Wednesday World Cup predictions
10am Morocco 1-2 Croatia
1pm Germany 1-0 Japan
4pm: Spain 1-0 Costa Rica
7pm: Belgium 2-0 Canada
Morocco v Croatia
WHEN: 10am
TV: ITV, RTE2
- DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MOROCCO? Here’s our handy Morocco Team Guide
- CAN CROATIA GO ALL THE WAY IN QATAR? Here’s the Croatia Team Guide
I’ll go 2-1 to Croatia in this one. They’ve got some players who are getting on a bit but in the early rounds of the competition experience counts for everything.
What happens in the World Cup is that the first two or three games will show us whether teams can play all out or whether the heat’s going to be a huge factor. This might be a World Cup where squad depth is key and teams like Morocco just won’t have that.
Germany v Japan
WHEN: 1pm
TV: ITV, RTE2
- WILL RELIABLE GERMANY GO FAR? Here’s our handy Germany Team Guide
- JAPAN COULD SURPRISE A FEW IN QATAR – Here’s the Japan Team Guide
Japan will do aright in this competition but I think they’ll lose 1-0 to Germany, though. I think the Germans have got everything other than and out-and-out goal scorer.
You just look at their organisation, they’re just very, very difficult to beat and if you score against them it doesn’t change the way they play. It’ll be 1-0 to the Germans as somebody famously said a few years ago.
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Spain v Costa Rica
WHEN: 3pm
TV: ITV, RTE2
- CAN SPAIN BUILD ON EURO SUCCESS? Here’s our handy Spain Team Guide
- COSTA RICA MAY STRUGGLE TO SCORE – Here’s the Costa Rica Team Guide
The Spanish look like they’re a happy bunch and there’s been occasions in big competitions before where there’s been Real Madrid v Barcelona rifts in the camp and I think that’s gone.
Technically they’re very, very good and on their day they can give anybody a game and beat them. But, with it being the first game, you’ve just got to get it done and move on. I’ll go 1-0 to Spain here. Costa Rica will have chances but I don’t think they’ve got enough.
Belgium v Canada
WHEN: 7pm
TV: BBC, RTE2
- CAN BELGIUM’S GOLDEN GENERATION FINALLY SHINE? Here’s our handy Belgium Team Guide
- CANADA COULD STRUGGLE IN QATAR – Here’s the Canada Team Guide
I’m a little bit worried about the Belgians’ defence. They’ve brought back Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld who are really getting on now. If they had younger, quicker defenders with the quality of those two in their prime you’d really fancy them.
Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will be huge for them and I think Belgium walk this 2-0. I just hope De Bruyne shows us in this World Cup what he does every week for Manchester City.
Wednesday World Cup predictions
10am Morocco 1-2 Croatia
1pm Germany 1-0 Japan
4pm: Spain 1-0 Costa Rica
7pm: Belgium 2-0 Canada
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
WEDNESDAY WORLD CUP TIPS
- 10AM: 5/1 play leads these Morocco v Croatia tips
- 1PM: Kimmich key to our 14/1 Germany v Japan Bet Builder tips
- 4PM: Asensio to shine in our 10/1 Spain v Chile World Cup tips
- 7PM: Phil Thompson’s Belgium v Canada Betting Tips include a 17/2 flutter