World Cup
2026-07-01 - United States vs Bosnia-Herzegovina
A Sports Betting Pick by Niko
Football; FIFA World Cup 2026: Round of 32
Levi’s Stadium – San Francisco, USA
Wednesday, 1st July 2026 - kickoff 20:00 EST
United States
The United States arrive in the knockout stage after winning Group D with victories over Paraguay and Australia before a 3-2 defeat to Türkiye in a match where Mauricio Pochettino rotated heavily after qualification was already secured.
The Americans scored freely throughout the group stage and looked particularly dangerous in transition, with the pace of Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah and Folarin Balogun causing constant problems.
Playing on home soil is another major advantage. Levi's Stadium should provide strong backing for the hosts, who are chasing their first World Cup knockout win since 2002.
Pochettino has built a side that presses aggressively and attacks with confidence, but the defense will need to stay alert against Bosnia's experienced forwards.
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina have already exceeded many expectations by reaching the Round of 32.
After losing to Canada and Switzerland, they kept their campaign alive with an impressive 3-1 victory over Qatar. Teenager Kerim Alajbegović scored the decisive goal, while the experienced Edin Džeko made his 150th international appearance, highlighting the blend of youth and leadership within Sergej Barbarez's squad.
Bosnia-Herzegovina's biggest strength is their willingness to attack. Even against stronger opponents they commit numbers forward, with Džeko remaining a focal point and players like Amar Dedić and Ermedin Demirović offering support from deeper areas. That approach creates chances, but it can also leave space behind the defense, something the United States will look to exploit.
The Betting Verdict
The USA deserve to start as favorites. They topped a competitive group, created plenty of chances and now play a knockout match in front of home support.
Bosnia-Herzegovina have already shown they are capable of competing and will not sit back for 90 minutes. They carry enough attacking quality to trouble the American defense, especially through Džeko's experience and Alajbegović's growing confidence.
Still, over the course of the match, the USA look the more complete team. Odds on the home win are a bit low, and I am not so convinced that the USA will have it easy here.
I am counting on Bosnia-Herzegovina to score, and on a totally open match where anything is possible. My best bet here would be both teams to score.
The Pick :
USA 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
BEST BETTING TIP :
Take both teams to score: YES at odds of 2.20 at Bet365
