Bullets:
- The United States have never won their first two group stage games in the modern World Cup era, but they have -172 odds to snap that drought on Friday against Australia.
- The Americans have +100 odds to cover the 1.0-goal spread on home soil.
- Christian Pulisic injury concerns have been a hot topic, but his teammates are confident Pulisic will play.
SEATTLE – A near 100-year drought could be snapped on Friday with a USA victory over Australia. The United States haven’t won their first two World Cup group stage games since 1930, but they’re favored at World Cup betting sites to do just that with -172 odds.
USA vs Australia Betting Lines
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | -1.0 (+100) | -172 | O 2.5 (-105) |
| Australia | +1.0 (-120) | +415 | U 2.5 (-115) |
| Draw | – | +340 | – |
The United States won their openers then drew the second group stage game in 2014 and 2002, but they’ve never started 2-0 in the modern World Cup era. There are +340 legal sports betting odds for a draw against Australia, who took down Turkey 2-0 in their opener.
Australia have also never won their opening two group stage matches, losing both follow-up games after World Cup opening wins in 2022 (France) and 2006 (Brazil). Australia is a longshot with +415 odds to win back-to-back group stage games to start their 2026 campaign.
Is Christian Pulisic Playing Vs Australia?
Christian Pulisic is listed as day-to-day, but his teammates are confident the star attacker will play against Australia. When asked in an interview about Pulisic, midfielder Tyler Adams said “Christian will be ready… let’s relax.”
Pulisic said himself that he “doesn’t think its anything” in regards to his calf injury, but he’s worked individually with trainers at practice leading into the game on Friday. Tim Weah shared a similar confidence as Adams regarding Pulisic’s availability, stating that “I think he’ll be ready for the game. I think he’s doing well. I think he just got a bit of a knock. But for me, I think things look positive.”
Pulisic has +180 odds to score a goal, but his availability won’t be confirmed until the official starting XI is released roughly an hour before the match. The favored bet on soccer is Folarin Balogun to score at +155 odds, but even Ricardo Pepi at +170 has shorter odds than Pulisic to score.
Pulisic is the most likely player to record a point (assist or goal) with -134 odds after his assist in the group stage opener against Paraguay. His presence in the attack will be important for USA cashing their -172 moneyline odds and snapping a drought of back-to-back wins at the World Cup.
