The wait is finally over as the World Cup takes center stage, and all eyes are on Group A to kick off the action. Lock in your World Cup picks early, as co-hosts Mexico, South Korea, Czechia, and South Africa lock horns in one of the tournament's most unpredictable pools.
Current World Cup odds paint Mexico as the home-field favorites, but the race for the second knockout spot is wide open. Expect a highly competitive slate of games where a single goal could completely reshape the outlook of the World Cup bracket.
Group A predictions for today
Odds courtesy of Kalshi.
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Mexico vs South Africa prediction
3 p.m. ET, FOX
Mexico are now undefeated since last October, and the positive news is that their final World Cup tune-up saw them put five goals past Serbia.
South Africa topped their qualifying group, but they still conceded nearly a goal per game, despite playing the likes of Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
Add in their early exit at AFCON, and it’s a team that can’t often translate their quick passing game and speedy transitions when they face superior opposition.
Recent form is concerning, with just one win in four friendlies before this tournament. Back Mexico to win by -1.5 up to +115.
Check out Sam Farley's full Mexico vs. South Africa predictions!
South Korea vs Czechia prediction
10:00, FS1
Czechia's last two official matches ended in draws against Ireland and Denmark. They endured a dismal qualifying campaign, which included a 2-1 defeat to the Faroe Islands and a 5-1 thrashing by Croatia.
Czechia are not at their best at the moment, but they could still raise their game and secure one of the remaining places in the knockout stages.
South Korea haven't exactly been convincing, either. They've comfortably beaten weaker opponents but have struggled against stronger sides. They kept things close against Austria in their most recent match against European opposition, a friendly in March, but still suffered a 1-0 defeat.
I expect a tightly-contested encounter and favor a draw.
Check out Emanuel Rosu's full South Korea vs. Czechia predictions!
Group A standings
Read our World Cup standings for a breakdown of all 12 groups.
| TEAM | GP | PTS | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Mexico |
- | - | - | - | - |
 Korea Republic |
- | - | - | - | - |
 South Africa |
- | - | - | - | - |
 Czechia |
- | - | - | - | - |
More World Cup betting tools
- World Cup picks
- World Cup odds
- Golden Boot odds
- World Cup bracket
- Kalshi's World Cup contest
- World Cup betting sites
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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