Free FIFA World Cup Picks Today for Round of 16 on Saturday, December 3rd, 2022

Well, haven’t there been a few surprises so far at the World Cup! Just 16 teams remain to fight for the chance to progress to the Quarter Finals. The next four days will be filled with so much action as we see each country give it their all. The four teams that will be playing today include the Netherlands against the USA, as well as Argentina against Australia. 

There is so much action to be had over the Round of 16, as 16 teams fight for the chance to make it to the Quarter Finals. Which teams will put their best foot forward and make it through to the next round?

Look below to find our free soccer picks for all the games on today’s FIFA World Cup schedule!

Netherlands vs USA – 10AM ET

The first Round of 16 game will see the Netherlands take on the USA. The Netherlands finished top of Group A with seven points, and the results of their first three games included a win, draw and another win. The USA finished in second place in Group B, and the results of their first three games included two draws and then a win in their third game.

Tony Battalio

The Netherlands made it through to the Round of 16 but it might be fair to say that they didn’t look very good while doing so. Now they are dealing with an illness floating around their team and it is all setting up to be a massive disappointment for this Dutch team on Saturday morning. They will have to improve a lot from their Group Stage performances if they want to find themselves in the Quarter Finals of the 2022 World Cup. The United States certainly won’t be a pushover in any way. 

The United States showed a lot of heart and determination in their third Group Stage game against Iran. They had to get a win to advance and it happened, as their star Christian Pulisic put his body on the line to give the United States their only goal to get them into the Round of 16. They have a real shot at defeating this Netherlands team here on Saturday as well, but they will have to be able to put together a full 90 minutes to get the job done. I’m going with a Christian Pulisic goal in this one. 

Aleksandar Ricliev

The national team of the Netherlands comes to this match as one of the favorites to win the competition. They have had their ups and downs in the World Cup, but they are unquestionably the favorites in the match against the USA. There seems to be a bit of a disconnect in the defensive line. The manager of the Netherlands, van Gaal, has tried many combinations at the back, and nothing has stuck so far. The outstanding rising superstar, Cody Gakpo, will be the main threat to the opposition. He has scored a goal in every match in this World Cup and will be looking to continue his streak.

The national team of the USA is happy to have advanced to the Round of 16 at the World Cup. They have shown glimpses of brilliant play in this tournament, and the USA will pose a real threat to the Netherlands. I expect the USA to start with high pressure and lots of running. The American players are better athletes than the Dutch, so they will look to make the game vertical. If they can outrun the Dutch team and put real pressure on the midfield maestro, de Jong, the USA can get a positive result. I predict an upset here and I am going for the long-shot bet. The USA wins. 

Marko Nadin

The Netherlands won Group A pretty easily which, at the end of the day, was expected of them. Now, they will face team USA who barely made it to the Round of 16 but totally deserved it. The USA allowed only one goal in the Group Stage and that one was from the penalty spot. This speaks enough about how difficult it is to score against them but if any team can do it, that is definitely the Netherlands. Louis van Gaal has put up a great group of young players who follow his guidance and that proved like the winning recipe for now. 

The USA are also a young squad preparing for the next World Cup which will be hosted partially in the USA, but it seems that they are already ready to make a lot of noise. The Netherlands are the favorites to win but it is tough to bet on them since the USA barely concedes goals. Knowing that the stakes are high in this game and there are overtime and penalties options, no team will attack too hard in regulation which will lead to under 2.5 goals.

Argentina vs Australia – 2PM ET

Argentina will take on Australia in the final game on Saturday. Argentina was too good for Group C, finishing in first place with six points, and the results of their first three games included a loss, and two wins. Not many people expected to see Australia into the Round of 16, but they made it through as they finished in second place in Group D with six points, and the results of their first three games included a loss, and then two wins.

Tony Battalio

Argentina had its fears early on especially after they lost to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group Stage match. However, they got it rolling and ended up advancing to the Round of 16 and now they will have a shot to move into the Quarter Finals with another win in this game against Australia. They are still considered the favorites to win the whole thing, despite the loss to Saudi Arabia, by many people and if they can bring their best game for the rest of the tournament, I can’t see anyone handing them a loss and sending them home. 

Australia will be playing in their first knockout round game of the World Cup for the first time since 2006. They finished as the worst team out of all the Round of 16 teams that year. That was also their best finish in a World Cup, so a win in this game would set a new record for them. However, it is absolutely a longshot for the Socceroos as they are going up against a legend like Messi. Although with all the chaos this World Cup has already seen, I have a feeling we are about to see more and that is why I’m taking the team from Down Under, to flip this World Cup upside down. 

Aleksandar Ricliev

Argentina came to this tournament as a Copa America and Finalissima winner, and one of the favorites to win the World Cup. However, their path so far has been far from perfect. They had to struggle and fight for every point in the Group Stage. Lionel Messi has once again been nothing short of spectacular. One of the greatest players of all time, Messi will be the main threat to the opposition. The Argentinian team is a balanced mix of real soccer fighters and explosive players. They can win a game by outfighting you, or outperform you by sheer force of their talent. 

Australia was the complete underdog in their group. After losing 4-1 in the first round against France, not many people predicted Australia would advance through to the Round of 16. The Aussie soccer league has grown a lot over the years. Most of the players in the Australian national team play in their home country. Well-coached and familiar with each other, this team is one of the surprises in the tournament so far. We have seen so many upsets in this World Cup, can Australia continue that streak? I expect this to be a tighter match than most people expect, but in the end, Messi and Argentina will find a way to score the winning goal. Argentina wins. 

Marko Nadin

Argentina had a tough time making it to the elimination phase of the World Cup. They suffered the most humiliating loss in history in the opening game as Saudi Arabia shocked the world with a 2-1 win. However, Lionel Messi and his teammates didn’t back down and came back to the pitch in beast mode. First they defeated Mexico in an intense game after Messi scored a magnificent goal from outside the penalty box. Things were much easier against Poland in the last round despite the fact that Messi missed a penalty. Now Argentina is going into the Round of 16 against Australia and it seems like they couldn’t even dream of a better opponent.

The Aussies fully deserved to be among the top 16 teams. They lost to France in the opening game but then went on to defeat both Tunisia and Denmark by 1-0. This is a huge success for Australia and they will definitely fight against the famous opponents. Argentina showed that they are vulnerable in the Group Stage but things will be on another level in the elimination phase. Argentina will dominate the possession and Australia will not be able to save their net under pressure which will eventually lead to Argentina’s win.

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*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.