individually he was outstanding – especially at the start of the season, top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, but everything around him at the club turned toxic; Madrid surrendered the league to Barcelona again, the season ended trophyless, the Xabi Alonso situation of course, and Mbappe somehow ended up in the middle of all the noise as usual. The fascinating part now is how this French squad treats him. He is the captain, and from a French point of view he surely arrives with a massive point to prove - that usually brings the best out of him. But it will be very interesting to see do his teammates rally around him fully, or whether the Madrid baggage follows him into the camp. Deschamps has built his entire 14 years on protecting the group from outside noise. How much he tracks back and works early will be telling. Mbappe is two goals away from becoming France's all-time leading scorer by the way! Senegal will be playing with a serious chip on their shoulder too, and you can hardly blame them. They beat Morocco in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, only for CAF to strip them of the title in March after ruling that coach Pape Thiaw committed a serious breach by leading his players off the pitch for 15 minutes in protest at a late penalty. They are appealing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and we'll just have to see how that goes! On the pitch, they topped their CAF qualifying group unbeaten, so the quality is there. I wouldn’t be rushing to take the 1.49 on France; that looks a little short in what should be their most difficult Group fixture. Obviously the worry with Senegal is their recent form has been poor, and they do have some injuries. I’m happy to stay out of the match odds market here to be honest. France should win this in my opinion; France have won their opening game at the last three World Cups, but it’s hard to make the case that they should be massively shorter than 1.49. I do feel we’ll see an entertaining game here; it’s interesting to see Both Teams To Score is the outsider in that market at 2.18. I feel that’s the value play in a very interesting game. The Ultra Says: One point win Both Teams To Score at 2.18 with Betdaq Exchange.

🚨 Enhanced Specials on offer today and on the #FIFAWorldCup! Spain over 2 goals, Spain over 2 corners in 1st half and Spain over 2 corners in 2nd half v Cape Verde Spain to score in both halves Lamine Yamal anytime goalscorer (Player must start) Kevin De Bruyne to score or give an assist v Egypt (Player must start) Belgium to score the 1st goal Salah and Doku to have a shot on target each Mbappe, Kane & Haaland all to score 4 goals each at The World Cup France To Win All Their Group Stage Matches Harry Kane & Kylian Mbappe to score 4 goals each at the FIFA World Cup Erling Haaland To Score 4 or More Goals At The 2026 World Cup (90min & ET only) Norway, Argentina & Austria all to win Messi to score in the group stages Cristiano Ronaldo to score in the group stages England To Win All Group Stage Matches England to score over 6.5 goals in the Group Stages of the World Cup 2026 Harry Kane To Score 3 Goals In The Group Stage For England England not to concede a goal in the group stage of The World Cup Harry Kane To Score In All 3 Group Matches England To Win All Group Stage Matches & Reach The Quarter Finals England to score 11 goals in the tournament (excluding penalty shootouts)

DAQSTATS ANALYSIS: Our DAQSTATS identify the key statistics for racing on Monday. DAQSTATS have identified key statistical: positives and negatives for today’s racing. Whether you are a backer or a layer – you can combine the DAQSTATS below with the latest BETDAQ markets to help with your horse racing betting. POSITIVES Chepstow 1-50: Archie Watson has an excellent 27% strike rate with his runners at Chepstow, Alazwar is 14.0. Chepstow 2-20: Henry Candy has an impressive 21% strike rate with his runners at Chepstow, San Francisco Bay is 9.2. Chepstow 3-30: James Owen has an excellent 45% strike rate with his runners at Chepstow, Moostar is 4.8. Carlisle 2-45: Aiden Brookes is showing a profit of over £50 when backing his rides to level stakes at Carlisle, Belling The Cat is 5.5. Carlisle 3-50: Steph Hollinshead has an excellent 33% strike rate with her runners at Carlisle, Age Of Time is 40.0. Wetherby 1-30: Roger Fell has an impressive 21% strike rate with his runners at Wetherby, Aura Of Melania is 40.0. Wetherby 3-07: David O’Meara has an impressive 21% strike rate with his runners at Wetherby, Rajapour is 4.5. Windsor 7-00: Richard Spencer has an excellent 28% strike rate with his runners at Windsor, Righthere Rightnow is 12.0. Windsor 7-30: Sean Bowen is showing a profit of over £50 when backing his rides to level stakes at Windsor, Sea Her Excel is 3.9. Kilbeggan 5-12: David Harry Kelly has an excellent 24% strike