Football betting tips: World Cup
1pt Elliot Anderson 1+ headed shots on target at 12/1 (William Hill)
0.5pt Anderson 2+ headed shots on target at 100/1 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Anderson to score a header at 40/1 (bet365, William Hill)
2pts Under 2.5 goals at 19/20 (William Hill)
1pt England to win and under 2.5 goals at 15/8 (Sky Bet, BOYLESports)
0.5pt Anderson to win Man of the Match at 25/1 (bet365)
0.5pt Ezri Konsa to win Man of the Match at 33/1 (bet365)
1pt Nico O'Reilly to score anytime at 6/1 (William Hill, Betfred)
0.5pt Nico O'Reilly to score 2+ goals at 80/1 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Nico O'Reilly to score a header at 16/1 (William Hill)
On paper, this should be a comfortable round-of-32 tie for England as they aim to end the long wait for glory. Apologies for the cliché but football isn't played on paper and we've already had a glance of the potential script.
The Three Lions couldn't find a way through a Ghana side who set up to frustrate in their group-stage encounter. Ultimately it didn't cost them in terms of their progression but it does deliver a concern.
The blue print is in place. DR Congo, like Ghana, are happy to play without the ball. They settled for just 25% possession in the 1-1 draw with Portugal in their opener.
Yet you could argue England have now had the test run. They can take learnings from their second group game into this with a more defined approach. In an odd way, these sorts of games pose a bigger threat to Thomas Tuchel than a meeting with a fellow big hitter.
You'd expect England to run up the corner count as they control proceedings. If that's the case, ELLIOT ANDERSON is certainly a player to look at - no player had more shots than his four against Ghana.
I wouldn't put anyone off the 6/4 to 2/1 range available for a SHOT ON TARGET but you can get 12s by siding with it to be a HEADED one.
Three of Anderson's four in that game mentioned came as a result of a set-piece situation. Interestingly, two of his six shots at the tournament have been headed efforts and both of those came on Matchday 2.
It feels like he holds an adjusted role on corners and free-kicks for his country compared to his club, where just two of his 44 shots were from a header.
Against Ghana, England tightly-packed in their main aerial targets on some set-piece situations. With opposition focus on trying to stop those, it allowed a free man to run in from a deeper position - that being Anderson.
Given that he had two good opportunities to score, there's every chance England look to re-deploy this on Wednesday evening.
DR Congo haven't been overly vulnerable on set-piece situations this tournament but then neither were Ghana and England still recorded seven shots from corners and free-kicks.
There's a risk Anderson is taken off for someone like Eberechi Eze should another contest play out in which they're struggling to break through. However, the 12/1 for a headed effort on target is too big for me to turn down, as is the smaller stakes play on 2+ HEADED SHOTS and the longshot of him TO SCORE A HEADER.
The opening four round-of-32 ties gave a fair indication of how different the knockouts, especially this round, will play out compared to a madcap group stage that averaged three goals per game across 72 fixtures.
Three of the matches saw stoppage-time goals and two were decided by penalty shootouts, with only Gabriel Martinelli's 95th-minute winner for Brazil against Japan preventing all four games from seeing UNDER 2.5 GOALS.
That looks a smart way in for this contest at a shade shorter than even money.
Twelve of DR Congo's last 15 games have gone that way, with the only exceptions a 2-1 friendly defeat by Chile, 3-0 win over Botswana at AFCON and 3-1 victory against Uzbekistan last time out. Eight of the matches in that span involved one goal or fewer, which does make the 13/5 for under 1.5 goals tempting if you're prepared for an uncomfortable night's viewing.
Despite the criticism do not expect Thomas Tuchel to change tactics, with both he and half-time spokesman Anthony Barry well aware of the threat posed on the counter attack should the Three Lions start sending balls in to the box at any given opportunity.
Backing ENGLAND TO WIN & UNDER 2.5 GOALS at 15/8 is advised.
Expect another patient, controlled performance. Don't be misled by the thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia - ten of England's 16 matches under Tuchel have involved two or fewer goals.
Like Tom I have really enjoyed watching ELLIOT ANDERSON this tournament, with the soon to be Manchester City midfielder a standout player for England alongside Jude Bellingham and EZRI KONSA.
Bellingham (2) and Harry Kane (1) collected the MAN OF THE MATCH awards in the group stage, with the former bemused at being handed the prize after a goalless draw against Ghana.
Jude Bellingham says he didn't deserve to be named Player of the Match in England's 0-0 draw with Ghana. pic.twitter.com/AUN5AA4Ywa
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 23, 2026
They are 11/4 and 5/4 to do so again, with ANDERSON and KONSA a respective 25/1 and 33/1.
This award is decided by a fan vote, and therefore bigger names have a built-in advantage. But look closely at the list of winners so far and they are pretty fair, with the player who delivered the decisive moment, rather then the biggest name, tending to win.
In a match where there are unlikely to be many goals, at those prices it therefore makes sense to side with two of England's most in-form players.
Anderson's profile has been boosted by the prospect of his £116m move to City, too, which can't harm our chances in an online vote.
In the dress rehearsal of this game - the 0-0 draw with Ghana - NICO O’REILLY had two shots, both headers, one was from open play and the other from a corner.
His first effort hit the woodwork and was given ‘Good Chance’ status on our match centre with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.12.
Not bad for a left-back who came on in the 66th minute.
That’s left back in the loosest sense possible, a point I have been hastily making at any given opportunity this summer.
O’Reilly was raised as an attacking midfielder at Manchester City’s academy. It was Pep Guardiola who made him a full-back, a full-back who has all the privileges of an attacking midfielder in possession.
For England, his role is no different, as shown by his attacking metrics.
At the World Cup, he’s averaged an xG per 90 of 0.25 (same as Bellingham), 2.2 shots per 90 (same as Joe and Tom’s beloved Anderson) and 0.44 shots on target per 90.
Annoyingly, he also ranks joint-first for ‘big chances missed’ alongside Kane (2), but that just shows O’Reilly’s getting into good positions.
At 6/1 with William Hill and Betfred and 80/1 with BetVictor, his respective prices TO SCORE ANYTIME and to SCORE 2+ GOALS are worth backing.
Personally I’m taking the 11/2 and 66/1 available with bet365 because they are paying out in extra time. So, if the game goes beyond the 90 minutes and O’Reilly scores, it’s a winner.
Considering all O’Reilly’s shots have been headers (2.21 per 90), I’ll also tout the 16/1 available with William Hill for him TO SCORE A HEADER but I’d take the 12/1 available with bet365.
Odds correct at 16:20 BST (30/06/26)
More World Cup content from Sporting Life
- World Cup betting guide
- Group A: Mexico; South Africa; South Korea; Czechia
- Group B: Canada; Bosnia; Qatar; Switzerland
- Group C: Brazil; Morocco; Haiti; Scotland
- Group D: USA; Paraguay; Australia; Turkiye
- Group E: Germany; Curacao; Ivory Coast; Ecuador
- Group F: Netherlands; Japan; Sweden; Tunisia
- Group G: Belgium; Egypt; Iran; New Zealand
- Group H: Spain; Cape Verde; Saudi Arabia; Uruguay
- Group I: France; Senegal; Iraq; Norway
- Group J: Argentina; Algeria; Austria; Jordan
- Group K: Portugal; DR Congo; Uzbekistan; Colombia
- Group L: England; Croatia; Ghana; Panama
- Outright preview
- Golden Boot preview
- Golden Ball preview
- FREE World Cup wallchart
- FREE World Cup sweepstake kit
- World Cup: All you need to know
- Fixtures, results and live scores
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