Contributing Writer

EPL Matchday 12 odds, schedule and betting notes: Loaded weekend slate is headlined by North London derby

The Premier League reaches Matchday 12, with several notable games on this weekend’s schedule.

The Week 12 narrative: Manchester City continues to play catch-up with a familiar foe atop the Premier League Table. The Citizens look to add another win against Newcastle United. On Sunday, Arsenal and Tottenham add another chapter to their historic rivalry.

Check out the latest EPL odds for Matchday 12 below.

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EPL Matchday 12 odds and key fixtures

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Could it finally be Arsenal’s year? The side hasn’t lost since late August and sits four points clear of Man City in the standings.

Tottenham sits fifth on the table and can jump into a Champions League spot with an upset win over the Gunners. Easier said than done, however, as Arsenal has been victorious in three straight EPL matches vs. its London rival.

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Across all competitions, Manchester City has lost one match since the start of September. The club’s rocky start is all but forgotten as the Citizens make a push for their fifth EPL trophy of the decade.

Erling Haaland is on pace to beat his own goal-scoring record. The Norwegian forward has 14 goals, six more than anyone else in the Premier League.

Newcastle isn’t expected to cause much resilience as the underperforming side has just three wins in 11 EPL matches this season.

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EPL Matchday 2 betting lines

Burnley (+575) vs. Chelsea (-195)
Nov. 22 7:30 a.m. ET

Bournemouth (-159) vs. West Ham (+460)
Nov. 22 10:00 a.m. ET

Brigton (-104) vs. Brentford (+290)
Nov. 22 10:00 a.m. ET

Fulham (+118) vs. Sunderland (+265)
Nov. 22 10:00 a.m. ET

Liverpool (-360) vs. Nottingham Forest (+1,050)
Nov. 22 10:00 a.m. ET

Wolves (+300) vs. Crystal Palace (-103)
Nov. 22 10:00 a.m. ET

Newcastle United (+275) vs. Manchester City (+102)
Nov. 22 12:30 p.m. ET

Leeds United (+205) vs. Aston Villa (+145)
Nov. 23 9:00 a.m. ET

Arsenal (-240) vs. Tottenham (+750)
Nov. 23 11:30 a.m. ET

Manchester United (-136) vs. Everton (+390)
Nov. 24 3:00 p.m. ET

EPL betting markets

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Liverpool is in dire need of a result. The Reds are 1-0-5 in their last six EPL matches and, because of that, have fallen all the way down to eighth place. They play 19th-place Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

Sunderland is shockingly holding strong in the top four. Despite the successful start to the season, the side is a sizeable underdog on the road against Fulham. The home side is 1-0-4 in its last five matches ahead of this weekend.

The slate of matches will end on Monday with Manchester United hosting Everton. The Red Devils look like a dangerous side at the moment, scoring two or more goals in five straight matches. They are undefeated during that time.

EPL odds as of 3:05 p.m. ET on 11/18/2025.

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Bills vs. Texans Week 12 Thursday Night Football picks: Take the under, fade Cook in tough matchup

The Buffalo Bills look to keep pace in the AFC East when they play the middling Houston Texans on Thursday night.

The pregame narrative: The Bills are second in their division and are looking to stay within striking distance of the New England Patriots. The Texans’ defence should keep them in this game while the offence is expected to struggle.

Check out my Bills vs. Texans picks for Nov. 20, featuring a prop bet on Buffalo running back James Cook.

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Bills vs. Texans picks

Best Bet: Under 43.5 points (-110)

I cannot trust the Texans’ offence right now.

C.J. Stroud is likely to miss this game, and Davis Mills has been less than impressive as a replacement. In the three games he’s appeared in, Houston has scored 16 or fewer points twice.

Even with Stroud, the offence was subpar. Overall, the Texans scored 22.0 points per game (12th most).

On the other side of the ball, the defence has been incredible. It ranks as the best scoring defence (16.3 points against/game) and total defence (277.1 yards against/game).

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Buffalo’s offence is always capable of fireworks, but it’s struggled against better defensive teams (e.g. Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots).

That gives me confidence that this will be a low-scoring contest between two tough defensive squads.

Even if the Bills break through, it’s unlikely Houston will be able to keep pace.

Key stat: Unders are 6-3-1 for the Texans this season. That’s the fourth-best unders record in the NFL.

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TNF prop prediction

Cook under 75.5 rushing yards (-106): Fading Cook this season hasn’t worked out well, but this is a good chance to take his under in a tough matchup.

