Free FIFA World Cup Picks Today for Sunday, November 20th, 2022

Millions around the world will be glued to their TV screens when opening day kicks off on Sunday November 20th. The FIFA World Cup is regarded as the most popular event in the world, and only takes place every four years. France are the defending champions, but today we will see the home team, Qatar, play Ecuador. 

There is so much action to be had over the Group Stage, as 32 teams fight for the chance to make it to the Round of 16. There are eight groups in total with four teams in each group, and only the top two will make it through to the next round. The USA is in a group which also includes England, Wales and Iran.

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

Qatar vs Ecuador – 11AM ET

The opening game of the World Cup will certainly draw a lot of attention from the home fans, as Qatar will go up against Ecuador. Currently Qatar have long odds of +25000 to win the tournament, while Ecuador have slightly better odds then their opposition, at +15000. Both these teams are in Group A, and the other teams in their group include Senegal and Netherlands.

Tony Battalio

There are a lot of different variables in play here in the opening game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. As the long criticized host nation of Qatar is set to take on South American nation Ecuador here on Sunday morning. The host nation will obviously have the backing and support of the crowd on their side and that could play a huge factor in the outcome of this game as well. Qatar doesn’t get quite enough respect when it comes down to how decent their team is, as they are the recent champions of the Asian region. 

Ecuador is the heavy favorite in this game and it is easy to see why as they are facing a team that has never played in the World Cup before. This is their first World Cup since 2014 themselves and they will be looking to place a lot better this time around, as they didn’t even make it out of the group stage. However, I expect them to get the win in this opening game. 

Aleksandar Ricliev

Qatar is not a well-recognized soccer nation. They applied to host the World Cup to promote the game of soccer in the country and increase the level of competition in their national league. However, they did things the right way. In the past several years, the national team of Qatar was under the supervision of the Barcelona legendary player – Xavi Hernandez, who is now also the coach of the Spanish gem – FC Barcelona. Most of the players playing for Qatar play for the same team in their national championship  – which is a good thing because they know each other very well. Qatar is not a world-class team, but they should be a lot of fun to watch at this World Cup.

Ecuador is coming to the World Cup being led by Caicedo and Estupian – who play in the best league in the world, the Premier League. Strong on the ball, fiery and passionate – the South American side is a formidable opponent for everyone. Four of Ecuador’s last six matches have ended up 0-0, and in the rest of the matches, Ecuador won by 1-0. Ecuador should win this matchup, but since this is the first match of the tournament, I would rather bet it finishes with under 2.5 goals. 

Marko Nadin

The opening day of the 2022 FIFA World Cup has finally arrived. The host nation Qatar will make its World Cup debut in the game against Ecuador in Group A. Both teams see this game as an opportunity to win and increase their chances to advance to the elimination phase. Realistically, Qatar is not on the level of the competition but will definitely have the support of the home crowd and the weather conditions will also be something that will go in their favor. Qatar has won the last four games in the preparation period allowing only one goal in the span. This means that the team is ready for the challenge.

Ecuador is a much more experienced team on the international scene. Still, they are not one of the elite teams from South Africa but are definitely a better team than Qatar. The question is if they are going to be able to convert that into a win. Both teams will be very patient and cautious in this game which will not lead to many scoring opportunities. The pressure of playing on the biggest world scene will take its toll and this game will end under 2.5 goals.

If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our soccer hub page for all your FIFA World Cup needs!

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