New Zealand’s embarrassing 4-0 friendly loss to Haiti leaves them hugely underprepared for the World Cup. Will England dominate them too?
Best Bets for England vs New Zealand
- England -2 (Handicap 3-way) at odds of 2.20 with bet365
- Both teams to score (No) and over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.75 with bet365
- England over 1.5 1st half goals at odds of 2.50 with bet365
All odds are courtesy of bet365, correct at the time of publishing and subject to change.
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Three Lions to win by at least a three-goal margin
Given that New Zealand conceded four goals against Haiti, it’s surprising to see this price for England to win by a three-goal margin. The betting markets indicate there is only a 46.51% chance of this happening.
It’s fair to say that England won’t be at full strength. The Arsenal contingent are unlikely to feature in this warm-up game. They are more likely to play in the final warm-up game with Costa Rica. This will allow Thomas Tuchel to experiment a little, with the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Morgan Rogers likely to be involved.
Nevertheless, the All Whites’ squad seriously lacks elite-level experience. Chris Wood is the only player to have had regular game time in the Premier League. Tuchel will want his side to start strongly after touching down in North America.
- England vs New Zealand Bet 1: England -2 (Handicap 3-way) at odds of 2.20 with bet365
All Whites shouldn’t trouble the English defence
New Zealand’s talisman is Chris Wood, the Nottingham Forest target man. Wood is no stranger to England’s defenders, having faced them over several years. There is very little ‘X Factor’ surrounding this All Whites squad.
New Zealand have only mustered five goals in their last nine international friendlies. This includes matches against the likes of Haiti, Poland, and Australia.
England didn’t concede a single goal in their World Cup qualifying campaign. They conceded once in each March friendly against Uruguay and Japan. However, they are ranked much higher than the All Whites, who currently sit 98th in the world. Backing England to bag three or more and keep a clean sheet at a probability of just 37.04% includes serious value.
- England vs New Zealand Bet 2: Both teams to score (No) and over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.75 with bet365
Two or more first-half goals for Tuchel’s men
Tuchel may field a relatively strong starting XI for the first 45 minutes against New Zealand. Even skipper, Harry Kane, may get an outing for the first half. Even the likes of Rashford and Rogers will have points to prove in front of goal.
That’s why we’re surprised to see the bookies indicate there’s only a 40% likelihood of England scoring two first-half goals.
Against footballing nations of comparable stature to New Zealand, such as Latvia, England typically defeated them early. They scored three first-half goals in a 5-0 win in Latvia last October. After the All Whites’ debacle against the Haitians, this market feels like a gift.
- England vs New Zealand Bet 3: England over 1.5 1st half goals at odds of 2.50 with bet365
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: England 3-0 New Zealand
- Goalscorers prediction: England: Kane, Rogers, Bellingham - New Zealand: N/A
England face the All Whites of New Zealand in Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, with Thomas Tuchel’s men preparing for the 2026 World Cup.
The Three Lions had some inconsistent friendly results in March. England could only muster a late draw with Uruguay before a first-ever loss to Japan at Wembley. Eyebrows were also raised at some of Tuchel’s squad for this summer’s finals, so the German has plenty to do to give the fans confidence.
England’s quartet of Arsenal players, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, and Eberechi Eze, have all had extended rests. The Gunners’ contingent had the disappointment of their Champions League Final loss to contend with before flying out to Florida. Dean Henderson is in a similar situation after his Conference League exploits with Crystal Palace. This means none of these players are likely to be involved against New Zealand.
New Zealand are also featuring at this summer’s World Cup finals. However, their confidence will have taken a battering after their 4-0 friendly loss to Haiti on Tuesday. They were only one goal behind at the interval, but the All Whites flagged after the break following a swathe of substitutions.
England haven’t faced New Zealand since 1991, so there’s little head-to-head history to go off. The All Whites are likely to name Chris Wood in their starting XI. The centre forward is famed for his time with Premier League side Nottingham Forest. England are their final opponents before their Group G World Cup campaign begins. They are winless in their last eight games, with their last victory coming against the Ivory Coast last June.
Probable lineups for England vs New Zealand
England expected lineup: Pickford; Spence, Guehi, Konsa, O’Reilly, Anderson, Mainoo, Rashford, Bellingham, Rogers, Kane
New Zealand expected lineup: Paulsen; Surman, Bindon, Payne, Cacace, Stamenic, Rufer, Singh, Just, Randall, Wood