The Texans allow the third fewest rushing yards per game (87.1) on 3.9 yards per carry.

Starting running backs are 0-10 on this wager against Houston this season.

Cook has finished well below this total in back-to-back games despite receiving a healthy workload of 29 total carries.

-> Fade James Cook vs. the Texans on TNF

If Buffalo is unsuccessful with the run in the early goings, the game plan would switch to more of an air raid approach.

That would limit Cook’s touches, making this a tough mark to get past.

For those reasons, I’ll fade the running back on Thursday Night Football.

Bills vs. Texans picks made at 1:40 p.m. ET 11/18/2025.

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Bills vs. Texans Week 12 Thursday Night Football picks: Take the under, fade Cook in tough matchup

The Buffalo Bills look to keep pace in the AFC East when they play the middling Houston Texans on Thursday night.

The pregame narrative: The Bills are second in their division and are looking to stay within striking distance of the New England Patriots. The Texans’ defence should keep them in this game while the offence is expected to struggle.

Check out my Bills vs. Texans picks for Nov. 20, featuring a prop bet on Buffalo running back James Cook.

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Bills vs. Texans picks

Best Bet: Under 44 points (-107)

I cannot trust the Texans’ offence right now.

C.J. Stroud is likely to miss this game, and Davis Mills has been less than impressive as a replacement. In the three games he’s appeared in, Houston has scored 16 or fewer points twice.

Even with Stroud, the offence was subpar. Overall, the Texans scored 22.0 points per game (12th most).

On the other side of the ball, the defence has been incredible. It ranks as the best scoring defence (16.3 points against/game) and total defence (277.1 yards against/game).

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Buffalo’s offence is always capable of fireworks, but it’s struggled against better defensive teams (e.g. Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots).

That gives me confidence that this will be a low-scoring contest between two tough defensive squads.

Even if the Bills break through, it’s unlikely Houston will be able to keep pace.

Key stat: Unders are 6-3-1 for the Texans this season. That’s the fourth-best unders record in the NFL.

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TNF prop prediction

Cook under 72.5 rushing yards (-112): Fading Cook this season hasn’t worked out well, but this is a good chance to take his under in a tough matchup.

The Texans allow the third fewest rushing yards per game (87.1) on 3.9 yards per carry.

Starting running backs are 0-10 on this wager against Houston this season.

Cook has finished well below this total in back-to-back games despite receiving a healthy workload of 29 total carries.

-> Fade James Cook vs. the Texans on TNF

If Buffalo is unsuccessful with the run in the early goings, the game plan would switch to more of an air raid approach.

That would limit Cook’s touches, making this a tough mark to get past.

For those reasons, I’ll fade the running back on Thursday Night Football.

Bills vs. Texans picks made at 1:40 p.m. ET 11/18/2025.

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Suns vs. Trail Blazers SGP predictions Nov. 18: Back Phoenix behind star performance from Devin Booker

The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers joust for position in the Western Conference standings on Tuesday night.

The pregame narrative: The final NBA game of the night features two playoff hopeful teams out west. Phoenix has won seven of its last 10 behind superstar play from Devin Booker, but is a slight underdog for this contest.

Check out my Suns vs. Trail Blazers SGP predictions for Nov. 18, including prop predictions on Booker and Deni Avdija.

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Suns vs. Trail Blazers SGP

Parlay: Booker 35+ points/assists | Avdija over 24.5 points | Suns +5.5 (+310)

Booker 35+ points/assists (-148): Booker has remained loyal to the Suns, and he’s the lone all-star left in what was once a stacked lineup.

Now, he is responsible for a lot of the offence nightly, and he has developed into a true point guard.

This season, Booker is averaging 28.4 points and 7.0 assists per game (35.4 PA).

He’s scored 30+ seven times with seven or more assists in 10 of 14 games.

-> Wager on Booker vs. Trail Blazers before the 11 p.m. ET tip-off

The ask here is for Booker to have an above-average night, and I think that’s a strong possibility against the Blazers.

Portland has the ninth-worst defensive rating (119.1) and allows the seventh most points to opposing point guards, per Fantasy Pros.

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NBA SGP legs

Avdija over 24.5 points (-122): Avdija isn’t a household name, but he’s more than deserving of this hefty points total.

The former lottery pick has found his home, and he’s excelling for the Blazers.

Avdija is averaging 26.0 points through 13 games.

Overall, he’s 8-5 on the over against this line.

That includes cashing this wager in six of the past seven contests.

