Home / USA Vs Paraguay Odds Picks Predictions For Group Stage Opener
The 2026 World Cup continues on Friday night as the United States open their campaign against Paraguay in a Group D clash at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It’s a historic moment for American soccer. The United States hasn’t hosted a World Cup match since 1994, and expectations are sky-high for a squad that has spent the last four years building toward this tournament.
The Americans came agonizingly close to lifting the Concacaf Gold Cup last summer, falling 2-1 to Mexico in the final. That run gave a young squad valuable experience handling the pressure of high-stakes matches on home soil, something that could prove beneficial as the World Cup gets underway. Christian Pulisic headlines the attack alongside Folarin Balogun, with Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie anchoring the midfield and a back line marshaled by Chris Richards, who confirmed he’s fully fit after recovering from an ankle injury.
Paraguay, meanwhile, returns to the World Cup for the first time since its memorable quarterfinal run in South Africa in 2010. La Albirroja earned its place by navigating CONMEBOL’s notoriously demanding qualifying campaign and enters the tournament following a mixed run of pre-World Cup friendlies. Gustavo Alfaro‘s side is built on defensive organization: compact, physical, and difficult to break down. Miguel Almirón and Antonio Sanabria lead the attack, while Diego Gómez anchors the midfield. Despite entering as a clear underdog against the hosts, Paraguay has a proven track record of frustrating more talented opponents on the international stage.
Our best bet for USMNT’s World Cup opener is brought to you by Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub. Head over to Stats Hub in your mobile app or on desktop to explore countless streaks, trends, and other valuable insights to help you place bets on the 2026 World Cup.
Under 2.5 Total Goals (-150): Paraguay’s last nine World Cup matches have all finished with fewer than three total goals – a streak that dates all the way back to 2002. That stretch includes a 1-1 draw against Italy, a 0-0 stalemate with New Zealand, a scoreless knockout round match against Japan that went to penalties, and a 0-1 quarterfinal exit against Spain. Although that was a completely different squad, Paraguays’s current side is also built to be compact and can be hard to break down.
The United States has shown a similar tendency on the World Cup stage as of late. In Qatar in 2022, the Americans drew Wales 1-1, played England to a scoreless 0-0, and edged Iran 1-0 in the group stage – none of those three matches clearing this number. Even their Round of 16 exit against the Netherlands, a 3-1 final, was tracking at 2-0 late before both teams found the net in the closing stretch to push it over.
Pochettino’s squad will want to control tempo and manage risk in a tournament opener with the weight of a home crowd behind them, and Paraguay has every reason to sit in and make things difficult. Back the under at -150.
Betting Splits at Hard Rock Bet
Players at Hard Rock Bet are all-in on the hosts:
USA is commanding 84.0% of all bets and an even larger 91.7% of the handle on the 3-way moneyline.
Paraguay, meanwhile, is only taking in 11.8% of all tickets and just 6.7% of the money.
As expected, a draw is getting the least amount of action with just 4.2% of all bets and 1.7% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Christian Pulisic – Anytime Goalscorer
Christian Pulisic – To Score or Assist
Folarin Balogun – Anytime Goalscorer
Christian Pulisic – Over 2.5 Shots
Weston McKennie – Anytime Goalscorer
USA vs. Paraguay Match Info
📍 Location: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
📅 Date: Friday, June 12
⏰ Start Time: 9:00 PM ET
📺 Where to Watch: FOX/Telemundo/Peacock
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Michael Sciangula is a New Jersey-based sports betting and online casino writer. He has contributed iGaming content to several publications over the last half decade including the Action Network, New York Post and Philadelphia Inquirer. Contact Michael at [email protected].
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