rate with his runners at Kilbeggan, Linden Arden is 21.0. Kilbeggan 6-12: Noel Kelly has an excellent 31% strike rate with his runners at Kilbeggan, Undertheinfluence is 21.0. NEGATIVES Chepstow 2-55: Grace Harris is showing a loss of close to £100 when backing her runners to level stakes at Chepstow, Sayidah Ardad is 25.0. Chepstow 4-33: John O’Shea is showing a loss of very close to £50 when backing his runners to level stakes at Chepstow, Punchbowl Flyer is 3.6. Chepstow 5-05: William Carson is showing a loss of close to £50 when backing his rides to level stakes at Chepstow, Judge Frank is 17.5. Carlisle 1-40: Tim Easterby is showing a loss of very close to £75 when backing his runners to level stakes at Carlisle, King Of Persia is 30.0 and Call Nicki is 1.85. Carlisle 3-20: Paul Mulrennan is showing a loss of close to £50 when backing his rides to level stakes at Carlisle, Trojan Sun is 11.5. Wetherby 2-00: Cam Hardie is showing a loss of over £25 when backing his rides to level stakes at Wetherby, Blue Icon is 40.0. Wetherby 3-40: Declan Carroll is showing a loss of close to £25 when backing his runners to level stakes at Wetherby, Captain Cess is 3.6. Windsor 6-00: Richard Hannon is showing a loss of very close to £75 when backing his runners to level stakes at Windsor, Curious Minx is 7.0. Windsor 6-30: Tom Marquand is showing a loss of over £50 when backing his rides to level stakes at Windsor, Adalo is 9.0. Kilbeggan 4-40: Gordon Elliott is showing a loss of over £100 when backing his runners to level stakes at Kilbeggan, Coyote Spirit is 9.5. Kilbeggan 6-42: John McConnell is showing a loss of close to £50 when backing his runners to level stakes at Kilbeggan, Tango Theatre is 20.0. BEST BETS NAP: RAJAPOUR 3-07 Wetherby, at around 4.5 on Betdaq Betting Exchange LAY: PUNCHBOWL FLYER 4-33 Chepstow, at around 3.6 on Betdaq Betting Exchange

SUPERNAP WINS FRENCH OAKS: Winner-a-day Daqman landed a Sunday profit in England and France with two strikes, including his supernap in the French Oaks. SUNDAY: profit on the day: 8.40 points WON 4-9 DIAMOND NECKLACE (supernap) WON 11-8 KAMAWAY BETDAQ VALUE AT ROYAL ASCOT: Don’t miss the opening day at Royal Ascot tomorrow, with BETDAQ-value bets ranging from Daqman’s supernapped favourites to his bull’s-eye bets to win 50 points plus from outsiders in the handicaps. . ANOTHER GRAFFARD ACE? 🇫🇷 Lucky seven! Thanks to a brilliant ride by Ryan Moore, Aidan O’Brien won his seventh Classic of the season at Chantilly yesterday. But his French 1,000 Guineas winner, Diamond Necklace, was being closed down at the line by the long strides of Pink Panthera, and she held on only a short-neck over the 10 furlongs. The result saw Epsom Oaks heroine Thundering On harden at odds-on for the Irish Oaks in July. At the same time it potentially opened up the Curragh Classic and the Arc later on to an unknown. We are not talking Pink Panthera but the filly who beat her easily as an odds-on shot in a Longchamp Listed last month, name of Behrayna. The question mark yesterday was the absence from the Diane of local master trainer Francis-Henri Graffard, who has his Arc winner Daryz at Royal Ascot this week and his world champion Calandagan set for the Eclipse. In fact, Graffard gave his answer before yesterday’s race as he enjoyed a laid-back Chantilly day, watching another Listed success with another filly, Rabbit’s Foot. The unbeaten Behrayna (3-3) was not running because she is a 1m 4f filly and Graffard had put her away for the Irish Oaks and the Arc. Those words were a routine report before the Diane but after the finish by Pink Panthera, they take on huge significance for the rest of the season. CROSSBAR TO HIT THE CROSSBAR ⭕ 2.00 Wetherby today I always make the point that defying a penalty is never easy in novice events like this but there’s an exception to the rule here in that both Machadadorp and Crossbar dominate in form terms and their respective penalties for wins last time out cancel each other out. The form of Machadadorp looks stronger at this stage. She was pitched in at the deep end at Ascot on debut in a class 2 – finishing down the field but then improved for that run and possibly for the drop back in trip when winning a class 4 at Chester. It probably wasn’t the strongest race by usual course standards but she won in nice style and can see off the challenge of chief Betdaq Betting Exchange rival Crossbar who won a class 5 nicely enough on debut at Kempton and now makes his turf debut. Rogue Invincible has been nibbled at in early trading. There’s not much to go on after he was beaten 11 lengths at Southwell on debut last November but has been gelded since and the market is saying improvement is expected. MAY JUST WIN? ⭕ 2.45 Carlisle Maynora is a bigger price this morning than I was expecting. He lost his maiden tag with a win at Pontefract in April and