SportsLine soccer expert Jon Eimer offers up his best bets as the World Cup field will be set after the playoff finals on Tuesday, March 31
By James Holliman Mar 30, 2026 at 8:00 am ET • 3 min read
Imagn Images The final spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be filled on Tuesday, March 31, when eight teams compete in the four UEFA World Cup Qualifying Playoffs finals. The four winning nations will earn a trip to the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer in North America, and four-time World Cup champions Italy are among those still fighting for a spot.
The Azzurri, who haven't advanced to the World Cup since 2014, will have to get past Bosnia and Herzegovina, which made its first and only appearance in 2014 and hosts Tuesday's match in Zenica. The Italians beat Northern Ireland 2-0 last Thursday, while the Dragons beat Wales on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Sweden beat Ukraine 3-1 and Poland got past Albania 2-1 last week to set up their final near Stockholm. The other matches are Kosovo vs. Turkey and Czech Republic vs. Denmark.
Kickoff for Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina is set for 2:45 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The Azzurri are solid -175 favorites (wager $175 to win $100), with Bosnia and Herzegovina listed as +550 underdogs (wager $100 to win $550) on the 90-minute money line in the Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina odds at DraftKings. A draw is priced at +275, and the total for match goals is 2.5 (Over +115, Under -150). Before you make any 2026 World Cup qualifying bets on Tuesday's finals, make sure you take a look at what SportsLine expert Jon Eimer has to say.
Fans who want to bet on World Cup qualifying need to see the latest DraftKings promo code for a great offer.
Eimer finished 2023 as SportsLine's No. 1 soccer expert, posting a 248-234-12 record (+25.93 units) on SportsLine article picks. Eimer has been red-hot in 2025, posting a profit in multiple leagues, including the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga and more. Anyone following his soccer betting picks could have seen huge returns at sportsbooks and on betting apps.
Check out our BetMGM promo code page to see great offers for betting on Tuesday's World Cup qualifiers.
Here are Eimer's best bets for Tuesday's 2026 UEFA World Cup Qualifying finals.
Arsenal vs. Manchester City best bets
- Turkey money line vs. Kosovo (-110, 1 unit)
- Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres anytime goal (+125, 1 unit)
- Czechia vs. Denmark both teams to score (-110, 1 unit)
Turkey money line vs. Kosovo
Kosovo is this year's "fairy tale" team. It is ranked 78th in the FIFA world rankings but is just one victory away from qualifying for the World Cup. The only thing standing in its way is a Turkish side that is rightfully the favorite in this matchup.
While Kosovo's run has been impressive and it has shown some serious resilience, its back line is going to struggle against the absolutely stacked Turkish front line. The visitors are loaded with world-class players like Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and Hakan Calhanoglu with massive amounts of top flight European experience. Kosovo might be able to score here, but I expect Turkey to be victorious after that final whistle.
Fans interested in wagering on any of Tuesday's catches should check out the latest FanDuel promo code.
Viktora Gyokeres anytime goal
Sweden won its semifinal match against Ukraine 3-1. To be honest, Ukraine looked like the better team for the majority of the match. They had more possession, three times as many corners, more shots on target and more everything except for goals.
Their loss could be attributed to one man -- Sweden's Viktor Gyokeres. The Arsenal striker had three shots on target against Ukraine, and they resulted in three goals. He might not be making quite the waves that people expected at Arsenal, but he is a force to be reckoned with playing for his national team.
Poland's defense is struggling right now and Gyokeres is the man Sweden will rely on to punch its ticket to the World Cup.
Check out the latest Caesars Sportsbook promo code for great offers for new users wagering on World Cup qualifying and more.
Czechia vs. Denmark both teams to score
These two countries had very different semifinal matches to get to this point. Denmark ran over North Macedonia, defeating the minnows 4-0 in a game that could have been closer to 6-0 with how efficient the Danes looked. Czechia barely squeaked by Ireland, having to qualify through penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw.
This is a match that either team is capable of winning, but Denmark finds itself as a slight favorite because of their impressive attack. Rasmus Hojlund and Gustav Isaksen will lead the charge against a Czech team that struggles against a high line.
I'm expecting Denmark to go up early, forcing the Czechs to press for the rest of the match. We should see goals in this game as both teams are very susceptible to the counter-attack.
Join the Conversation comments
