Turkey vs Paraguay Tips, Odds & Prediction for World Cup 2026

* Odds supplied by Betway and accurate when this preview was written.

Turkey face Paraguay at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area on Saturday, June 20, and the game starts at 05:00 CAT. Both teams lost their first matches and know that another defeat will almost surely mean they do not get out of Group D. Vincenzo Montella's Turkey will rely on the creative talent of Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, while Gustavo Alfaro's Paraguay need to be tighter after a sobering first defeat. Every one of our World Cup betting tips sits in its own dedicated section.

Turkey

Turkey let people down in their first game, but I think Montella's team still have more individual quality in this fixture if they can calm their nerves. Hakan Calhanoglu runs the midfield, and the invention of Guler and Yildiz should give Paraguay's defence lots to worry about. Turkey's problem has been softness at the back, and Merih Demiral must organise the defence much better than he did in the first match. With both sides badly needing points, I see a nervy and careful game rather than an open one.

Expected Lineup: Cakir; Celik, Demiral, Bardakci, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Yilmaz, Guler, Yildiz; Akturkoglu.

Paraguay

Paraguay were comfortably beaten in their first game, and as I see it Alfaro will put defensive stability first to keep his team in the tournament. They are most effective when compact and physical, with Andres Cubas protecting the back four and Miguel Almiron driving forward quickly with the ball. Antonio Sanabria is the main striker, but he got very little supply in the first defeat and that must get better. Paraguay know a draw might not be enough, so at some point they will need to send players forward and take chances.

Expected Lineup: Gill; Caceres, Alderete, G. Gomez, Alonso; Gomez, Cubas, Bobadilla, Almiron; Enciso, Sanabria.

Neither team can afford to lose again, so I expect a careful match where the opening goal will be massive. Turkey have more attacking talent and should be the bigger threat, but this looks like a close game with few goals. My forecast: Turkey 1 Paraguay 0.

BTTS: No (1.86)

My pick is BTTS: No, because I think both teams will be careful not to overcommit in a match neither can afford to lose. Paraguay especially will look to defend first, and they offered very little going forward in their first game, while Turkey are good enough to sneak a goal and then hold on. At 1.86 the value lies in a tight game with at least one clean sheet.