Luke Lindholm
The first round of group stage games ends on June 18, as we have another 4-game slate featuring Groups G and H. The schedule for the day starts at noon ET and features Manchester City vs Wydad AC. Next up is Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal at 3:00 pm ET, Pachuca vs RB Salzburg at 6:00 pm ET and Al Ain vs Juventus at 9:00 pm ET. While Manchester City, Real Madrid, RB Salzburg and Juventus are well known in Europe, Moroccan side Wydad AC, Saudi side Al-Hilal, Mexican side Pachuca and UAE side Al Ain are lesser-known squads. I have 2 Club World Cup best bets for Wednesday’s slate, and I’ve gone 3-1 with my picks on Sunday and Monday. Keep reading to learn more about my predictions for Wednesday, and don’t forget to check out my FIFA Club WC picks today!
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Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal best bet: Both Teams to Score – Yes + Kylian Mbappe Anytime Goalscorer (+145)
Odds available at bet365 at time of publishing.
The runners-up in Spain’s La Liga, Real Madrid, take on the runners-up in Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, for the 2nd game on Wednesday’s slate. Los Blancos were the pre-tournament favorites, and I only see success for them in the group stage. Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior lead Real Madrid up front, while Jude Bellingham cements their midfield. However, there is a new face along their backline, as former Liverpool RB Trent Alexander-Arnold and ex-Bournemouth CB Dean Huijsen will make their debuts for Madrid. They aren’t the only newbies for Los Blancos, as Xabi Alonso is now the new manager. It will be interesting to see Alonso’s style in Madrid, but I expect him to settle in nicely, and the squad has plenty of European experience.
Al-Hilal’s squad, on paper, is no joke, as the Saudi Arabian side boasts Aleksandar Mitrović (19 goals) up front, and their midfield is loaded. Salem Al-Dawsari led the squad in the league with 15 goals and 15 assists, but Sergej Milinković-Savić (12 goals and 6 assists), Malcolm (9 goals and 10 assists and Rúben Neves (8 assists) all pose a threat on the attack. Additionally, Kalidou Koulibaly and Redan Loni run the back four, so they’re filled with guys who were all playing in Europe 2 seasons ago.
Not only was Real Madrid the favorite entering this tournament, but Kylian Mbappé was the favorite to win the Golden Boot. I expect him to kick off things in style, and scoring against Al-Hilal should be a given for the French star. He’s scored a goal for club or country in 8 straight matches and should have no issues extending that streak to 9. I expect Real Madrid to have an issue or 2 at the back, especially with a new coach, CB and RB. Al-Hilal has scored in 13 straight matches in all competitions and led the Saudi league with 95 goals in 34 games.
My Pick: Same Game Parlay – Both Teams to Score: Yes + Kylian Mbappé Anytime Goalscorer (+145 at bet365)
Read our full Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal prediction
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Al Ain vs Juventus prediction: Juventus Win in Shutout (-115)
*Odds available at BetMGM Sportsbook at the time of publishing*
The 2nd game on my radar features Al Ain taking on Juventus in the slate’s finale. Al Ain finished 5th in the UAE league this past season but qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup as winners of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League. The UAE side finished the season with a 7-game unbeaten run, but the competition they were going up against was nothing compared to Juventus. The Italian side is the 24th-ranked team in the world per Opta’s Power Rankings, while Al Ain comes in as the 623rd-ranked squad. This game should only go one way.
It was a disappointing season by Juventus’ standards, but they did well to finish 4th in Serie A, securing a Champions League spot for next season. Igor Tudor took over the Italian squad for the season’s final 8 games, posting a 5-3-1 record. The main difference he made for the squad was tightening up the defense, as Juventus allowed just 7 goals in those 8 matches, posting a shutout in 3 of those games. They posted a shutout in 6 of their last 8 wins and held their opponent scoreless in 13 of their 18 wins in Serie A this season. Expect both trends to continue on Wednesday, and bet on Juventus to win and hold Al Ain scoreless.
My Pick: Both Teams to Score – No + Juventus 3-Way Money Line (-115 at BetMGM)
Read our full Al Ain vs Juventus prediction
