Expert Picks

I'm shocked that this line is even remotely playable. Sweden's defense has been atrocious so far this competition as we saw them concede five to Netherlands, but still managing to score in both their games. Then we have Japan who is heavily motivated to score to stay ahead and win the group in goal differential. I wouldn't be shocked if this game sees over five goals, or if Japan cover the 2.5 by themselves. Expect this over to clear in this one.

Sweden have had a "Jekyll and Hyde" showing thus far at the World Cup, beating Tunisia 5-1, before losing 5-1 to the Netherlands. Despite the lopsided scoreline against the Dutch, Sweden still created plenty of scoring opportunities, finishing with 10 shots on goal. Japan have also been involved in high-scoring affairs in this competition, a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands and a 4-0 win over Tunisia. I expect we'll see another entertaining affair when these two nations collide in Dallas.

This is a pretty simple wager for me. I’m betting the over. Sweden’s attack with Viktor Gyökeres and Alexander Isak is actually really dangerous, and Jens Cajuste has been coming along nicely in the midfield. The issue is Sweden are just so bad defensively, and I think you’ll see that fragility firsthand against Japan. Yes, Japan are banged up, but this team has shown that no matter who they plug into the lineup, they can still score goals. I like over 2.5 because you don’t have to worry about which team is scoring. You just need three goals, and I think we get there.