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In those games, Avidija is averaging 28.9 points, raising his scoring floor even higher.

The versatile wing has played 29+ minutes in all 13 games this year. The Blazers are hardly a part of blowouts, and that gives their best player ample opportunity to add up points.

Suns +5.5 (-190): With how these teams have been playing, it felt like a no-brainer to back Phoenix to cover a teased-up spread.

The Suns have won seven of the past nine games, including notable wins over the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers (twice).

-> Bet on the Suns on Monday night

They lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, but only by two, which was enough to cover this spread.

Meanwhile, the Blazers have lost four of five ahead of Tuesday, with their sole win coming against the 2-12 New Orleans Pelicans.

Portland should struggle to win this game, and I can’t see it covering this alternate spread against a rising Phoenix squad.

Suns vs. Trail Blazers SGP made at 11:15 a.m. ET 11/18/2025.

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NHL anytime goal picks Nov. 18: Bet on Jason Robertson to continue streak

Jason Robertson is on a heater, and he headlines Tuesday’s NHL goal picks.

The pregame narrative: Robertson and the Dallas Stars look for a sixth straight win when they take on the New York Islanders tonight. Before that, take the value on Timo Meier with one of his star teammates out of the lineup.

Check out my NHL goal picks for Nov. 18.

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NHL goal picks Nov. 18

Best Bet: Meier to score (+188)

With Jack Hughes out of action for the next several weeks, Meier has carved out an even bigger role for the New Jersey Devils.

In their first game without Hughes, Meier played a whopping 24:22 on ice and recorded five shots.

He didn’t score, but that’s a great baseline to work with moving forward.

Overall, he has five goals this season. Not great, but I’ll put a positive spin on it.

Meier ranks second on the Devils (behind Hughes) with 60 shots. No one else has more than 40.

His 8.3 shooting percentage is bound to improve. He has finished each of the last five seasons above 10%.

-> Wager on Meier at NorthStar Bets

I’m expecting regression to the mean, and this is a good spot to back Meier.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are a below-average defensive team, allowing 3.06 goals per game.

Key stat: Meier scored in his first meeting with the Lightning this season.

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NHL predictions

Robertson to score (+140): Robertson has been on fire. He has six goals during his three-game scoring streak.

He started the season slowly with just three goals in his first 16 games, but this recent stretch is more indicative of his offensive level.

-> Bet on Robertson and the Stars tonight!

Robertson deserves to be a top goalscorer. His 11.3 expected goals rank third in the NHL. Nathan MacKinnon, who has 14 goals, has the same amount of xG.

There aren’t many who let it rip like Robertson. He’s taken the second-most shots on goal in the league (82).

Despite that, the sniper is still priced at +140 to score, and I want in.

Tonight’s opponent, the Islanders, has a lacklustre defence in front of a struggling Ilya Sorokin (.898 SV%).

NHL goal picks made at 10:21 a.m. ET on 11/18/2025.

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Alouettes vs. Roughriders 2025 Grey Cup predictions: Back Montreal on spread in CFL final

It all comes down to this. The Montreal Alouettes meet the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup on Sunday.

The pregame narrative: Saskatchewan finished with the best record in the league, while Montreal has won seven of eight games ahead of Sunday’s contest. This has the makings of an electric final in which the Roughriders are 3.5-point betting favourites.

Check out my 2025 Grey Cup predictions and the betting odds for the Alouettes vs. Roughriders CFL final on Nov. 16.

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2025 Grey Cup predictions: Game lines

Alouettes vs. Roughriders markets	Betting odds
Alouettes moneyline	+165
Roughriders moneyline	-200
Alouettes +3.5	-110
Roughriders -3.5	-110
Over 49 points	-110
Under 49 points	-110

Alouettes vs. Roughriders odds as of 3:22 p.m. ET on 11/13/2025.

CFL Alouettes vs. Roughriders best bet

Alouettes +3.5 (-110): I’ve been siding with Montreal whenever quarterback Davis Alexander is healthy and good for good reason.

Alexander set a CFL record this season, winning his 11th straight regular-season game to begin his career as a starter.

He followed that success by leading the Als to consecutive playoff wins.

He picked up a hamstring injury in the East final, but was seen at practice with the starting unit on Wednesday.

To put his greatness into perspective, take a look at Montreal’s splits with and without its starting quarterback in the lineup during the regular season:

With Alexander: 7-0 (34.0 PPG)
Without Alexander: 3-8 (18.8 PPG)

He’s literally never lost a game as a CFL starter, so I immediately jumped on this underdog spread.

