Luke Lindholm
The FIFA Club World Cup is well underway, and while the opening match between Inter Miami and Al Ahly underwhelmed with a 0-0 finish, there have been fireworks since.
Sunday’s action saw Bayern Munich dispatch Auckland City 10-0 before Paris Saint-Germain ripped apart Atletico Madrid 4-0. The day finished with an epic 2-1 victory for Botofogo over the Seattle Sounders. I already made FIFA Club WC predictions for Monday, but Tuesday has four more games.
Let’s dive into my favorite FIFA Club World Cup picks for Tuesday’s slate.
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River Plate vs Urawa Red Diamonds best bets: River Plate 3-Way Money Line + Franco Mastantuono to Record 1+ Shots on Target (+113 at FanDuel)
*Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at the time of publishing*
Fluminense vs Borussia Dortmund kicks things off tomorrow at noon ET, but the first matchup that grabbed my attention occurs in the 3 PM slot. Argentinian side River Plate will take on the Japanese squad Urawa Red Diamonds. Both teams are in the middle of their domestic seasons, as River Plate currently sits in 4th place in the top league in Argentina, while Urawa is 4th as well. While the Argentinian side ranks 86th in the world according to Opta’s Power Rankings, Urawa is 298th.
River Plate is the more talented team in this one, as they’re led by CM Franco Mastantuono (4 goals and 4 assists in 12 matches), who was recently signed by Real Madrid for €45 and will join the Spanish giants in August. Additionally, they’ve been on a scoring tear, as they’ve found the back of the net in 10 straight games, averaging 2.6 goals per game during that stretch. However, their defense isn’t overly impressive, as they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in two of their last 10 games. Therefore, I expect an open game, which should lead to plenty of scoring opportunities.
Mastantuono can benefit from these chances, and I expect the 17-year-old to record at least one shot on target. He’s played in 18 matches this season for River Plate in all competitions and has 1+ shot on target in 15 of those games. He could find the back of the net, but I’ll take the safe route and back the future Real Madrid midfielder to record a shot while River Plate cruises to three points.
My Pick: River Plate 3-Way Money Line + Franco Mastantuono to Record 1+ Shots on Target (+113 at FanDuel)
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Monterrey vs Inter Milan predictions: Both Teams to Score (-125 at bet365)
*Odds available at bet365 Sportsbook at the time of publishing*
Tuesday’s finale pits Mexican side Monterrey against Serie A and UEFA Champions League runners-up Inter Milan. Monterrey finished 5th in the first ½ of Liga MX this past season and 7th in the second half of the year. They are led by Germán Berterame (20 goals and 1 assist) and Sergio Canales (17 goals and 12 assists) and will be a test for every team in this group. In the end, I expect these two teams to advance from Group E, so if the game is tied as we approach the end of the second half, both sides could settle for a draw.
Inter Milan enters this game after their embarrassing 5-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League Final. Not only that, but head coach Simone Inzaghi left the club for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal after the UCL Final, so Cristian Chivu will be coaching the team for the first time. It’s hard to tell what approach he will take, as the former Inter defender was in charge of Parma in Serie A for four months but has little managerial experience.
Inter is the 7th ranked team in the world per Opta’s Power Rankings, while Monterrey is 130th. Although the gap between the sides is large, I expect both teams to find the back of the net at least once. The Mexican side has scored in 33 of their final 35 matches in all competitions last season, while Inter has scored in 30 of their final 35 matches last season. I expect both teams to score at least once in what should be a cagey affair.
My Pick: Both Teams to Score (-125 at bet365)
