Luke Lindholm
While today is the first full slate of the FIFA Club World Cup, the action continues on Monday because we get three intriguing matchups. The day begins at 3 PM ET with Chelsea vs Los Angeles FC before Boca Juniors battle Benfica at 6 PM, and Flamengo takes on Esperance Sportive de Tunis to conclude the slate at 9 PM. We’ll have four different continents in action tomorrow, so I’ve reviewed the entire slate to make two best bets.
Let’s get into my Boca Juniors vs Benfica and Flamengo vs Esperance de Tunis predictions for each team’s opening match in the FIFA Club WC.
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Boca Juniors vs Benfica best bets
*Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing*
The second match on Monday’s slate should feature fireworks, and I expect Benfica to be extra motivated after falling short in the Primeira Liga by 2 points to city rivals Lisbon. The Portuguese side dropped points in their final two games, but they’re riding a 10-game unbeaten run and haven’t lost a match since being eliminated in the Champions League Round of 16 against FC Barcelona in March.
Although Benfica are the rightful favorites in this matchup, Boca Juniors will be playing for 3 points. The Argentinian side finished the first portion of their regular season in 2nd place in Group A in the Argentina Primera Division before bowing out of the Torneo Apertura in the quarterfinals. However, before playing in their league’s single elimination tournament, they went 7-1-2 during the final 10 games of the regular season. Former Manchester United duo Marcos Rojo and Edison Cavani play heavy minutes for Boca Juniors, while younger players like Miguel Merentiel (6 goals and 3 assists in 16 matches) and Carlos Palacios (3 goals and 3 assists in 13 matches) also pose a threat.
Benfica has found the back of the net in 23 of their last 25 matches in all competitions, and they scored 2+ goals in 16 of those games. Like Benfica, the Argentinian side scores often, as they found the back of the net in 13 of their 16 regular season games. The Portuguese side should escape Monday’s matchup with at least a point due to their overall talent and depth, but I expect both teams to score as well.
My Pick: Same Game Parlay – Benfica Double Chance and Both Teams to Score (+114 at FanDuel)
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Flamengo vs Esperance de Tunis predictions
*Odds available at BetMGM Sportsbook at time of publishing*
The final game on tomorrow’s slate features Brazilian side Flamengo and Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis. Flamengo currently sits in 1st place in the Serie A standings, recording 7 wins, 3 draws and 1 defeat through 11 games. Giorgian De Arrascaeta (9 goals and 4 assists in 9 matches) and Pedro (4 goals and 2 assists in 8 matches) lead their attack, while veteran LB Alex Sandro holds down the back. Flamengo has posted a shutout in 8 of their 11 contests this season, and I expect more of the same against Esperance de Tunis.
The Tunisian side won their domestic league by 4 points, but going up against Flamengo will be another level. They haven’t played many clubs outside of Africa and were eliminated in the 2024/25 CAF Champions League quarterfinals. They are led by Yan Sasse and Belaili Youcef, as the duo combined for 19 goals and 7 assists in the league. But, I can’t picture this team beating a Brazilian side that’s played competitively with European giants in previous Club World Cups.
De Arrascaeta has found the back of the net in 8 of Flamengo’s 9 regular season games this season, but his goal-scoring odds are longer than three separate Flamengo players. I expect the Uruguayan to score, as Flamengo wins Monday’s match easily.
My Pick: Same Game Parlay – Flamengo 3-Way ML and Giorgian de Arrascaeta Anytime Goalscorer (+165 at BetMGM)
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