Sports
World Cup quarterfinal best bets: England vs. Norway, Argentina vs. Switzerland
July 1, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.; England’s Harry Kane celebrates scoring their second goal. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images The World Cup quarterfinals conclude with a Saturday doubleheader.
First, Harry Kane and England take on Erling Haaland and Norway in a meeting of two of the world’s best (and tallest) center forwards.
Then, Lionel Messi and Argentina continue their title defense when they meet a sneaky good Switzerland side.
Let’s take a look at our best bets for the twin bill.
England vs. Norway, Anytime Goal Scorer
Both Kane and Haaland have had exceptional tournaments, but only Haaland will be facing a makeshift England rearguard.
Jarell Quansah is serving a two-match ban after his sending off for a violent challenge in the 3-2 win over Mexico.
His fellow center back Marc Guehl is questionable heading into the encounter with a hamstring issue.
And England have conceded to every opponent who mustered even a hint of an attacking threat this tournament, with their two clean sheets coming against an overmatched Panama and a Ghana side content to play a very low block. Even the latter should’ve had a penalty when Esri Konsa’s airborne challenge on Prince Kwabena Adu went unpunished.
It’s not that Kane is unlikely to score here. But Haaland — whose seven goals this tournament have come in just four appearances — is facing more favorable circumstances, despite being at a cheaper price given Norway’s underdog status on the money line. At well better than even money and a 43.5% implied probability, he’s worth backing against an England rear guard that has been far from rigid.
Anytime goal scorer: Erling Haaland (+130, BetRivers)
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England vs. Norway, Exact Team Goals
Norway has scored exactly twice in each of its knockout phase matches, and England has conceded exactly two goals in two of its five games so far.
And that’s a number Norway might be likely to land on again considering the circumstances. With Haaland and Martin Odegaard, they certainly have the quality to be able to solve England’s rearguard.
But the stakes of knockout play make it less likely that the Scandinavians would aggressively hunt for more rather than try to manage the lead.
Two goals might not even be enough to beat this England team, but a wager on that exact Norway total at a 23.8% implied probability is worth a play.
Exact Norway Goals: 2 (+320, theScore)
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Argentina vs. Switzerland, Total Goals
Argentina have looked wobbly in their last two matches, and at first glance thei quarterfinal could be a tempting spot to back an underdog.
But with Switzerland hit with an injury to breakout performer Johan Monzambi, the better play is probably betting on the total to go over 2.5 goals.
Under manager Lionel Scaloni, Argentina have played eight knockout phase matches across two World Cups. The total has gone over during 90 minutes in all but one of those, thanks in no small part to the presence of Lionel Messi, the rare attacker who consistently outperforms expected-goal models.
Meanwhile, Switzerland played a somewhat dour 0-0 draw with Colombia in the round of 16 before triumphing on penalties.
But their lower chance creation and chance allowance numbers are based partly on the teams they’ve played: All three of their group opponents had attacking limitations. Colombia exited the tournament scoring only twice in its last 390 minutes.
Knockout football often gets tighter in the later stages, which is driving the price on the over down. But dynamics in Argentina matches have proven different. Take advantage with a bet on the over at a 43.9% implied probability.
Total over 2.5 goals (+128, Parx)
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Sports
Yoshinobu Yamamoto bids to give Dodgers length vs. D-backs
Jul 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) reacts in the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Dodgers know they can count on Yoshinobu Yamamoto to throw a lot of innings, and that trait is of extra importance entering Saturday’s game against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Dodgers used seven pitchers Friday after Shohei Ohtani (left knee) was scratched from his start, so the bullpen is a bit beleaguered entering the middle contest of a three-game series. Arizona took advantage with an easy 9-3 victory in the opener.
Yamamoto (9-5, 2.49 ERA) will look to restore order. The right-hander has put together quality starts in 13 of 16 outings this season.
“The good thing is we’ve got Yamamoto going (Saturday), so we feel good about him taking on a lot of the game,” Roberts said Friday before the implosion of the bullpen game.
The 27-year-old Yamamoto has Tuesday’s All-Star Game on the horizon, and his availability to pitch in that contest may depend on how taxed he is Saturday.
Yamamoto has tossed seven or more innings on seven occasions, topped by 8 1/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox on June 13. In that contest, Yamamoto took a no-hitter into the ninth before Tristan Peters led off the frame with a homer.
In his last outing, Yamamoto matched his season best of 10 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory over the San Diego Padres. He gave up three hits and two walks over seven innings.
Yamamoto has won six of his past seven starts.
Yamamoto’s first start of the season came against the Diamondbacks on March 26. He gave up two runs and five hits over six innings of an 8-2 victory.
