Group J World Cup Odds & Predictions 2026: Current Updated Team Odds

Argentina head to the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the defending champions after beating France in the 2022 final in Qatar. How far will the world champions go in North America?

The Argentines are in Group J at the 2026 World Cup, kicking off the defence of their crown with a game against Algeria on June 16th. Austria and Jordan will also contest the group.

World Cup Group J Winner Odds

As you would expect, Argentina are the heavy favourites to win Group J. However, who joins them in the last 32 is anyone’s guess. Jordan are the minnows, so the Algerians and Austrians look set to battle for a top-two spot.

Odds taken at PricedUp at 11:00 on 8 June

Argentina

The expectation is high within the Argentina camp this summer, as the White and Sky Blue aim to successfully defend their world title. However, they will face stiff opposition from the likes of Spain, England, France, and Brazil.

Argentina should have no problems getting out of the group, though they did famously lose to Saudi Arabia in their opening game of the 2022 World Cup. Lionel Scaloni’s side are priced at just 1/3 to finish top of Group J.

Austria

The Austrians are back on the grandest stage after an excellent qualifying campaign. They are making their first appearance in a World Cup since France 1998. Way back in 1954, Austria finished third in the world.

Argentina may be the Group J favourites, but Austria will fancy their chances of finishing in the top two and progressing. Ralf Rangnick’s side will want all three points from their first game against Jordan.

Algeria

Algeria have been in excellent form of late and could be one of the dark horses in the competition. They recently beat Netherlands in a friendly and have lost just a handful of games over the past few years.

Getting out of the group will not be an easy task, but they did reach the Round of 16 against the odds at Brazil 2014. At 7/1, it could be worth backing the Algerians to win Group J.

Jordan

Jordan will be making their first World Cup appearance this summer. They are the huge underdogs in Group J, but Jamal Sellami’s troops will enjoy every second of their time in North America.

Jordan’s first-ever World Cup game will be against Austria in Santa Clara on June 16th. They then face Algeria before a meeting with the current World Cup holders in Arlington.

The Best Odds at these Bookmakers for World Cup 2026 Group J

Group J World Cup odds - Pros and cons

As we did for the Group I World Cup odds, here are the pros and cons for the odds on Group J:

Pros and Cons

• Good prices for Austria and Algeria
• Competitive odds on most UK bookies
• Odds for outright winner and group qualification
• Odds for individual Group J matches

• Group has a strong favourite and an outside underdog

World Cup Group J Winner odds - An overview

As with Group A World Cup odds, the odds to win Group J are always subject to change. Nevertheless, we’ve included the correct odds with most UK bookies at the time of writing below.

As you can see, current World Cup holders Argentina are 1/3 on to win the group, and it’s difficult to look past them, so anything other than taking the top spot. Austria are favoured just ahead of Algeria, but there isn’t much between them, and they could well wind up fighting it out for second place.

FIFA World Cup newbies Jordan are massive outsiders at 50/1, and they look almost certain to be the Group J whipping boys. Here’s a rough guide to the current outright winner odds for this group:

Odds to Advance Out of Group J - Who could progress?

The FIFA 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada is the biggest tournament yet, with a total of 48 teams competing across 12 groups. A total of 31 teams will advance to the third knockout round, meaning that eight third-place teams from the 12 groups will progress, as well as all teams in first and second place.

While Austria and Algeria have almost no chance of topping the group ahead of Argentina, it’s realistic that both of them could still advance. This provides additional betting opportunities where you can find shorter odds but better probabilities for the two second-favourite teams.

You can compare the Group J qualification odds with the Group K World Cup odds to advance.

World Cup Group J Qualifiers: The fixtures, dates, and kick-off times

The six Group J fixtures will take place between June 17 and 28, 2026, across three venues in the Western Region of the United States. The AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, and the Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri are the three host stadiums.

The teams get the standard three points for a win, one point each for a draw, and 0 points for a loss. As we mentioned above, the top two teams from the group will advance to the Round of 32.

The third-place team may also progress if they rank in the top eight of 12 third-place teams. If two teams are tied on points, goal difference, followed by H2H record, the “fair play” score will be used to determine the winner.

Below is a full rundown of the Group J fixtures. As you can see, the kick-off times aren’t ideal for a UK audience, save for the Argentina vs Austria game. Check the Argentina World Cup odds for more info.

Opening round odds for Group J

If you want to take a punt on any of the Group J matches, the odds for the opening two fixtures are already available. Most of the top World Cup UK betting sites have Argentina at 2/5 to beat Algeria, with the draw at 10/3, and Algeria as 6/1 outsiders to beat the reigning champions.

Austria vs Jordan is also a fairly unbalanced fixture, with Austria as 1/3 favourites to win the match. Jordan is a 15/2 longshot to win, and you can grab the draw at 15/4. As with the Group C World Cup odds, Asian handicaps and other alternative markets are better options for finding value in these two Group J matches.

Argentina vs Algeria odds

Austria vs Jordan odds

Group J Team Previews: Reigning Champions to World Cup newbies

Now let’s take a closer look at all of the teams competing in Group J:

Argentina

Argentina are the current FIFA World Cup champions, having won the tournament in a thrilling final against France in Qatar. While they are strong favourites to win Group J, they have slipped to fifth-favourites overall, at odds of 8/1 with most UK bookies, unlike the USA World Cup odds.

You definitely can’t rule out La Albiceleste from adding a fourth World Cup Star to their jersey, but the key players in their squad are now aging. Lionel Messi will go down as one of the greatest players in history, but at 39 years old, it’s doubtful that he’ll impact this tournament in the same way he has in the past.

Austria

Austria reached their first World Cup since 1998 following an impressive qualification campaign, where they had a 6-1-1 record after eight games. This has largely been thanks to veteran manager Ralf Rangnick’s relentless pressing style, which shifted the national team away from their previous low block smash-and-grab model.

There aren’t huge expectations from the Austrian fans, so the players can play without much pressure. Still, it would be a disappointment if they didn’t qualify from Group J. They rely heavily on 37-year-old striker Marko Arnautović, who scored 8 goals and 8 games in qualifying, so they may struggle to find the net should he get injured.

Algeria

Algeria are returning to the World Cup Odds for the first time since 2014, where they reached the knockout round for the first time in their history. They will be hoping to repeat that feat in the USA this summer, but they find themselves in a tough spot. Going through as one of the best third-place teams is probably the realistic goal.

That said, they have a realistic possibility of sneaking into the second spot. Their defensive line is solid, with the likes of Man City’s Rayan Ait-Nouri and Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini. They will keep scores low and stay in games, but creativity up top could be their undoing.

Jordan

Jordan qualified for their first-ever World Cup finals with a convincing 3-0 victory against Oman. However, we’re afraid to say that the Jordanians fall into the making up numbers camp. There are no household names on the side, with Rennes winger Al-Taamari being the only member of the squad who plays in a top European league.

They have some experience at the back, as Abdallah Nasib and Yazan Al-Arab have over 120 caps between them. Avoiding a cricket score against Argentina and scoring a goal would be an achievement for these relative World Cup minnows.

Group J FIFA World Cup Odds - Conclusion

In summary, Argentina are the heavy favourites to win Group J and could quite likely win all their games. Austria and Algeria will fight it out for second spot, while Jordan will be the whipping boy.

You can track and compare the current Group J odds with the best UK Bookies right here. Moreover, you can access the top sites and place your bets via the promo banners on our page.

Group J World Cup odds FAQ