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Plus, the Roughriders haven’t been very good over recent weeks. They started the season 10-2 but saw a steep decline.

Since then, Saskatchewan has gone 3-4 with two of the wins coming over the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks, the two worst teams in the CFL.

The third win was in the West final last week. In that game, the Riders needed to score 10 points in the final three minutes to complete a 24-21 comeback win over the BC Lions.

Montreal is the best team in the CFL when healthy, and I haven’t seen anything lately from the Riders that warrants their status as favourites.

I’m officially putting the Grey Cup on upset watch. However, I’ll choose to play it safe and take the Alouettes to cover a field goal.

Key stat: The Als are 1-1 against the Roughriders this season, but Alexander missed both those games.

2025 Grey Cup predictions made at 3:54 p.m. on 11/13/2025.

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UFC 322 predictions and best bets: Take the over in title clash between Della Maddalena and Makhachev

A must-see main event between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev headlines a stacked UFC 322 card this Saturday.

The pre-fight narrative: The welterweight champ makes his first defence against the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in one of the most electric title fights of the year. Before that, take the value on Beneil Dariush as the underdog in his scheduled bout with Benoit Saint-Denis.

Check out my UFC 322 predictions for the Nov. 15 event in New York.

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UFC 322 predictions

Best bet: Della Maddalena/Makhachev over 4.5 rounds (+110)

To go with being two of the best, Della Maddalena and Makhachev are two of the most durable fighters in the UFC.

Della Maddalena is perfect in eight UFC fights, and he hasn’t lost since dropping back-to-back MMA bouts to begin his 18-2 career.

Makhachev is on a 15-fight win streak, and he’s only been finished once in 28 fights as a pro.

The Australian demonstrated his heart and improvements when he defeated Belal Muhammad by decision at UFC 315.

He stuffed six of the nine takedowns Muhammad attempted, which is no easy feat against an elite grappler.

In addition to the strong defensive wrestling, Della Maddalena landed 178 significant strikes, showcasing his insane cardio.

-> Check out full Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev betting markets

Della Maddalena is a natural 170-pound athlete. Makhachev, meanwhile, will be stepping into his first UFC fight in the welterweight class.

Neither Gilbert Burns, a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, nor Muhammad, the best grappler at welterweight, could control Della Maddalena. That tells me his defensive grappling is elite.

Makhachev will likely try to wrestle for the entirety of the 25 minutes, and I expect the champ to do a great job nullifying the grappling.

On their feet, these are two of the best in the sport at minimizing damage. This main event bout should be a chess match of the highest level.

Key stat: Both fighters have a significant strike defence higher than 60%.

UFC best bet

Dariush to win (+150): This lightweight clash is likely going to be a war, so I’m going to side with the durability and experience of Dariush.

He was on an eight-fight win streak before taking back-to-back losses against former champ Charles Oliveira and top contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Those are two of the best in the division, so it’s hardly a knock on Dariush.

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Saint-Denis, on the other hand, has a recent loss to Renato Moicano, who just lost to Dariush at UFC 317.

The Frenchman is a skilled fighter, but his gas tank lets him down at times, and he’s fallen short every time he’s had a crack at a top lightweight.

And Dariush fits the bill as one of the best in the division. He’s a high-level grappler with great boxing skills. He should be able to put the pressure on Saint-Denis and is worth a look at +155.

UFC 322 predictions as of 1:58 p.m. on 11/13/2025.

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Alouettes vs. Roughriders 2025 Grey Cup predictions: Back Montreal on spread in CFL final

It all comes down to this. The Montreal Alouettes meet the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Grey Cup on Sunday.

The pregame narrative: Saskatchewan finished with the best record in the league, while Montreal has won seven of eight games ahead of Sunday’s contest. This has the makings of an electric final in which the Roughriders are 3.5-point betting favourites.

Check out my 2025 Grey Cup predictions and the betting odds for the Alouettes vs. Roughriders CFL final on Nov. 16.

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2025 Grey Cup predictions: Game lines

Alouettes vs. Roughriders markets	Betting odds
Alouettes moneyline	+160
Roughriders moneyline	-195
Alouettes +3.5	-114
Roughriders -3.5	-107
Over 49.5 points	-110
Under 49.5 points	-110

Full Alouettes vs. Roughriders betting markets

Alouettes vs. Roughriders odds as of 3:22 p.m. ET on 11/13/2025.

