Keagan Smith gives his best bet on DraftKings Sportsbook along with a prediction and pick for Wednesday’s FIFA World Cup match between Czechia and Mexico.
As the Group Stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup reaches its final weeks, we’re diving into each and every matchup to find value for bettors. Mexico has already punched its ticket to the Round of 32, but Czechia is still alive as it seeks a berth to the knockout rounds… if the side can secure a win tonight with everything on the line.
Kickoff for Czechia vs. Mexico is scheduled for Wednesday, June 24 at 9 p.m. ET in Mexico City. Let’s dive in for a top prediction and pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for this 2026 FIFA World Cup match.
As things stand, Czechia has just one point through two games in the World Cup. The nation sits 44th in the latest edition of FIFA’s world rankings.
Czechia ended a 20-year drought by qualifying for this 2026 tournament, and the results haven’t been bad thus far by any means given expectations. Looking back at the qualifiers and friendlies the side has played this year, the Czechs downed both Ireland and Denmark on penalties back in March before wins of 2-1 and 3-1 over Kosovo and Guatemala in the early summer. To open the World Cup, they had a chance to draw with South Korea but fell short 2-1 after allowing a late goal in a bit of a sloppy outing — 38% possession and 70% pass accuracy isn’t a winning recipe. A 1-1 draw with South Africa yielded a better result, generating 12 shots and looking better overall despite still spending just 39% of the match in control. There are some talented players such as Tomas Soucek, Patrik Schick and Ladislav Krejci, the first two of whom have Czechia’s only goals on this stage so far. They’re surely underdogs though, even if they play physical and aggressive football.
Mexico, however, is a legitimate threat in the field. The side has six points with a +3 goal differential and comes in at 11th in the FIFA rankings. They also have +240 odds to reach the Quarter Final on DraftKings Sportsbook.
There was no shortage of friendlies to stay warm prior to this tournament for Mexico. They went 4-2-0 across six matches with a goal differential of +11 over that span, including wins over Iceland, Ghana, Australia and Serbia, also drawing with fellow World Cup contenders Portugal and Belgium. Once group play began, Mexico downed South Africa 2-0 in the opener with a 16-3 margin in shots while also winning the day in possession. That effort was an outright dominant one in which Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored. In the second outing of the World Cup, the Mexican side faced stronger opposition against South Korea but emerged with a scrappy 1-0 victory as Luis Romo netted the lone goal. The aforementioned Jimenez is perhaps the best player in the squad, but Edson Alvarez and Santiago Gimenez are both key attackers as well. Johan Vasquez provides stability on the back line, and veteran goaltender Guillermo Ochoa is on the FIFA stage for the sixth time but is yet to make an appearance in this edition of the tournament.
Betting splits indicate that a staggering 94% of bets placed on a straight winner fall in Mexico’s favor, with just 6% on Czechia.
This is a match that Mexico could dominate in. They’re a team that can operate in a variety of formations with slight tweaks depending on opponent, and they press aggressively throughout their matches. Manager Javier Aguirre runs a tight ship and isn’t afraid to shake up tactics, either. However, his side already secured its berth to the Round of 32 and may be poised to rest players today, especially key pieces. That’s certainly something to take into consideration, as is the fact that Czechia is fighting to keep its World Cup run alive. They’ll will surely be motivated to do whatever it takes for a positive result, only remaining in contention with a win.
Will that be enough to get the Czechs the necessary victory for three points? Not necessarily, especially since they’re still facing a superior squad. However, this is a game that Mexico could certainly drop, or at least end via a draw with little to play for beyond pride in terms of real stakes. Their focus is surely on the next game, which means far more. With that in mind, this looks like it could easily end in a draw, if not a Czechia win.
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