Connect with us

Sports

England vs. Argentina Best Bets: Three Picks for the World Cup Semifinal

July 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; England's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn ImagesJuly 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; England’s Harry Kane celebrates scoring their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The World Cup semifinals conclude on Wednesday when England and Argentina meet in Atlanta.

Here are our three best bets as these sides vie for the right to meet Spain in Sunday’s final.

Team Total Goals

Lionel Messi continues to defy Father Time. But this defense just isn’t very good by the standard of a World Cup semifinalist.

The Albiceleste have conceded five times over the first 90 minutes of their last four games, even though the list of opponents is hardly imposing: Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt and Switzerland.

The last of those was playing arguably without its most important attacker of the tournament, Yohan Manzambi.

England is just light-years ahead of those sides in attacking options. Either Harry Kane or Jude Bellingham would be the best attacker for any of Argentina’s previous opponents. Instead they play together.

For me, the big question is whether Argentina can score often enough to stay in this. But I think England have a strong chance to score twice, so I’m backing them to do just that.

Team Total Goals: England over 1.5 (+186, Caesars)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Both Teams To Score

That said, the Three Lions haven’t covered themselves in defensive glory either. Essentially, they’ve played four capable attacking sides, and they’ve conceded to all four.

They were also very fortunate not to allow a second to Norway when their go-ahead tally after halftime was wiped off the board for a push by center forward Erling Haaland.

Argentina might be a better matchup defensively since they’re less physically or athletically imposing. But they still have Lionel Messi roaming the pitch looking for pockets of space.

Whether he’s directly involved or just the instigator, his presence is probably good enough for at least one Argentina goal. So I’m playing yes on both teams to score at almost even money.

Since I’m already on England to score 2 or more, I’m laying off the parlay on both teams to score and the over as insurance for a 1-1 draw that forces extra time.

Both Teams To Score: Yes (-110, BetMGM)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

Player Assists

Argentina’s particular weaknesses are on the flanks, and they have yet to play an opponent who has a talent there like England’s Anthony Gordon.

The FC Barcelona winger has three assists in this tournament, all of those coming in the knockout stages. And he should have plenty of gas in the tank after his 70th-minute exit in England’s extra-time triumph over Norway.

The assist market can be tricky. But with Harry Kane in the middle and Argentina’s strength in the middle of the park, you have to think Gordon is going to be a critical part of England’s attack that should look for width whenever they can.

And the odds on here are certainly worth taking a calculated swing on.

Player Assists: Anthony Gordon 1 or more (+550, theScore)

Our Current Best Offers

Channel debug: betting

source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Michael Massey's blast lifts Royals over Tigers

Jul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA;  Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a home run in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn ImagesJul 26, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Kansas City Royals center fielder Lane Thomas (15) hits a home run in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Michael Massey hit a two-out, two-run homer in the eighth inning and the visiting Kansas City Royals hung on for a 5-4 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.

Massey’s eighth homer made a winner of Nate Pearson (2-0), who was making his Royals debut after being acquired in a trade with Houston. Steven Cruz survived a ninth-inning jam to record his second save.

Lane Thomas had a solo homer and Luke Maile added an RBI double as the Royals salvaged a split of the four-game series.

Dillon Dingler had two hits and drove in two runs for Detroit.

Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the first. Leadoff hitter Thomas hit a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field that just cleared the wall. The Royals then scratched out an unearned run. Nick Loftin singled and Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch. Valdez retired the next two batters before walking Isaac Collins to load the bases.

Second baseman Hao-Yu Lee then bobbled Tyler Tolbert’s grounder, allowing Loftin to score.

The Royals made it 3-0 in the fourth. Tolbert drew a one-out walk and Maile followed with a double down the left field line to knock him in.

Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fifth. Lee led off with a double and Colt Keith walked. Kevin McGonigle singled to load the bases. After Gleyber Torres struck out, Avila was removed for Matt Strahm. Riley Greene hit a bouncer up the middle that got by second baseman Andrew Velazquez for an error. Two runs scored and Greene raced all the way to second. Dingler then knocked in McGonigle and Greene with a single up the middle.

Collins had a bloop single off Drew Sommers with one out in the eighth. Sommers (0-1) struck out the next batter but Massey took advantage of a hanging slider and deposited over the right field wall to give his club a 5-4 advantage.

