Blake Krass gives his best bet, pick and prediction for Sunday’s FIFA World Cup match between Germany and Curacao.
Best Bet for Germany vs. Curacao
Germany/Curacao o3.5 goals & Florian Wirtz 1+ assists: Curacao is extremely vulnerable defensively and will be completely outmatched on Sunday. Germany is one of the top teams in the tournament, while Curacao is considered by many to be the worst team in the field. Germany has a dangerous group of attacking players that should be able to score four or five goals in this game. Florian Wirtz is a player that I fancy to have an assist in this game. Wirtz may have had a disappointing first season at Liverpool, but he’s at his best when playing with Germany. He is the connector between the midfield and Kai Havertz up top, and should create some magic in this match.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup has finally arrived, and the opening match of Group E sees Germany take on Curacao. This match takes place at 1:00 p.m. ET at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
Here are the odds for the match:
Let’s dive into my favorite bet for this match.
Germany vs. Curacao Prediction
Germany Preview
This Germany team is capable of great things at this tournament. They are not on the same level as tournament favorites France and Spain, but they are fully capable of going on a deep run in this tournament. Since winning the 2014 World Cup, it has been back-to-back disastrous World Cups for Germany, getting bounced in the group stage both times. Julian Nagelsmann has taken over the national team and is looking to turn things around. Manuel Neuer came out of international retirement for this World Cup. They have tough defenders like Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rudiger, and great attacking players like Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz. It will come down to whether Nagelsmann can get this team to connect.
Curacao Preview
This is Curacao’s first-ever World Cup. Just making it this far is an incredible accomplishment for a nation like Curacao. However, they will struggle to get any sort of competitive results in this tournament. Germany, Ecuador and Cote d’Ivoire are all very strong teams and it will be tough for Curacao to deal with them. They are especially vulnerable defensively. In friendlies this year, they lost to Scotland 4-1 and Australia 5-1. They are capable of scoring a goal or two, mainly through their star midfielders Tahith Chong and Leandro Bacuna. Bacuna is the team captain and a former Premier League player for Aston Villa. Chong is a former Manchester United player and currently plays for Sheffield United in the Championsip.
Germany vs. Curacao Pick
My best bet is for this match to go over 3.5 goals and for Florian Wirtz to register an assist. Germany should easily score three goals in this match, and has a great chance to score four or five goals themselves. However, Curacao is capable of stealing one goal themselves to help with that total. Wirtz fits into Julian Nagelsmann’s system perfectly. He will be marauding the left wing and cutting into an attacking midfield position as well. He should set up a goal for one of his teammates with one of his dazzling passes in this first match of the World Cup.
Best Bet: Germany/Curacao o3.5 goals & Florian Wirtz 1+ assists (+168)
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