World Cup Goal Scoring Picks, Odds, Predictions for Thursday, July 2, 2026
Day 5 of Round of 32 action at the World Cup has three matchups.
We start with Spain vs. Austria at 3 p.m. ET at Los Angeles Stadium, followed by Portugal vs. Croatia at 7 p.m. ET in Toronto, and then Switzerland vs. Algeria at 11 p.m. ET in Vancouver. The marquee matchup is definitely Portugal vs. Croatia, especially with such large Portuguese and Croatian communities in Toronto. The atmosphere should be absolutely electric.
With three intriguing matchups on tap, there is no shortage of opportunities for goals here. Below, we’ll dive into some of the top candidates to find the back of the net. Make sure to check out our World Cup match trends page for daily odds, insights, and betting data for each game.
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Thursday’s Best 2026 World Cup Goal Scoring Picks
- Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain
- Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
- Breel Embolo, Switzerland
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain
Mikel Oyarzabal is the top scoring threat for Spain, as highlighted by the two goals he scored vs. Saudi Arabia. With Austria preferring to deploy a high press, they could be vulnerable at the back at times, giving Oyarzabal an opportunity to find the back of the net.
Spain has a 1.5-goal total, juiced to the over at -200, for this match against Austria, so they’re projected to score at least two goals here. With La Roja likely dominating possession, Oyarzabal is a good bet to score his third of the tournament.
At +100 odds at the time of this article, it’s not a cheap cost, but it’s worth taking a shot given the projected game environment. Remember, Oyarzabal scored six goals in six matches for Spain during UEFA qualifying. He’s able to be a prolific goalscorer with the stacked talent around him.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo got the proverbial monkey off his back when he scored two goals against Uzbekistan. I like the spot for him to score in the knockout round against Croatia. There is going to be a raucous crowd there, with so many Portuguese fans in Toronto. It’s the perfect stage for a superstar to make his mark.
We saw Croatia concede four goals against England and one vs. Ghana, so it’s not like they’ve been impenetrable at the back.I haven’t been that impressed with Croatia in this tournament so far. They’ve looked slow, as they’ve really started to show their age.
To that end, I think Portugal will dominate possession in this match, en route to a 2-0 or 2-1 win in regulation. We’ll take a shot that one of those goal scorers is Ronaldo. He’s yet to score in the knockout rounds in six World Cups. Now is his time.
Breel Embolo, Switzerland
Breel Embolo has one goal in three matches for Switzerland so far. This comes after he scored four goals in six matches during UEFA Qualifying. I like the value on Embolo to score against Algeria.
Algeria is a team that likes to sit back in a low block and try to get you on a counterattack. That means we’re likely to see Switzerland have a lot of possession in this game.
Since a 1-1 draw vs Qatar where they were wasteful on their chances, Switzerland has scored six goals in two matches. It seems that they’ve been able to sort things out, so I’m optimistic that they’ll be able to get a win in regulation here. It wouldn’t surprise me to see 2-0 for the Swiss, with Embolo being one of those goalscorers, since he’s their biggest threat up top.
Photo Credit: IMAGN IMAGES