CFL Alouettes vs. Roughriders best bet

Alouettes +3.5 (-107): I’ve been siding with Montreal whenever quarterback Davis Alexander is healthy and good for good reason.

Alexander set a CFL record this season, winning his 11th straight regular-season game to begin his career as a starter.

He followed that success by leading the Als to consecutive playoff wins.

He picked up a hamstring injury in the East final, but was seen at practice with the starting unit on Wednesday.

To put his greatness into perspective, take a look at Montreal’s splits with and without its starting quarterback in the lineup during the regular season:

With Alexander: 7-0 (34.0 PPG)
Without Alexander: 3-8 (18.8 PPG)

He’s literally never lost a game as a CFL starter, so I immediately jumped on this underdog spread.

-> Wager on the Grey Cup today!

Plus, the Roughriders haven’t been very good over recent weeks. They started the season 10-2 but saw a steep decline.

Since then, Saskatchewan has gone 3-4 with two of the wins coming over the Toronto Argonauts and Edmonton Elks, the two worst teams in the CFL.

The third win was in the West final last week. In that game, the Riders needed to score 10 points in the final three minutes to complete a 24-21 comeback win over the BC Lions.

Montreal is the best team in the CFL when healthy, and I haven’t seen anything lately from the Riders that warrants their status as favourites.

I’m officially putting the Grey Cup on upset watch. However, I’ll choose to play it safe and take the Alouettes to cover a field goal.

Key stat: The Als are 1-1 against the Roughriders this season, but Alexander missed both those games.

2025 Grey Cup predictions made at 3:54 p.m. on 11/13/2025.

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UFC 322 predictions and best bets: Take the over in title clash between Della Maddalena and Makhachev

A must-see main event between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev headlines a stacked UFC 322 card this Saturday.

The pre-fight narrative: The welterweight champ makes his first defence against the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in one of the most electric title fights of the year. Before that, take the value on Beneil Dariush as the underdog in his scheduled bout with Benoit Saint-Denis.

Check out my UFC 322 predictions for the Nov. 15 event in New York.

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UFC 322 predictions

Best bet: Della Maddalena/Makhachev over 4.5 rounds (-103)

To go with being two of the best, Della Maddalena and Makhachev are two of the most durable fighters in the UFC.

Della Maddalena is perfect in eight UFC fights, and he hasn’t lost since dropping back-to-back MMA bouts to begin his 18-2 career.

Makhachev is on a 15-fight win streak, and he’s only been finished once in 28 fights as a pro.

The Australian demonstrated his heart and improvements when he defeated Belal Muhammad by decision at UFC 315.

He stuffed six of the nine takedowns Muhammad attempted, which is no easy feat against an elite grappler.

In addition to the strong defensive wrestling, Della Maddalena landed 178 significant strikes, showcasing his insane cardio.

-> Check out full Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev betting markets

Della Maddalena is a natural 170-pound athlete. Makhachev, meanwhile, will be stepping into his first UFC fight in the welterweight class.

Neither Gilbert Burns, a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, nor Muhammad, the best grappler at welterweight, could control Della Maddalena. That tells me his defensive grappling is elite.

Makhachev will likely try to wrestle for the entirety of the 25 minutes, and I expect the champ to do a great job nullifying the grappling.

On their feet, these are two of the best in the sport at minimizing damage. This main event bout should be a chess match of the highest level.

Key stat: Both fighters have a significant strike defence higher than 60%.

UFC best bet

Dariush to win (+155): This lightweight clash is likely going to be a war, so I’m going to side with the durability and experience of Dariush.

He was on an eight-fight win streak before taking back-to-back losses against former champ Charles Oliveira and top contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Those are two of the best in the division, so it’s hardly a knock on Dariush.

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Saint-Denis, on the other hand, has a recent loss to Renato Moicano, who just lost to Dariush at UFC 317.

The Frenchman is a skilled fighter, but his gas tank lets him down at times, and he’s fallen short every time he’s had a crack at a top lightweight.

And Dariush fits the bill as one of the best in the division. He’s a high-level grappler with great boxing skills. He should be able to put the pressure on Saint-Denis and is worth a look at +155.

UFC 322 predictions as of 1:58 p.m. on 11/13/2025.

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World Cup European qualifier games and Matchday 9 predictions: Bet on England’s Harry Kane, Spain’s Mikel Merino to score

World Cup qualifier predictions Matchday 9

The 2026 World Cup picture is starting to take shape with European nations competing for a spot in the upcoming international tournament.

