The road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues on Thursday for these two countries as Group F of UEFA qualifying continues.
The group consists of Portugal, Hungary, Ireland and Armenia. Portugal can win the group and book their ticket to the World Cup with a win in this game or their final match, while Ireland sit in third place and are in desperate need of a result as they battle with the other two countries for second place in the group, which would result in a place in the playoffs. With only two games to go, things are heating up.
Portugal are -280 favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook for this one, with a draw available at +400. Fancy an Irish upset? They are +800 on the moneyline.
Ireland vs. Portugal Prediction, Pick
This bet can be found under the “Match Parlays” tab. I like Portugal to win this one and not concede a goal in the process. The Irish attack has been subdued in this qualifying period, only scoring four goals in four games. Three of those goals came against 10 men, as they scored twice against Hungary after a red card and scored the winner against Armenia, also after a red card. When these teams matched up in Lisbon in October, Portugal needed a late goal to get the 1-0 win. The Irish had two total shots in that game, with none on target and 29.8% possession.
On the flip side, Portugal have essentially coasted their way through this group and should win it without breaking a sweat. They’ve won three of four games, the only blip being a 2-2 home draw against Hungary after a late equalizer from Liverpool star Dominik Szoboszlai. The Portuguese have scored 11 goals in the four matches while only conceding four.
The Dublin crowd will certainly be up for this one, as a Hungary win and an Irish loss on Thursday would see them eliminated from the World Cup. The desire will be there, but I’m not sure there’s enough quality for them to get a result. I like Portugal to get a narrow win in this one, which will likely be another low-scoring affair between these countries.