Detroit had two runners on with no one out in the ninth as Lee walked and Keith singled. Cruz then recorded two strikeouts, sandwiching a popout, to end the contest.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Jacob Misiorowski, Brewers pound Rockies 11-2

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws during the first inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies Sunday, July 26, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) throws during the first inning of their game against the Colorado Rockies Sunday, July 26, 2026 at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Jacob Misiorowski retired the first 14 batters he faced and finished with 12 strikeouts, Andrew Vaughn homered and the host Milwaukee Brewers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-2 on Sunday.

Jackson Chourio, Joey Ortiz, Luis Lara, Cooper Pratt and Jake Bauers had two hits apiece for Milwaukee, which broke open a close game in the sixth inning to win the series.

Misiorowski struck out seven in a row to start the game and 12 of the first 13 batters he faced with pitches consistently above 100 mph. Cole Carrigg ended the bid for a perfect game with an opposite-field homer to left.

Willi Castro was hit by a pitch before Misiorowski got Troy Johnston to ground out to end the inning — and his afternoon. Misiorowski (11-4) allowed one run on one hit and didn’t walk a batter in his five innings.

Carrigg’s home run was his fifth of the season and Castro hit a solo home run in the seventh for the Rockies, who finished with five hits and fanned 15 times.

Chourio led off the bottom of the first with the first of his two doubles and scored on Brice Turang’s single. One out later, William Contreras doubled to put runners on second and third, Turang scored on a Freeland wild pitch and Contreras came home on a groundout.

Freeland (2-10) settled in, giving up just two hits over the next four innings before Vaughn led off the sixth with his fourth home run. Freeland left after a one-out walk to Bauers, having allowed five runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The Brewers added on against Colorado’s bullpen.

Bauers stole second and Jimmy Herget walked Gary Sanchez ahead of three straight doubles. Lara brought home Bauers with the first two-bagger, Pratt made it 7-1 with a two-run double and Ortiz put runners on second and third with the next double.

Pratt capped the inning when he scored on a groundout.

After Castro’s 10th home run, Sanchez and Lara had RBI doubles in the bottom of the seventh and Vaughn a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Munetaka Murakami strokes 2 of White Sox's 5 homers in rout of Astros

Jul 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesJul 26, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (5) is greeted in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Miguel Vargas hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the sixth inning and Munetaka Murakami added a pair of homers as the host Chicago White Sox routed the Houston Astros 12-3 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep.

Chicago clubbed a season high-tying five home runs compared to three from Houston to extend its lead atop the American League Central to 2 1/2 games over Cleveland.

With his parents throwing out first pitches on his bobblehead day, Murakami went 3-for-5 with a career-high six RBIs. He drilled an opposite-field two-run homer in the first, drove in a run with a third-inning groundout, added a two-run single in a four-run seventh and finished with a solo clout to right in the eighth.

Jeremy Pena cracked solo homers in his first two at-bats and Taylor Trammell added a solo homer for the Astros, whose five-game winning streak came to a close.

The White Sox’s breakout against Astros right-hander Ronel Blanco in the sixth turned the tide. Sam Antonacci, who collected two hits, led off with a double and advanced to third on a Murakami groundout. Vargas followed with a two-run blast to left field, his 21st homer this season, to put the White Sox ahead 5-3.

Blanco (0-1) scattered five runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings with three walks and four strikeouts. It marked his second start since rejoining the rotation last week following Tommy John surgery in June 2025.

After Pena opened the game with a home run, Murakami reached Blanco for a two-run home run in the first to stop a 13-game homerless streak.

Houston’s own penchant for the long ball kept the club afloat in the early innings. Jeremy Pena stretched his hitting streak to eight games with a pair of home runs.

White Sox starter Erick Fedde yielded three solo home runs among his five hits over 4 1/3 innings. Pena homered against Fedde with one out in the third, then Taylor Trammell sent Fedde’s first delivery of the fifth over the wall in right center.

Fedde walked one and struck out two. Sean Newcomb (1-2) worked around a hit and walk to get the final two outs in the sixth to notch the victory.

Chase Meidroth homered in the seventh for Chicago and Junior Perez added a two-run blast in the eighth.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading