Monday's slate brings more World Cup action following Spain's dominant 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia, a tremendous bounce back from last week's 0-0 draw over Cape Verde.
18-year-old forward Lamine Yamal banked in a goal just 10 minutes into last night's matchup, giving Spain an early 1-0 lead that grew from there as Mikel Oyarzabal scored a team-best two goals in the 21st and 24th minute.
Even as Saudi Arabia made five saves to Spain's one, an own goal by center-back Hassan Al-Tambakti laid the final nail in the coffin during stoppage time at the end of the first half.
On the other hand, Uruguay settled with their second-consecutive draw of the tournament--this time against Cape Verde, 2-2. Cape Verdean midfielder Kevin Pina set the tempo in the 21st minute, scoring the first goal of the game.
Maxi Araújo and Agustín Canobbio stormed back with goals of their own to give Uruguay the lead, however, Cape Verde's Hélio Varela refused to give in as he banked in the equalizer during the 61st minute.
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First Pick: France vs. Iraq--Over 3.5 Goals
Rundown: Star forward Kylian Mbappé will look to build off a solid two-goal performance last week against Senegal going into today's matchup against Iraq.
Mbappé has been on a tear all year, having scored 25 goals while logging five assists for Real Madrid. Additionally, France has other reliable weapons at their arsenal like 23-year-old Bradley Barcola, who scored the team's third goal of last week's matchup. Moreover, Michael Olise and Adrien Rabiot's one assist each have been crucial to the flow of the team's high-octane offense.
Meanwhile, Iraq surrendered four goals in their loss to Norway last Tuesday, demonstrating massive vulnerability on defense. Norwegian striker Erling Haaland set the tempo with back-to-back second-half goals while Leo Østigard followed in the 76th minute. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein prevented the shutout with a goal in the 39th minute, but also added to an already troubling night for his team as he scored an own goal during the final stoppage time.
Given Mbappé's ability to consistently deliver in the bright lights, bettors can expect another electric showing from France.
Second Pick: Argentina ML (-200) Over Austria
Rundown: Lionel Messi showed that that even at age 38, he is not done just yet after he recorded his first-ever hat World Cup hat trick last Monday against Algeria.
In addition to shining in international play, Messi demonstrated he can still hang during the MLS season with 84 shots, including 34 on-target for Inter Miami. Moreover, Argentina has complimented defensively with a shutout performance that limited Algeria to just seven shots and one on-goal.
Austria has momentum on their side as well following a commanding 3-1 win over Jordan, which was their first World Cup victory in 36 years. Romano Schmid made a statement in the 21st minute with a goal to open scoring. An own goal by Jordan's Yazan Al-Arab added to the lead and paved the way for Marko Arnautović to score his team's third goal of the game at the end of the final stoppage time.
With Messi having his sights set on back-to-back World Cup championships, anticipate him and Argentina to handle business once again.