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Sam Panayotovich FOX Sports Betting Analyst
It was a great start to our Friendly Wager concept last week with the United States men’s national team piping Paraguay 4-1 and cashing the USA 3+ goals bet.
My FOX Chicago teammate Joey Soccer was all over that one.
Swing and a miss by me, though, not getting this week’s story up before the Tuesday games.
Sometimes it’s as simple as betting Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi to all score multiple goals.
I saw some bet slips online where that three-leg parlay was 85/1.
Oh well.
It’s also worth reminding you that FOX Sports is your place for all things World Cup.
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Friendly Wager Record:
(1-0, +3.8)
United States vs. Australia
Can Gio Reyna help push the USA past Australia on Friday (Getty Images)?
I think it’s natural to expect some offensive aggression from the Americans after the first match of group play, but be careful. New head coach Mauricio Pochettino has taken the governor off the jet ski if you will, and he wants this team on the attack. It’s also no secret the USA back line isn’t anything special, so this could set up goals both ways.
Meanwhile, we’re still not sure if Christian Pulisic will play Friday in Seattle, which would open up ample opportunities for midfielder Giovanni Reyna. Reyna did score against Paraguay in the 82’ minute and if Pulisic doesn’t go, Reyna’s price will drop even lower.
Sammy P's Picks: 
Over 2.5 Total Goals Scored (-105), Gio Reyna to Score (+270)
Mexico vs. South Korea
Could Mexico vs. South Korea end in a draw (Getty Images)?
As mentioned last week, I picked Mexico to win Group A at -140. That wager is already in the hopper and isn’t going anywhere. That said, I don’t love this matchup against South Korea late Thursday night. Mexico will try to dominate possession and dictate tempo, while the Koreans rely on defensive keep-away and counter-attacking. It’s a total contrast of styles, which could and should provide us a decent chance for a 1-1 or 2-2 finish.
It’s a boring bet, but it often pays to be boring.
Sammy P's Pick: Mexico-South Korea Draw (+230)
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