2026 World Cup parlay, best bets: Picks for Saturday matches include Netherlands-Sweden, Jamal Musiala prop

Saturday features four more World Cup matches with Groups E and F taking center stage. The action starts at 1 p.m. ET between Sweden and the Netherlands, and a Swedish win would secure their place in the knockout round after a 5-1 win over Tunisia in their opener. Germany and Ivory Coast square off at 4 p.m., and a winner here could secure a knockout stage trip after each won their opener. Ecuador and Curacao play at 8 p.m. with both teams needing wins, and Japan face Tunisia at midnight.

>We've put together a four-leg World Cup parlay for Saturday, with odds from FanDuel Sportsbook, for those interested in soccer betting and World Cup betting. You can get the latest soccer expert picks from Jon Eimer, Martin Green and others at SportsLine before locking in your wagers.

>Eimer finished 2023 as SportsLine's No. 1 soccer expert, posting a 248-234-12 (+25.93 units) record, while Green went 18-8 in his last 26 picks to close out this year's Champions League. Anyone following their World Cup picks at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.

>The Swedes enter this game as fairly notable underdogs, but it's possible the wrong team is favored here. The Dutch have the much more prestigious history, but the lack of a true top-level goal threat in the side (with all due respect to Cody Gakpo, Donyell Malen and Crysencio Summerville) means Netherlands can co cold at any moment. The Swedes, meanwhile, have all kinds of scoring in the form of Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak and Yasin Ayari. There may be an upset brewing.

>Ivory Coast managed to keep a clean sheet against Ecuador, but the Ecuadorians are notable for having a sturdy defense and next to nothing in attack. The Germans have a plethora of attacking options, including Musiala, who got in on the fun in the 7-1 blowout win over Curacao. The score should be much tamer for this one, but expect the German attack to carry the day. Musiala should be right in the middle of what the Germans do up top.

>Ecuador's opening loss to Ivory Coast puts the team in a tricky spot. Goal difference could become a huge factor in theirr ability to go through to the knockouts and with a date with the mighty Germany lined up as their third match, they'll need to run up the score on Curacao -- just like Germany did. The Ecuadorians don't have nearly as much going on in attack, of course, but look for them to come out guns blazing on Saturday.

>Japan managed to salvage a point in the dying minutes of their opening match with the Netherlands. That should provide a springboard for this talented side to get all three points against Tunisia -- a team in such disarray that the coach was fired after the opening loss to Sweden.