followed up with a reasonable effort when fourth (from the worst draw) at Ripon last time out. This doesn’t look the deepest of contests and he should prove too strong for the fillies Belling The Cat (best run so far on the all-weather) and Little Beck Annie (40/1 7th at Southwell after 251 day break, first time cheekpieces now tried). NAP TO ZIG ZAG HOME ⭕ 9.00 Windsor The calm before the storm (hopefully not literally) at nearly Ascot tomorrow and fingers crossed we can be sent on our way with a winning nap in the finale in the shape of Ziggy’s Avenger. The Michael Bell trained runner has improved significantly since going handicapping in his last two starts – finishing third at Kempton and then winning at Ripon last time out under tonight’s pilot Hector Crouch. He won readily that night suggesting he can cope with the 4lb hike in the handicap. The very obvious danger is the filly Too Hot To Tango who remains a maiden after 10 starts but has bits and pieces of form to suggest she could play a hand here. She steps back in trip having finished fifth over ten furlongs at Salisbury last time out. The mile here might suit her better but my interpretation of the form is that she may need an even shorter trip. DAQMAN’S BETS on Betdaq Betting Exchange 2.00 Wetherby (win 10) BET 10.0pts win MACHADADORP 2.45 Carlisle (win 10) BET 2.8pts win MAYNORA ★ 9.00 Windsor (win 10, nap) BET 6.25pts win ZIGGY’S AVENGER

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🇧🇪 Belgium v Egypt 🇪🇬 #FIFAWorldCup 8pm Group G gets underway with a cracking clash on Betdaq as Belgium take on Egypt in Seattle on Monday night. There are storylines everywhere you look here; Belgium’s fading golden generation getting one last crack at a World Cup, and Mo Salah leading Egypt in what is almost certainly his final tournament. Group G has no shortage of off-field drama with Iran in the mix too, but on the pitch this is comfortably the tie of the group - and both sides know that three points here probably settles who tops it. Belgium come into the game as the odds on favourites at 1.7 with Egypt 6.0 and the draw is 4.0 at the time of writing. Belgium topped UEFA Group J unbeaten in qualifying, but anyone who watched them knows that headline flatters them. They drew in Kazakhstan, were held twice by North Macedonia and shipped five goals across two games against Wales - hardly the stuff of a team coming into a World Cup fancied. They have been a very popular “dark horse” selection for recent major tournaments; this year they come in trading 46.0 to win outright. You could say as well that leading up to the World Cup, Rudi Garcia has tinkered with formations and personnel throughout, and they arrive without a truly settled XI. This is the last World Cup for multiple members of the famed golden generation –-De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois and Witsel may all be making their final appearances - and we all know the script by now: sail through qualifying, fluff the lines at the pressure moment! Perhaps that’s very unfair on Belgium, but here we are. Egypt are back at the World Cup for the first time since 2018, they’ve yet to ever win an actual World Cup game, but that might change this year. They were dominant in CAF qualifying, winning eight of ten with 20 scored and just two conceded, and they followed that up with a run to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. Salah is the story here of course. He has been in the headlines at Liverpool for all the wrong reasons this season, and as a club legend he was treated quite poorly in my opinion - he arrives with a serious point to prove, but the negative is he didn’t get much game time this season, and he is getting older. It will be very interesting to see the performance level he brings after this season. Belgium should win this in my opinion - the squad depth is a level above anything Egypt can call on, and beating average opposition is basically what this Belgium side do best. Calling Egypt average is very harsh admittedly, but Salah has had an indifferent season and basically as I said, it’s games like this that Belgium excel at. We might get an entertaining game here, Belgium have been leaking a few goals recently, and Over 2.5 goals is trading 2.08 and I am slightly surprised that’s not favourite. I feel these two will gel together well for a good game; granted tournament openers are usually cagey affairs. I’m going to keep stakes small here, and I’m happy to take the 1.7 on Belgium – but I couldn’t put anyone off Over 2.5 goals. The Ultra Says: One point win Belgium to beat Egypt at 1.7 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇪🇸 Spain v Cape Verde 🇨🇻 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup   5pm The reigning European champions and tournament favourites Spain their World Cup underway on Monday evening against Cape Verde in Atlanta on Betdaq. As I said in my Group H preview, this Group is all about Spain – they are currently trading 5.9 favourites to win the World Cup. Their squad is exceptional, and they basically tick every box needed. For Cape Verde, simply walking out at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a historic moment for one of the smallest footballing nations on the planet. This is a massive miss-match, and another exceptionally short price. Not quite the shortest price of the tournament – that prize went to Germany at 1.06 to beat Curacao, but Spain are trading as short as 1.11 here with Cape Verde 30.0 and the draw is 14.5 at the time of writing.   