Monday was a day for superstars. Lionel Messi scored twice as Argentina beat Austria. Kylian Mbappe added two more in a France win over Iraq. Erling Haaland kept Norway perfect with another two-goal performance. At this point, the Golden Boot race is starting to look like a heavyweight fight.
Now Tuesday brings a different kind of slate. Portugal needs a response after a frustrating draw against Congo DR. England and Ghana meet with first place in Group L potentially on the line. Croatia and Panama are both trying to avoid falling into a deeper hole. Colombia closes the night with a chance to take real control of Group K. From a prediction market perspective, this is a really interesting day.
Worth Reading: Lionel Messi Breaks World Cup Scoring Record
Portugal vs Uzbekistan Prediction
Portugal probably spent the last few days hearing a lot about its 1-1 draw with Congo DR. That result was disappointing, but the performance may have been even more concerning. Portugal managed very little in attack and never really looked comfortable.
That makes this match against Uzbekistan feel like a reset opportunity. Portugal still has one of the most talented squads in the tournament. Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, and Cristiano Ronaldo give Roberto Martinez plenty of ways to create chances. The issue is turning all that talent into something cleaner and faster.
Uzbekistan will not want to open up and trade chances. After losing to Colombia, the tournament newcomer needs to stay organized, slow the game down, and hope Portugal grows frustrated again. That can work for a while. It probably does not work for 90 minutes.
Trade Handle Pick: Portugal 2, Uzbekistan 0
Portugal vs Uzbekistan: How To Watch
Kickoff: 1:00 PM ET
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
England vs Ghana Prediction
England opened with a 4-2 win over Croatia, which is both impressive and slightly weird. Scoring four against Croatia is no small thing. Giving up two and looking shaky defensively is the part Thomas Tuchel will want cleaned up quickly. Ghana also won its opener, beating Panama 1-0 on a late Caleb Yirenkyi goal. That result was huge because it gave Ghana some breathing room in a difficult group.
Now comes the real test. England has more quality in almost every area of the field, and if Jude Bellingham, Harry Kane, and the wide players find rhythm, Ghana could spend long stretches defending. Still, Ghana is not some easy out. Thomas Partey should be available, and Ghana has enough athleticism to make this uncomfortable. I just think England's attacking depth eventually wears this one down.
Trade Handle Pick: England 3, Ghana 1
England vs Ghana: How To Watch
Kickoff: 4:00 PM ET
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Panama vs Croatia Prediction
This is where Group L starts getting tense. Panama lost late to Ghana. Croatia gave up four goals to England. Neither team is eliminated with another bad result, but neither wants to head into the final group match still searching for its first point. Croatia is the more talented team, but the England match exposed real concerns.
The midfield still has experience, but the defense looked vulnerable when England played with pace. Panama will need to be brave enough to test that, because sitting back for 90 minutes probably invites too much pressure. Panama can make this annoying. Croatia should still have enough control and quality to get the result, but I do not expect this to be comfortable.
Trade Handle Pick: Croatia 2, Panama 1
Panama vs Croatia: How To Watch
Kickoff: 7:00 PM ET
TV: FOX, Telemundo
Location: BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Colombia vs Congo DR Prediction
Colombia looked sharp in its 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. Luis Diaz scored, James Rodriguez still showed flashes of control, and Colombia gave off the feeling of a team that could become very annoying for bigger names later in the tournament. Congo DR is not going to be easy, though. It's a 1-1 draw with Portugal, which was one of the better results of the opening round.
The Leopards defended with discipline, took their chance through Yoane Wissa, and showed they can frustrate a team with more possession. That makes this matchup tricky. Colombia wants to play with speed and width. Congo DR will probably try to stay compact, absorb pressure, and turn the game into a few decisive moments. I like Colombia, but this feels tighter than the market may suggest.
Trade Handle Pick: Colombia 1, Congo DR 0
Colombia vs Congo DR: How To Watch
Kickoff: 10:00 PM ET
TV: FS1, Telemundo
Location: Estadio Akron, Guadalajara, Mexico
The Trade Handle Prediction Markets Take
Tuesday's slate isn't the flashiest on paper, but it may tell us a lot about how Groups K and L are really shaping up. Portugal needs to show that its opener was just a bad day. England can take a major step toward winning Group L. Colombia can put itself in position to turn its final match against Portugal into a group-title showdown. The pressure teams today are Portugal, Croatia, and Panama.
Portugal, because anything short of a win would create real questions. Croatia and Panama because both are trying to avoid a second straight match without a victory. The individual award markets are also getting more interesting by the day. Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland all made major statements on Monday. Now Ronaldo, Kane, Bellingham, Diaz, and others get their chance to answer.
Yesterday's World Cup Scores
Monday was all about the stars doing star things.
Argentina 2, Austria 0
France 3, Iraq 0
Norway 3, Senegal 2
Algeria 2, Jordan 1
Argentina stayed perfect behind two Messi goals. France handled business in a rain-delayed win over Iraq. Norway clinched a knockout-round place as Haaland scored two more. Algeria kept its qualification hopes alive with a comeback win over Jordan. The headline is simple: the favorites at the top of Groups I and J are starting to separate.