World Cup Day 6 Tipsheet: Best bets and predictions for four games including France v Senegal and Iraq v Norway

France v Senegal Tip - Back BTTS in New Jersey

Click for France v Senegal odds
Tuesday, 20:00 Live on BBC One

France will kick off as 9/25.50 favourites in the tournament winner market and they begin their campaign with a potentially tricky tie against Senegal.

This isn't the first time that the Lions of Teranga have been drawn alongside Les Bleues, and they arrive in New Jersey full of confidence. They breezed through qualifying, scoring 22 times and barely looking like conceding. Having seen their AFCON title controversially stripped, they shouldn't lack motivation, and they also possess an abundance of star quality.

Pape Thiaw's side are extremely athletic and energetic, and they should cause plenty of issues for France.

Senegal look well-stocked in forward areas but a little light in midfield. Ismaila Sarr comes off the back of an eye-catching campaign; Sadio Mane remains an elite finisher despite being largely forgotten by fans of English football, and Iliman Ndiaye is unpredictable.

France are fancied to get off to a winning start, and with a difficult game against Norway still on the schedule, they will be expected to begin with a three-point haul. They have too much firepower for their African opponents - Mbappe is 10/111.91 to score against Senegal, Demebe 7/42.75, Olise 15/82.88 - yet they are unlikely to keep a clean sheet. They have looked far from watertight in their preparation games and conceded to both Iceland and Azerbaijan at the end of the qualifying campaign. This could be an entertaining watch.

Iraq v Norway Tip - Straightforward start for Haaland's men

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Tuesday, 23:00 Live on BBC One

Iraq's journey to this tournament was far from straightforward, requiring 21 matches to secure their place. They have been drawn in an incredibly tricky section and are widely expected to finish bottom of Group I. Nevertheless, they will want to avoid humiliation and will need to try and stay in these games for as long as possible.

Graham Arnold has experienced a World Cup with Australia and is generally regarded as a pragmatic boss. He will be content for his side to surrender possession and defend in numbers throughout the 90 minutes. That may work for a period of time, but may not be sustainable for 90 minutes in these conditions.

Furthermore, they are facing a side with an abundance of firepower who scored 37 times during qualifying. Stale Solbakken's side are far more than a one-man band, although Erling Haaland does tend to steal the headlines. Antonio Nusa is extremely busy, and Alexander Sorloth is an all-rounder. They will create chances, and although patience may be required in this opener, they will inevitably find a way through.

They stuck seven goals past Italy in qualifying, and once they've made the breakthrough, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Iraq's resistance buckle.

Argentina v Algeria - World champions to get off to a winning start

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Wednesday, 02:00 Live on ITV

Argentina are tasked with the unenviable task of trying to retain their 2022 title. It's over 60 years since any nation successfully defended their crown, although the draw has been relatively kind to the South Americans. They begin with a very winnable game, and they may be able to rest a few key players by the time they face Jordan on June 28th.

They made light work of qualifying and twice beat Brazil in the process. This may be the final international tournament for some of the bigger names in the squad, but there is the general feeling that the likes of Lionel Messi and Nicholas Otamendi are not done quite yet.

Although it's not advisable to read too much into the results of international friendlies, it should be noted that several teams have struggled to break down Algeria, including Uruguay and the Netherlands. They breezed through qualifying and although this is a difficult start to the tournament for the North Africans, they should remain compact and solid for large periods of this contest.

Vladimir Petkovic's favoured 4-3-3 tends to work well, and the players evidently understand their roles.

I'm not prepared to back against the holders, but they shouldn't take Algeria lightly and will have to scrap for every ball. Once they eventually make the breakthrough, they should be fairly comfortable.

Austria v Jordan - Ralph's boys to edge past determined Jordan

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Wednesday, 05:00 Live on BBC One

Ralph Rangnick has done a superb job overseeing Austria's recent improvementand steering them to the World Cup with the minimum of fuss. Admittedly, they were drawn in a fairly straightforward qualifying group, suffering just a single defeat, which came in Bucharest. They conceded just four goals during that period and have kept things tight in their recent preparation games too.

After a strong showing at Euro 2024, they will be keen to build on that progress, and although they've been drawn alongside the holders Argentina, they will be confident of progressing and potentially resting players for the final group game.

Jordan had little trouble during qualifying, and they will follow that same blueprint throughout the tournament. They will be compact, determined and work hard to restrict the opposition. Energy levels are likely to drop as the tournament progresses, but they will be up for this opener, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see them keep things tight for at least the first 45.

Creating a bet builder may be a good option for this final day six fixture, with Austria likely to edge a tight contest. Remember, when you place a £10 bet builder (or Acca), you will receive a free £10 bet.

Notable winners on Betting.Betfair so far at the 2026 World Cup...

- Mark Stinchcombe's stunning 38/139.00 Bet Builder in South Korea v Czechia
- Paul Higham's 9/25.50 Bet Builder in Mexico's MD1 defeat of South Africa
- Paul also tipped 13/53.60 (Canada v Bosnia) & 15/82.88 (Brazil v Morocco) draws
- A 6/17.00 winning ACCA for Mark on Sunday at the World Cup
- Andy Robson's 9/110.00 five-leg ACCA as Germany wallop Curacao

Check out all of our World Cup 2026 betting tips