Spain qualified by topping their UEFA Group unbeaten; not surprising and the highlight a 6-0 demolition of Turkey. Nothing new there for the reigning European champions, and Luis de la Fuente has a generation of exceptional talent at his disposal. The midfield is arguably the best in the world -Rodri of Manchester City, the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, is the anchor, with Pedri at Barcelona. The big talking point is Lamine Yamal: the hamstring tear he suffered in late April has ruled the best young player in the world out of this opener, and his availability for the Saudi Arabia game on June 21st also remains in doubt. The depth is simply extraordinary though; as I said above, this squad basically ticks every box. The only slight eyebrow-raiser was being held 1-1 by Iraq in a recent warm-up; but they probably didn’t take that seriously.   Cape Verde’s qualifying journey is one of the stories of the entire tournament. It’s an immense achievement that they are here. The island archipelago off the west coast of Africa has a population of just over 500,000, making them the third smallest nation to ever reach a World Cup - only Iceland and Curacao are smaller - and this is their first ever appearance after seven previous failed attempts. It’s great for them of course, but the gulf in class here is simply enormous. It’s close to impossible to see anything bar a comfortable win for Spain, and obviously we’ll have to look around the side markets for some value here. Even at 1.11, Spain are hardly even a price to include in an Acca! This one is going to be about how many goals can Spain score rather than will they actually win.   Cape Verde’s squad is knitted together from diaspora talent and a fierce team spirit; but hard work is only going to get them so far here against one of the best sides in the world. They will sit deep, stay compact and look to make it as awkward as possible for Spain here. There’s no point pretending this is anything other than a massive mismatch; the handicap line is set at 2.5 goals, with Spain trading 1.9 to cover that. Over 2.5 goals is trading 1.39, and obviously the market is expecting Spain to do most of the work there because Both Teams Not To Score is 1.51. Cape Verde are no mugs defensively - they kept Cameroon out twice in qualifying and shut out Serbia recently, but Spain are on a different planet and I’m happy to take the 1.9 on them to cover the 2.5 goal handicap. However, this is a game for small stakes.   The Ultra Says: One point win Spain -2.5 goals to beat Cape Verde at 1.9 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇸🇪 Sweden v Tunisia 🇹🇳 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup 3am (Monday) Group F continues in the small hours of Monday morning UK time in Monterrey as Sweden meet Tunisia on Betdaq. I said in my Group F preview that this fixture is every bit as crucial as the Netherlands v Japan opener that is played before it - with those two sides still to come for both of these sides, neither can really afford to leave Monterrey empty handed if they are serious about getting out of this Group. Sweden in particular need to win this game; drop points here and the Netherlands and Japan double header becomes a very difficult ask. Sweden come into the game as the marginal odds on favourites at 1.96 with Tunisia 4.6 and the draw is 3.55 at the time of writing. Sweden’s qualification story is one of the most theatrical of any side at this entire tournament. They were a disaster in their UEFA qualifying Group - finishing bottom with just two points, no wins, and only four goals scored against Switzerland, Kosovo and Slovenia - and it looked for all the world like they wouldn’t be here. Jon Dahl Tomasson was sacked, Graham Potter arrived in October, and their escape route came via the Nations League, where winning their group had granted them a playoff berth. Potter steadied the ship and guided them through the playoffs in March with wins over Ukraine and Poland, Viktor Gyokeres scoring a last-minute winner against Poland to seal qualification in the most dramatic fashion. The attacking talent in this squad is genuinely elite: Gyokeres has had an excellent first