Algeria vs. Argentina Odds, Picks & Predictions - Group J, 06/16
The opening matches of group play in the 2026 World Cup continues with a Group J matchup as Algeria takes on Argentina Tuesday night and we have you covered with our Algeria vs. Argentina prediction. Algeria blanked Bolivia 4-0 in their final international friendly ahead of the World Cup in their previous match Wednesday. Argentina downed Iceland 3-0 in their final international friendly last Tuesday. This marks the first time that the two sides have met in World Cup play. Let’s break down this Algeria vs. Argentina matchup.
Don’t forget to check out all the World Cup odds as the tournament progresses!
Algeria Seeking to Pull Off Upset
Algeria earned their spot in the World Cup field as they won CAF Group G with a record of eight wins, one draw and one loss. The Desert Warriors rolled to the top of the group as they outscored the opposition by a 24-8 margin. Algeria makes their fifth World Cup appearance here and it marks their first appearance since 2014. The Desert Warriors enter this match with a record of three wins, three draws and seven losses in World Cup action. Algeria came into the World Cup ranked 28th in the FIFA rankings and they look for an upset here.
In their final tuneup before the World Cup, Algeria rolled past Bolivia to improve to 3-0-1 in their last four international friendlies. The Desert Warriors were in a stalemate for most of the first half before breaking through. Algeria poured it on from there to pull away for the one-sided victory. Aïssa Mandi opened the scoring in the 45th minute off an assist from Mohammed Amoura. That gave the Desert Warriors a 1-0 advantage at intermission. Amine Gouiri made it a 2-0 score in the 56th minute as Adil Boulbina drew the assist on the marker. Just two minutes later, Gouiri scored his second of the match in the 58th minute for a 3-0 Algeria lead. Only three minutes after that, Anis Hadj Moussa scored off an assist from Ramiz Zerrouki for a 4-0 advantage. That goal closed the scoring and Algeria cruised to the win.
Luca Zidane makes his World Cup debut between the sticks for Algeria in this contest. He earned the win in his lone World Cup qualifying match in a 2-1 victory over Uganda on October 14, 2025.
Argentina Look to Start Run on Positive Note
Argentina rolled their way to the World Cup as they won the CONMEBOL group with a record of 12 wins, two draws and four losses. La Albiceleste won the group by nine points over Ecuador and outscored the opposition by a 31-10 margin. Argentina makes their 19th World Cup appearance here and their 14th consecutive, dating back to 1974. La Albiceleste seeks to defend their championship after winnings in 2022. Argentina owns a record of 47 wins, 17 draws and 24 losses in World Cup play. La Albiceleste is the top-ranked team in the FIFA rankings entering the World Cup.
Against Iceland in their final international friendly ahead of group play, Argentina controlled the majority of the contest to earn the win. La Albiceleste held a near two-to-one edge in possession in the contest. Argentina held a 15-6 advantage in shot attempts and a 7-1 margin in shots on goal in the contest. Valentín Barco gave La Albiceleste a 1-0 lead in the eighth minute. That proved to be the lone goal of the first half, leaving them up 1-0 at intermission. After a slew of substitutions, Lionel Messi made it 2-0 when he converted a penalty kick in the 72nd minute. Thiago Almada closed the scoring in the 86th minute on a goal assisted by Rodrigo De Paul.
Emiliano Martinez makes his eighth career World Cup start between the sticks in this contest. He has a record of four wins, two draws and one loss with three clean sheets on his ledger. In World Cup qualifying, Martinez has 26 appearances to his credit. He owns a record with 17 wins, five draws and four losses in those contests. In addition, Martinez owns 16 clean sheets in those contests. Make sure you keep track of the Argentina World Cup odds as they progress through the tournament.
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Give Algeria credit for their strong play leading into the World Cup. The Desert Warriors had three wins and a draw in their last four international friendlies entering this contest. With that said, they’re facing the defending champions in this contest. Argentina has depth, talent and the ability to shuffle pieces in and out to keep guys fresh if necessary. Perhaps most importantly, Argentina has the experience factor, which can’t be overlooked in this environment. La Albiceleste, even if Messi is limited in his action, earns the win here to start their defense off on a positive note.
Our Prediction: Argentina -1.5 (FanDuel, +116)
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