France vs Senegal Predictions & Picks — Who Will Win Today's World Cup Match?

James Bisson - Head of Content, Betting
James Bisson • Head of Content, Betting 16+ years betting experience
Updated: Jun 16, 2026 , 02:01 PM ET • 4 min read

Sometimes the obvious answer is the right one. Kylian Mbappe will make things exceptionally difficult for Senegal as France win their opener.

soccer

Jun 16 • 11:00 AM ET
Draw
Kylian Mbappe France World Cup
Photo By - Reuters Connect. France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their third goal to complete his hat-trick against Argentina.

Following Spain's shocking draw, France are now the overall favorites in the latest World Cup odds and have a chance to cement that status against Senegal today.

My France vs. Senegal predictions and World Cup picks for Tuesday, June 16, expect Kylian Mbappe & Co. to do just that when this game kicks off at 3 p.m. ET at MetLife Stadium.

 TOP PICK
Who will win France vs Senegal: France -1.5 (+140)

Outgoing manager Didier Deschamps guided France to the World Cup title in 2018 in Russia. He also lifted the trophy as a player in 1998. Despite having a reputation for being cautious and not being a football extrovert by definition, Deschamps surely knows that a strong performance in a World Cup opener can set the tone for the entire tournament.

France have scored more than 1.5 goals in each of their last nine matches and 3+ in three of their last four, so this is not a team that eases off once they start scoring. And given their attacking quality, it would be difficult for them to do so. The French are in excellent form and have won six of their last seven matches.

They used their two friendlies in June to test players and, having watched Michael Olise's masterclass against Northern Ireland, when he scored all three goals, I'd say they're well covered even if Kylian Mbappe has an off day or two in front of goal.

I'm backing France to win by 2+ goals against Senegal and get their campaign off to the perfect start before facing Iraq and Norway in Group I of the World Cup.

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France vs Senegal Over/Under Pick: Over 3.5 (+230)

There have been Over 2.5 goals in each of France's last five competitive matches. Their last three have produced more than 3.5 goals. France themselves have scored Over 2.5 goals in their three most recent competitive fixtures.

Senegal tend to be involved in high-scoring games as well. Seven of their last 10 matches have gone Over 2.5. Looking at the friendlies France played before the World Cup in March and June, two of the four featured Over 3.5 goals, while the other two also went Over 2.5 goals.

Senegal's main weapon against France will be their counterattacks, but defensively, they're likely to struggle. After watching their 3-2 defeat to the United States in a pre-World Cup friendly, it was clear that their focus is on attacking quickly in transition rather than sitting deep and containing opponents.

It will be difficult to stop France, but Senegal have every chance of finding the net themselves.

France vs Senegal goal scorer pick

Kylian Mbappe (-110)

Kylian Mbappe has recorded 4+ shots in each of his last nine appearances for France, with at least two efforts on target in every match. The Real Madrid forward has scored in each of his last six competitive appearances for the national team.

He consistently delivers outstanding numbers for Didier Deschamps, and the presence of Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and Desire Doue around him only strengthens France's attacking threat. France arguably possess the most formidable attack at this World Cup, and Deschamps will be hoping that quality shines through once again.


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France vs Senegal confirmed starting lineup

France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Saliba, Upamecano, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Olise, Doue; Mbappe.

Senegal (4-3-3): Mendy; Diatta, Koulibaly, Niakhate, Diouf; Idrissa Gueye, Pape Gueye, Diarra; Sarr, Jackson, Mane.

France vs Senegal injuries

France: No key injuries to report.
Senegal: No key injuries to report.

France vs Senegal weather

Expected to be partly cloudy with temperatures reading around 73° to 75°.

France vs Senegal odds

France France Senegal Senegal
-203 Moneyline +733
+355 Draw +355
Over 2.5 (-110) Total Under 2.5 (-110)

Odds courtesy of Kalshi.

How to watch France vs Senegal

Check out FIFA's official 2026 World Cup website for more information.

Location MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Date Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Time 3:00 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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James Bisson
Head of Content, Betting

James Bisson is the Editor-in-Chief at Covers. He has been a writer, reporter and editor for more than 20 years, including a nine-year stint with The Canadian Press and more than five years at theScore. He has covered dozens of marquee events including the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 2006 Stanley Cup final and Wrestlemania 23, and his work has appeared in more than 200 publications, including the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, Yahoo! Sports, the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail.

His book, “100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments”, was a hardcover best-seller in Canada in 2008 and earned him appearances on CBC Radio and Canada AM. He has written more than 50 sportsbook reviews, more than 200 industry news articles, and dozens of other sportsbook-related content articles.

A graduate of the broadcast journalism program at Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University), James has been an avid bettor since the early 2000s, and cites bet365 as his favorite sports betting site due to its superior functionality and quick payouts. His biggest professional highlight: Covering Canada's first Olympic gold medal on home soil – and interviewing Bret Hart. Twice.

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