Netherlands vs. USA 12/3/22 World Cup Soccer Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Netherlands and the United States face off on Saturday in the World Cup Round of 16 soccer showdown at Khalifa International Stadium. 

Netherlands finished in 1st place in Group A picking up seven points. So far in the World Cup, the Netherlands has beaten Belgium and Qatar, and played to a 1-1 draw against Ecuador. In the last game against Qatar, they scored two goals in the first 50 minutes, and it was a comfortable victory. They finished with 63 percent of the possession and four shots on target. The good news for the Netherlands is they look to be fully healthy heading into this match. There is a strong chance that Netherlands starts the same lineup that was able to beat Qatar in the last game. 

The USA finished in second place in Group B picking up five points. So far in the World Cup, the United States has played to draws against Wales and England, and in the last game, they beat Iran 1-0. The United States knew they had to win the last game to advance, and it was a goal by Christian Pulisic in the 38th minute that pushed them through to the knockout stage. Heading into the World Cup, there were some concerns about the defense, but the only goal they have given up in this tournament was by a penalty kick. Pulisic did suffer a pelvic contusion in the last game, and although he has made it clear he will be playing in this game, pay close attention to that injury. Weston McKennie is dealing with a quad injury, and it’s unclear if he will be able to go in this game. 

There won’t be a lot of scoring in this game. I don’t think the United States will be putting much pressure on the defense of the Netherlands. USA is going to have strong defense, though, and the Netherlands isn’t going to score more than a goal here. This game is going to be lower scoring, and the under 2.5 goals will cash. I am also throwing a few dollars on the under 1.5 goals.