England had hoped to rest players in this final World Cup group game against Panama, but a draw in their second game means they head to MetLife this Saturday needing a win.
I’m confident in an England win, but with value hard to find, my England vs. Panama predictions have pivoted to the goal market to back Under 3.5 goals.
Read on for my World Cup picks for Saturday, June 27, with kickoff at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX.
Who will win England vs Panama: England -1.5 (-192)
A great opening game saw hype build around England, but they struggled against Ghana’s low-block last time out, and finished with a draw. Thomas Tuchel is likely to make some changes, and principal amongst those will be the wide players. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka coming into the team would offer more goal threat than either Anthony Gordon or Noni Madueke.
Panama have nothing to play for, besides pride, and because of that, they’re less likely to put 11 men behind the ball, and will at least try to show some expansive play. Their 3-4-3 formation packs the centre of the defense, but it can open up spaces in the channels behind their wingers.
That means the two players I think are incoming, Saka and Rashford, should have plenty of one-on-one duals with centerbacks. They can either shoot, or play the ball into Harry Kane, or Jude Bellingham, with the Real Madrid man likely to retain his spot in the 10, over Morgan Rogers. It’s really hard to find value backing England here, and -2.5 goals feels too risky.
Playable to -195.
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TOp pick
England vs Panama Over/Under pick: Under 3.5 (-132)
I’m expecting England to score multiple goals, in what will be a much-improved performance, but it feels unlikely to be a rout. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, it’s the fact that the win is enough; once the three points are secure, we’re likely to see Tuchel rest his key players and give them some valuable rest that will pay dividends further down the line. By making lots of changes, it’ll disrupt the game, add to that England managing the game, and minimizing risk, we can expect them to keep scoring low.
We also need to factor in what we’ve seen from Panama so far. Neither Ghana nor Croatia has hugely dynamic attacks, but through two games, they’ve conceded just two goals. More crucially than that, they’ve allowed just 14 shots, with just six going on target. They might struggle with England’s athleticism, but they’ve already shown in this tournament that they’re not easy to beat.
Playable to -145.
England vs Panama projected lineup
England (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane
Panama (3-4-3): Mosquera; Ramos, Cordoba, Andrade; Murillo, Harvey, Barcenas, Blackman; Martinez, Fajardo, Rodriguez
England vs Panama injuries
England: Declan Rice (Questionable), Reece James (Questionable).
Panama: No injuries to report.
England vs Panama weather
MetLife is expected to have temperatures in the mid-70s and light rain during the game.
England vs Panama odds
| England | Panama | |
|---|---|---|
| Odds | Moneyline | Odds |
| Odds | Draw | Odds |
| Over 2.5 (Odds) | Total | Under 2.5 (Odds) |
Odds courtesy of Kalshi.
How to watch England vs Panama
Check out FIFA's official 2026 World Cup website for more information.
| Location | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey |
| Date | Saturday, June 27, 2026 |
| Time | 5:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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