There’s much on the line in UEFA World Cup qualifications on Tuesday. Much of Group F can be decided; Portugal can clinch the group with a win, while Hungary is seeking to keep a precarious hold on the second spot to advance. Talk about some stakes.
The odds are stacked in favor of Portugal: the Portuguese are a -475 favorite to win and +550 to draw at DraftKings Sportsbook, while Hungary is at +1200.
Portugal vs. Hungary prediction, pick
Portugal secured a dramatic Nations League victory over Spain in the summer and hoped to continue that momentum into World Cup qualifiers. So far, that’s looking good; they’ve won all three of their opening matches against Armenia, Hungary, and Ireland. With a second victory against Hungary, they’d punch their ticket to the 2026 World Cup, and the would-be contenders would step closer to their ultimate goal.
Outside of their loss to Portugal, the Hungarians have managed to pull four points from their other two games. That’s put them ahead of Armenia (three points) and Ireland (one). With three games left to play, getting at least a point from this game would be huge for their chances at moving into the next qualifying round.
If Hungary wants to get anything from this one, they need their biggest star to step up. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has only one goal involvement through three matches. They can’t just depend on goalkeeper Balazs Toth to bail them out repeatedly. He’s going to have to get something on the board if they hope to get points here.
But, ultimately, I don’t see a path to victory here for the Hungarians. Portugal will romp on their way to clinching Group F, and Hungary will have to battle through their last two games if they hope to advance.
