“Bear Bets” are real wagers that Chris “The Bear” Fallica is actually making. Two goals for the reigning Golden Boot winner in his 2026 World Cup opener — should we have expected anything less? Still, we have to leave that behind and look ahead to the next day. Match Day 7 — let’s roll. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. World Cup Best Bets — Wednesday, June 17 Austria vs. Jordan This one goes down on Wednesday at midnight ET. Sometimes, the simplest, most obvious bet is the best bet. Don’t overthink it. I took this strategy with Breel Embolo and Switzerland, and I’ll do the same here with Austria’s best goalscorer. Portugal vs. DR Congo While I have concerns about how many goals Portugal will score, I do think it will eventually find the net. It has a fantastic midfield which should dominate the game, meaning scoring opportunities will be numerous for it. And even more importantly, I don’t think there will be very many opportunities for Congo, which I find it hard to imagine will score. England vs. Croatia A grizzled, veteran-laden Croatia is back to make England’s life miserable here. England’s Euro 2024 matches were bogs, and I can’t imagine the presence of Thomas Tuchel will change that much. Head to halftime even and Harry Kane to the spot in the second half looks like a likely recipe. Ghana vs. Panama I have no idea what to expect here. Panama isn’t a great side at all, but no Thomas Partey for Ghana is a big deal. I’ve got to serve up a bet for every group stage match, so let’s just go with “best player has a goal contribution”. Uzbekistan vs. Colombia This could get out of hand in a hurry in Mexico City. Uzbekistan is one of the weaker sides in the tourney and will likely face a ton of pressure from a Colombia side with a high work rate, intent on putting a number on the board here.
