Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina

Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada

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Friday, June 12. 3:00 p.m. ET

Host nation Canada kicks off their World Cup campaign in Toronto as they take on European side Bosnia and Herzegovina in the opening match of Group B. This will be Canada’s third World Cup appearance and their second in a row. Despite never winning a match at the tournament and losing all six previous games, they head into this one as a minus-money favorite to secure their first-ever World Cup victory in front of a home crowd. 

Unlike Canada, Bosnia had to qualify for this tournament, and they did so the hard way. After finishing runners-up in their qualifying group, they were forced into two knockout deciders, beating both Wales and Italy on penalties to book their place at the World Cup. 

While Canada is a nation on the rise, the same cannot be said for Bosnia. Their greatest-ever player, Edin Džeko, is now 40 years old and set to play in his final World Cup. Canada, meanwhile, has a core group entering their prime, with the likes of Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Ismaël Koné leading the way. 

Alphonso Davies is out for the first game, and Edin Dzeko is questionable to play. If you remove both of those for each nation, I believe Canada gains the bigger advantage, as Dzeko is too important a player to Bosnia to miss. 

Jesse Marsch has this red-and-white side clicking at the right time. Canada has lost just one of their last 18 matches across all competitions inside 90 minutes, and their strong form heading into a home World Cup makes this game feel like the perfect opportunity to claim that elusive first tournament win. 

Canada is priced at -120 on the moneyline, and that stands out as tremendous value to me. I expect the hosts to rise to the occasion in Toronto and begin their World Cup campaign with three points against Bosnia.

World Cup Best Bet: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina – Canada ML -120

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