The pregame narrative: England has dominated in its quest to qualify and should stay perfect behind a strong performance from Harry Kane. On Saturday, look for Spain’s top scorer, Mikel Merino, to add another goal to his tally.

Check out the Matchday 9 schedule and my top World Cup qualifier predictions for the European games, including Slovakia vs. Northern Ireland.

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World Cup qualifier predictions Matchday 9

Best bet: Slovakia to win (+100): Slovakia’s only loss in the WCQ qualifying stage was against Northern Ireland, 2-0, on the road.

But the side has shown enough for me to chalk that up to a bad performance and nothing more.

Slovakia has otherwise been perfect. The nation is 3-0-1 in Group A with a pair of clean-sheet wins over Luxembourg and, more impressively, a 2-0 win over first-place Germany.

That win came at home, where Friday’s contest will be played.

Overall, Slovakia hasn’t lost at home since Sept. 8, 2023, when the side fell 1-0 to Portugal. Since then, it’s gone undefeated in eight straight games.

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Northern Ireland is a quality team, but it hasn’t had any success on the road.

In 2025, the side is 1-0-3 away from home, with a -5 goal differential. Its only win came against Luxembourg, one of the worst nations in European qualifiers.

I’m willing to look past the recent match between these two, and I expect a much better, winning effort from Slovakia at home.

Key stat: Slovakia has yet to concede a goal on home turf in 2025.

European soccer picks

Harry Kane to score (-120): This is quite a steep price for a goal scorer pick, but Kane is in a league of his own.

The Englishman has six goals in six WCQ matches, and his 26 shots and 14 shots on target far outpace anyone else on England.

Kane isn’t only clinical for the national team; he’s also lighting up the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

-> Bet on Harry Kane and England vs. Serbia

In 10 games in Germany, the striker has 13 goals. No one else in the Bundesliga has recorded more than six.

Across all competitions, Kane has scored in 12 of his last 15 matches.

When England played Serbia back in September, Kane opened the scoring in a 5-0 routing.

This time, the two sides will meet at Wembley Stadium, giving England an even greater edge with home-field advantage.

Knowing all of this, it starts to paint a picture of why there’s still tremendous value on this pick even at this price.

Soccer best bets

Merino to score (+175): I was surprised to see these odds attached to Spain’s top goal scorer at this competition.

Merino plays midfield, but he likes to get forward, leading to six goals in four qualifying matches for Spain.

-> Bet on Mikel Merino to score on Saturday

The Spanish squad lacks a true striker and plays through its attacking midfielder … a lot.

Merino leads the team with 15 shots and is one of two Spanish players to have recorded more than six.

Yet he has the fifth-shortest odds to score. With Lamine Yamal ruled out of the remainder of qualifying with an injury, the side should rely more heavily on Merino’s offensive prowess.

His opponent on Saturday, Georgia, has conceded two or more goals in three of the four qualifying matches.

Matchday 9 soccer games and World Cup qualifier schedule

Thursday, Nov. 13:

England vs. Serbia (2:45 p.m. ET)
Andorra vs. Albania (2:45 p.m. ET)
France vs. Ukraine (2:45 p.m. ET)
Moldova vs. Italy (2:45 p.m. ET)
Republic of Ireland vs. Portugal (2:45 p.m. ET)

-> Bet on the World Cup qualifiers

Friday, Nov. 14:

Finland vs. Malta (12:00 p.m. ET)
Gibraltar vs. Montenegro (2:45 p.m. ET)
Slovakia vs. Northern Ireland (2:45 p.m. ET)
Luxembourg vs. Germany (2:45 p.m. ET)
Poland vs. Netherlands (2:45 p.m. ET)
Croatia vs. Faroe Islands (2:45 p.m. ET)

Saturday, Nov. 15:

Kazakhstan vs. Belgium (9:00 a.m. ET)
Liechtenstein vs. Wales (12:00 p.m. ET)
Cyprus vs. Austria (12:00 p.m. ET)
Turkey vs. Bulgaria (12:00 p.m. ET)
Georgia vs. Spain (12:00 p.m. ET)
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Romania (2:45 p.m. ET)
Greece vs. Scotland (2:45 p.m. ET)
Switzerland vs. Sweden (2:45 p.m. ET)
Slovenia vs. Kosovo (2:45 p.m. ET)
Denmark vs. Belarus (2:45 p.m. ET)

World Cup qualifier predictions made at 11:23 a.m. on 11/13/2025.

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