After blowing out the cobwebs with an uninspiring win over New Zealand on Saturday, England looked much more convincing in their 3-0 friendly win over Costa Rica. Thomas Tuchel’s side are third favourites going into the tournament and could be about to click into gear. There are dangers awaiting them in Group L; however, I am backing them to navigate these. I have found three tasty wagers for the Group L action and one of these backs the Three Lions to finish in first place ahead of Croatia.
World Cup Group L Odds
Check out the latest Group L odds at the best bookies in the UK.
TL; DR – My Three Group L Betting Tips Are Live
| Bet | Bookmaker | Odds | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group L Straight Forecast England/Croatia | Betfred | 5/6 | 1 |
| Ghana Not to Qualify | William Hill | 6/5 | 1.5 |
| Panama Under 2.5 Goals | 10bet | 4/6 | 1 |
Odds correct at 14:00 BST on 11th June 2026.
No Expiry Date
Bet 1: Group L Straight Forecast England/Croatia
There is always a huge amount of hype around the England national team, especially ahead of a tournament. However, in recent years the performance of the Three Lions in international tournaments has justified this with a fourth-place finish in the 2018 World Cup, an honourable quarter-final exit at the hands of France in 2022 and two runners-up spots in the Euros. England have the players to go deep into the tournament once again and I expect them to negotiate the group stage with little trouble.
Croatia, finalists in 2018 and bronze medalists in 2022 have got right amongst the established order of international football. They will remain competitive, however; many feel that they are coming to the end of an era, and it will be a big ask to continue to punch above their weight. At the age of 40 Luca Modric is still a key man and Croatia will compete well and think that they will finish ahead of Ghana and Panama to get second in the group. I think that the odds at Betfred for England and Croatia (in that order) to take the two automatic qualifying slots are great value. So, I am going for a straight forecast for my first Group L wager.
Ghana Not to Qualify
Ghana have been consistent qualifiers for the World Cup and are more than capable of making life uncomfortable for England and Croatia. Star man Antoine Semenyo has enjoyed a great season, firstly at Bournemouth and, since January, at Manchester City where he helped the Citizens to both domestic cups. At their best Ghana can be solid at the back, but their recent results have been poor with only one win and four defeats in their last five. I am backing both England and Croatia to come away with a positive result. I am confident that Ghana may well finish third in this group, but I don’t see them doing enough to earn one of the qualifying spots for the best third-placed sides. The World Cup odds at William Hill are definately worth looking at for this one.
Panama Under 2.5 Goals
Panama are making their second appearance in the World Cup finals. They negotiated the North and Central American qualification process superbly, remaining unbeaten throughout, and they have enjoyed some decent results in friendlies since then. In their first appearance in the finals Panama lost all three matches and scored only two goals. I expect a better performance level from them this time around but, with the greatest of respect, the step up in class from their qualifying campaign to playing against teams used to getting to the business end of tournaments like England and Croatia and regular World Cup participants like Ghana is huge.
I think that the odds at 10bet, one of the best World Cup betting sites, for them to score less than 2.5 goals is great value. While they may well compete well, I can see them averaging less than a goal a game against this sort of opposition.