season at Arsenal, Alexander Isak of Liverpool provides another top class option despite an injury-hit campaign, and Anthony Elanga of Newcastle is superb too. Tunisia’s qualifying journey could not have been more different - they qualified without conceding a single goal! They topped CAF Group H with 28 points from a possible 30, nine wins and a draw across ten matches, showing the defensive discipline and organisation that has defined their recent international campaigns. However, a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations followed - they were eliminated in the Last 16 by Mali. Obviously qualifying opposition was reasonably limited; it’s actually hard to know what to expect from them. You could say the same about Sweden too though given their journey! The big concern for Tunisia is recent form: that famous defence has suddenly sprung a leak, beaten 5-0 by Belgium for example probably highlights that against decent opposition they are exposed. Whether or not Sweden will be good enough to take advantage of that is the big question here. However, Graham Potter is an exceptionally good manager – I know things didn’t work out at Chelsea but he was highly sought after prior to that gig. Tunisia will set their stall out here to frustrate Sweden and nick a result. Under 2.5 goals is trading 1.7 and that’s probably a reflection of what to expect here; a tight and cagey affair with Sweden likely to grind out a win. There is a real gulf in attacking quality between these sides, Sweden know they have to win, and I think Potter’s side have far too much for a Tunisia team that is quite limited. I wouldn’t put anyone off Under 2.5 goals at 1.7, but Sweden at 1.96 offer slightly more value in my opinion. The Ultra Says: Two points win Sweden to beat Tunisia at 1.96 with Betdaq Exchange.

🇨🇮 Ivory Coast v Ecuador 🇪🇨 🏆 #FIFAWorldCup 12am (Monday) Group E continues in the early hours of Monday morning UK time when Ivory Coast take on Ecuador in Philadelphia on Betdaq. This is probably the first real fixture at this World Cup where we have two nations with no star pull (especially to casual fans) – these are the types of games where you’re really interested to see how full the stadium is. Ticket prices and sales have been a huge debate heading into this World Cup and FIFA have faced a lot criticism over their handling of tickets too. With Germany the dominant favourites to top Group E and Curacao expected to finish bottom, the runners-up race effectively runs straight through this fixture. For two sides who both have a huge chance at a knockout spot, this is about as big as an opening game gets. We have a reasonably open betting heat, and Ecuador come into the game as the favourites at 2.56 with Ivory Coast 3.7 and the draw is 2.94 at the time of writing. Ivory Coast return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, they qualified in dominant fashion, topping their CAF Group with eight wins and two draws from ten matches, keeping a remarkable ten clean sheets across the entire campaign. The opposition was poor though, so let’s not get carried away despite the impressive stats – especially the clean sheets. The headline name is Amad Diallo of Manchester United, who arrives off the back of a strong season at Old Trafford, with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande another to keep an eye on. Ecuador’s qualification deserves enormous credit. They finished second in the CONMEBOL round robin - the most competitive qualifying campaign in world football in my opinion - with 29 points from 18 games, finishing above the likes of Uruguay, Colombia and Brazil and losing only twice, both away to Argentina and Brazil. The spine of this side is a defensive record that was the best in the whole of CONMEBOL qualifying: just five goals conceded in 18 matches. You have to say they were very impressive in qualifying, and it’s no surprise that they are the favourites here – if anything I felt they would be a little shorter than 2.56 to be honest. The big question, as I said in the Group E preview, is whether they have the firepower to actually go and win games. Everything about this games screams a cagey, low-scoring affair. It’s very high stakes – both sides will be expected to beat Curacao and lose to Germany. A result for either against Germany would definitely see them through considering there’s eight third-placed finishers too. The draw makes a lot of appeal at 2.94, as does Under 2.5 goals at 1.46 but obviously the market is expecting a very cagey game given that price. Both sides are exceptionally well drilled at the back, and from a value point of view I’m happy with a small bet on the draw at 2.94. You really wouldn’t be surprised to see a 0-0 here either, that’s trading 6.6 and could be worth a small investment too. The Ultra Says: One point win Draw at 2.94 with Betdaq Exchange.