World Cup soccer odds today: Thursday's betting cheat sheet [July 2]

The soccer World Cup 2026 knockout Round of 32 stage is winding down but we still have three more sudden death matches on today's World Cup schedule, and this betting odds preview is designed to help you navigate Thursday's matches using Dimers' data-driven World Cup predictions on July 2.

Kicking things off today is the match between Spain and Austria at 3pm, then it's Portugal and Croatia at 7pm, before the nightshift match between Switzerland and Algeria at 11pm.

Thanks to DraftKings Sportsbook, we've broken down each of Thursday's Round of 32 matchups below in our World Cup betting preview, with everything you need to know about the teams, the players, the probabilities, the most likely score lines, as well as the sharpest player props for Thursday's three World Cup fixtures.

Today's World Cup 2026 odds - July 2

Dimers' World Cup 2026 odds refer to the forecasts and statistical projections made by our team of data scientists regarding the outcomes of not only the three matches on Thursday, July 2, but also the ultimate winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These predictions for the 2026 World Cup are generated by highly sophisticated machine learning models that analyze historical odds, data sets, player-specific performance metrics, and team-level compositions that delivered some outstanding betting results.

Spain vs. Austria odds, picks and predictions

Kickoff: July 2, 3pm (ET)

The knockout stage marches forward on Thursday with an intriguing European clash to open the day's Round of 32 schedule. Spain sails into the bracket with substantial wind in their sails, having captured the top spot in Group H via an unbeaten opening stage (2 wins, 1 draw). Austria, by contrast, navigated a much tighter path to secure their qualification, advancing as the runners-up of Group J after grinding out a win, a loss, and a draw.

The projections position La Roja as a heavy favorite to dictate terms and advance within regular time. Here is the look at the moneyline splits, total goals expectations, and top exact scores.

Moneyline

The straight-up winner market places Spain as a commanding front-runner, giving the Austrian underdogs a very tight mathematical window to force extra time or orchestrate a massive tournament upset:

• Spain to win: 73.6%
• Draw: 17.0%
• Austria to win: 9.4%

Total goals market (Over/Under 2.5)

Reflecting Spain's fluid attacking patterns combined with Austria's need to chase the game if they fall behind early, the algorithm leans comfortably toward an active scoresheet that clears the standard benchmark:

• Over 2.5 goals: 56.5%
• Under 2.5 goals: 43.5%

Most likely exact scores

The exact scoreline distribution underscores a clear expectation of a multi-goal Spanish victory or a comfortable clean sheet, with three of the top four results predicting a shutout for the favorites:

• Spain 2-0 Austria: 13.6%
• Spain 1-0 Austria: 11.9%
• Spain 3-0 Austria: 10.3%
• Spain 2-1 Austria: 9.1%
• Spain 1-1 Draw: 8.1%

Summary: Spain enters this opening Thursday knockout fixture as a dominant 73.6% front-runner. Since their straight regular-time moneyline price carries a steep premium on its own, looking at combination markets is the smartest strategy to maximize value. Given the model's 56.5% confidence in Over 2.5 total match goals and the clear preference for multi-goal clean sheets in the score data—where the 2-0 and 3-0 margins carry massive weight—pairing a Spain victory with an alt line of Over 1.5 total match goals or backing Spain to win to nil provides a highly supported and data-backed path.

Portugal vs. Croatia odds, picks and predictions

Kickoff: July 2, 7pm (ET)

Today's second match features anothe star-studded, all-European heavyweight clash. Portugal enters the elimination bracket after navigating a tight path in Group K, advancing as undefeated runners-up behind Colombia with two draws and a win. Croatia, meanwhile, secured their spot in the Round of 32 by finishing as the runners-up of Group L behind England, bouncing back from an early setback to log two wins and a loss.

The projections assign the Seleção das Quinas the advantage to secure passage to the Round of 16, though a highly competitive, multi-goal environment is expected. Here is a direct look at the moneyline percentages, total goals lines, and top exact scores.

Moneyline

The straight-up winner market favors a Portugal victory within regulation time, though Croatia's big-game pedigree leaves a combined 43.6% window for a draw to force extra time or an outright Vatreni upset:

• Portugal to win: 56.4%
• Draw: 22.8%
• Croatia to win: 20.8%

Total goals market (Over/Under 2.5)

Reflecting the elite attacking options available to both managers, the model leans away from a cagey stalemate, giving a slight preference to the match clearing the standard total goals line:

• Over 2.5 goals: 54.2%
• Under 2.5 goals: 45.8%

Most likely exact scores

The exact scoreline distribution underscores a dynamic encounter where a high-scoring draw or narrow single-goal decisions carry the highest individual probabilities:

• Portugal 1-1 Croatia: 10.8%
• Portugal 1-0 Croatia: 10.6%
• Portugal 2-1 Croatia: 9.9%
• Portugal 2-0 Croatia: 9.7%
• Portugal 3-1 Croatia: 6.0%

Summary: Portugal enters this high-profile 7pm ET knockout fixture as a solid 56.4% front-runner. Because a straight play on the regular-time favorite requires some juice on its own, looking at combination markets is the smartest approach. Given the model's 54.2% confidence in Over 2.5 total match goals alongside prominent projections like 1-1 and 2-1 in the data, backing Both Teams to Score (BTTS) or pairing Portugal or Draw on the Double Chance market with an alt line of Over 1.5 total match goals builds a logical and data-supported angle.

Switzerland vs. Algeria odds, picks and predictions

Kickoff: July 2, 11pm (ET)

Today's knockout matches wrap up with a with a highly competitive cross-continental battle in the late window. Switzerland enters the elimination bracket in excellent form, having captured the top spot in Group B through an unbeaten opening campaign (2 wins, 1 draw). Algeria, known for their tournament resilience, fought their way through a highly competitive Group J to advance as a dangerous third-place wild card qualifier with a balanced one-win, one-loss, and one-draw record.

The projections position the Swiss squad as the front-runner to secure passage to the Round of 16, though a tight, tactical battle remains the most probable regular-time script. Here is a closer look at the moneyline splits, total goals market, and top exact scorelines.

Moneyline

The straight-up winner market favors Switzerland to take care of business inside regulation time, though the combined probability of a draw forcing extra time or an outright Algerian upset covers nearly half of the board:

• Switzerland to win: 50.5%
• Algeria to win: 25.1%
• Draw: 24.4%

Total goals market (Over/Under 2.5)

Reflecting Switzerland's balanced tactical approach and the massive stakes of a single-elimination tournament setting, the model splits the goal line almost evenly, showing a microscopic edge toward a relatively fluid match clearing the standard benchmark:

• Over 2.5 goals: 51.8%
• Under 2.5 goals: 48.2%

Most likely exact scores

The exact scoreline distribution underscores a competitive affair where a high-scoring draw or narrow single-goal decisions carry the highest individual probabilities:

• Switzerland 1-1 Algeria: 11.6%
• Switzerland 1-0 Algeria: 10.6%
• Switzerland 2-1 Algeria: 9.6%
• Switzerland 2-0 Algeria: 8.7%
• Switzerland 0-1 Algeria: 7.0%

Summary: Switzerland enters this late-night knockout fixture as a solid 50.5% favorite. Because a straight play on the favorite in a competitive tournament environment can carry volatility and the model flags a 1-1 deadlock as the single most probable regular-time outcome (11.6%), looking at alternative combinations is your best angle. Pairing Switzerland or Draw on the Double Chance market with and alt line of Over 1.5 total match goals builds a highly supported option that cleanly captures the top multi-goal scripts suggested by the data.