Yamamoto has excelled against Arizona, going 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in seven career starts.
Corbin Carroll (2-for-20, six strikeouts) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (1-for-11) have struggled against Yamamoto. Geraldo Perdomo (4-for-13), Ketel Marte (5-for-18) and Gabriel Moreno (2-for-12) each have homered against Yamamoto.
Tim Tawa, who is 1-for-3 against Yamamoto, was the Diamondbacks’ lead man in Friday’s assault.
Tawa went 3-for-4 with a homer and matched his career high of four RBIs.
“It felt good. We scored early, which was nice,” Tawa said. “Then we got punched in the mouth a little bit but we were able to respond and did a good job.”
Gabriel Moreno added two hits and two RBIs as Arizona won its second straight game.
While Ohtani couldn’t answer the bell as a pitcher, he did serve as the designated hitter and he’s scheduled to do so again Saturday. He also withdrew from Tuesday’s All-Star game and is slated to undergo an injection next week.
“If affects more of my pitching than the hitting side of the game, that’s the reason why,” Ohtani said through an interpreter on why he can still DH.
Ohtani’s power was in full display when he led off the game with an opposite-field homer to left.
The leadoff blast was Ohtani’s 32nd of his career and 26th with the Dodgers. He trails Mookie Betts (32) and former star Davey Lopes (28) on the franchise’s all-time list.
Andy Pages had three hits and homered right after Ohtani, but Los Angeles lost for the fifth time in its past 17 games.
Arizona will start right-hander Brandon Pfaadt (2-1, 4.84) on Saturday.
Pfaadt, 27, is back in the rotation and has won consecutive starts against the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres.
He gave up one run and three hits over 5 1/3 innings against the Giants on June 30 and blanked the Padres on four hits over five innings on Monday.
Pfaadt gave up two runs and three hits in an inning of relief against the Dodgers on June 3.
Pfaadt is 4-2 with a 5.32 ERA in nine career appearances (eight starts) against Los Angeles.
Betts (10-for-24, two homers) and Freddie Freeman (8-for-24, one homer) have fared well against Pfaadt.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Germany, Jurgen Klopp agree to contract
Apr 22, 2026; Morristown, New Jersey, USA; Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull GmbH, Jurgen Klopp, speaks onstage during an event for the opening of the RWJBarnabas Health Red Bulls Performance Center. The complex has been selected as Brazil’s training home for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Jurgen Klopp and the German Football Association are in agreement on a deal that will make him the head coach of the German men’s national team, The Athletic reported Saturday.
All that remains is to reach an agreement with Red Bull — where Klopp has been the head of global soccer since January 2025 — on his exit.
Once official, he will replace Julian Nagelsmann, who resigned following Germany’s exit from the World Cup in the round of 32.
The German team is getting an experienced leader.
Klopp, 59, formerly was the head coach of Liverpool (2015-24) and Borussia Dortmund (2008-15). He was named the FIFA Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2020.
Klopp intends to bring with him Pep Lijnders, who was an assistant coach at Liverpool under Klopp.
The coaching duo is expected to debut with Germany in a Nations League match in Amsterdam against the Netherlands on Sept. 24.
They led Liverpool to their maiden Premier League title in the 2019-20.
Germany, the four-time World Cup champions, were eliminated by Paraguay on Monday in a penalty shootout in the round of 32.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Hanwha Life outlast LYON, gain finals berth in Mid-Season Invitational
A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home.
Jordan Woodruff
Hanwha Life rallied to a 3-2 win over LYON on Saturday to advance to the grand final in the League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational in Daejeon, South Korea.
Hanwha Life will square off against Bilibili Gaming in the grand final, with the winner receiving $500,000 and qualifying for this fall’s 2026 World Championship. All matches are best-of-five.
Bilibili Gaming posted a 3-1 win over Hanwha Life on Thursday in the upper-bracket final.
Hanwha Life bounced back from that loss by winning the first game on Saturday. LYON responded by capturing the next two contests before Hanwha Life won the final two to set up the rematch with Bilibili Gaming in the grand final.
2026 Mid-Season Invitational prize pool:
1. $500,000
2. $300,000
3. $240,000 — LYON
4. $200,000 — G2 Esports
5-6. $160,000 — T1, Secret Whales
7-8. $110,000 — FURIA, Top Esports
9. $90,000 — Team Liquid
10. $70,000 — Karmine Corp.
11. $60,000 — Deep Cross Gaming
–Field Level Media
Yoshinobu Yamamoto bids to give Dodgers length vs. D-backs
Report: Germany, Jurgen Klopp agree to contract
