Mexico takes on Harry Kane and England in 2026 World Cup quarterfinal without conceding a single goal

I hope everyone had a happy, safe, and fun Fourth of July.

My daughter and I walked onto the front porch around 9:30 last night, and the entire block was filled with smoke from all the fireworks. That's how it should be with the 250th birthday celebration. While the fireworks were bursting, the bets were going up in flames as I lost both my World Cup plays from yesterday. Today we get another pair of games, and they could be fantastic. Let's try to make them enjoyable either way with some wins.

The first game on the slate features two very strong teams. One of them probably is a better team (Brazil), and the other has one of the best goal scorers in the game (Norway). That's a clash that you really don't want to miss! After starting with a draw against Morocco, who won yesterday and looks like one of the better teams in the league, Brazil has won three straight. They beat Haiti and Scotland 3-0 in the two remaining games of the Group Stage. In the Round of 32, they escaped with a tough 2-1 win over Japan. I think one of my favorite things about this team is that they have a good balance of being aggressive, but also a strong defense.

Brazil will need a strong defense against Norway and its attack. The team relies heavily on their forward Erling Haaland. He has five goals already this World Cup and has scored in each of the games he has played. They started their World Cup with a win over Iraq, a game that saw Haaland find the net twice. Then in the next match against Senegal, it was a tougher opponent, but Norway still prevailed at 3-2. Against France, Norway had nothing to gain, so they sat their starters and lost 4-1.

The Ivory Coast made Norway sweat a bit as they tied the game late before a Haaland goal gave them a 2-1 lead for good. I think there is some value on Norway at +350, but I think you're relying on Brazil making a mistake. I think both teams will be aggressive, but it may be tough for them to get great looks. I'm going to take over 9.5 corners for this game. I expect a lot of deflected shots that should lead to the over.

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Chicago has a very large Mexican population, and you can tell how excited many are for this game. Mexico looks like one of the best teams in the World Cup. Watching their last game against Ecuador, they seemed significantly faster than their opponent. They definitely are energized off of the crowd in Mexico City, and a lot of attention is given to the altitude change, which seems to be in favor of Mexico. This team has been solid in so many ways. They haven't allowed a goal in the World Cup, and they have won all of the games - no draws, only wins.

If England plays the way they did in their last game, this could be a disaster of a game for them. They struggled to beat the Congo DR in the Round of 32. They did get a 2-1 victory after Harry Kane found a way to score two goals in the second half for them. I expect Mexico to put its full attention to stopping Kane, which means that someone else for England has to step up. Considering he has five goals for them and they've only scored eight goals for the World Cup, they will need someone.

I fully expect that the game goes under 2.5, but at -160 it is pricey. I also like Mexico to win this game. I know England is good and has a strong history, but I think Mexico looks like a great team. Give me Mexico to win this game. I think they will win in 90 minutes as well. To advance is a little less risky, and I'll take both.

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024