The US men’s national team (USMNT) begins its 2026 World Cup journey tonight against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match is set for 9 p.m. ET with live coverage on FOX.
Christian Pulisic & Co. will try to get off to a good start after recent struggles under coach Mauricio Pochettino. The US could have top defender Chris Richards back in the lineup after his recovery from an ankle injury.
Paraguay is the lowest-ranked team in Group D at No. 40. The USMNT checks in at No. 17. DraftKings is dealing the US as a +110 favorite on the moneyline to win the game in regulation. Paraguay is the +290 underdog, and the draw is priced at +220.
The total is set at 2.5 goals, with the UNDER priced at -180 and the OVER at +145.
There’s an interesting backdrop tonight, as these two teams brawled in their last meeting in November 2025. The U.S. won 2-1 on a goal in the 71st minute by striker Folarin Balogun.
Best Bets: USA vs. Paraguay
Moneyline (Draw +220)
The Americans will have the advantage on offense tonight against a Paraguay side that struggles to score. The contrast of styles continues on defense, where the US is more vulnerable.
Expect Paraguay to be uber aggressive on defense, limiting high-danger chances for Pulisic, Balogun, and midfield ace Weston McKennie. Pulisic snapped a long scoreless streak with a goal against Senegal in May, as the Americans won the friendly 3-2.
Paraguay could be without its most dynamic offensive player, Julio Enciso, who suffered a thigh injury in last week’s friendly against Nicaragua. Enciso might be limited even if he’s cleared to play. That’s bad news for an offensively challenged team. That would put most of the scoring onus on Antonio Sanabria.
But this is a US team that’s allowed 11 goals in their past 13 games. Matt Freese gets the start in goal against Paraguay after beating out Matt Turner, who recorded two clean sheets in the 2022 World Cup.
This should be a grinder of a game, and Paraguay can steal a point here.
Total (UNDER 2.5 Goals -180)
La Albirroja is a defensive-oriented team that’s difficult to exploit. On the flip side, Paraguay doesn’t create many shots or scoring opportunities. In our estimation, this is too much juice, but backing the UNDER is the shrewd play.
Best Player Prop for US
Folarin Balogun OVER 0.5 Goals (+230)
Balogun found the back of the net against Paraguay in the most recent match between the two teams. He also scored the game-winner in the USMNT’s 3-2 win over Senegal on May 31.
In 27 caps, he’s amassed nine goals and four assists, so he’s no stranger to the score sheet.
Best Player Prop for Paraguay
Antonio Sanabria 1+ Shot on Target (-115)
This prop play is predicated on Enciso not playing or being limited. Note that the shot must be on target. You can also play Sanbria to have two shots (i.e., attempts) tonight at -155 odds.
