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USA vs South Korea Predictions

USA vs South Korea predictions: Three tips as World Cup hosts return

The Koreans have proven very difficult to beat over the last couple of years, but we’re backing America with home advantage in New Jersey.

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Best bets for USA vs South Korea

  • USA to win at odds of 2.477 on 1xBet
  • Both teams to score at odds of 1.75 on 1xBet
  • Over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.08 on 1xBet

We expect a narrow 2-1 victory for the USA against Korea.

Our analysis: Form of both teams

Mauricio Pochettino’s side will enter this match after a Gold Cup final defeat to Mexico, which ended their five-match winning run. Although they’ve proven that they can score goals, their manager is still seeking the best combination ahead of the 2026 World Cup. They’ll be eager to put on a strong performance at home.

Hong Myung-bo’s team also lost their last game. Japan has defeated them 1-0 in the East Asian Cup, but they weren’t at full strength. That loss ended their 16-game unbeaten run, and they’d not conceded in the four matches that preceded it. The USA will have to utilise their attacking talents well to defeat the visitors.

Probable lineups for USA vs South Korea

USA expected lineup: Freese, Dest, Richards, Ream, Arfsten, Adams, McGlynn, Zendejas, Pulisic, Weah, Sargent

South Korea expected lineup: Seung-gyu, Young-woo, Min-jae, Jun-soo, Myung-jae, Yong-woo, Min-woo, Kang-in, Jun-ho, Heung-min, Hyeon-gyu

A home victory

Both sides have been in decent form lately, but they haven’t really faced many opponents that were able to cause them problems. America have defeated the likes of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Saudi Arabia in recent months. However, they were beaten by Switzerland, Turkey, and Canada earlier in the year.

Korea, meanwhile, went unbeaten for a long time before losing to Japan, which was the highest-ranked team they faced. The Americans will provide a much tougher test than the likes of Hong Kong, Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan.

Pochettino also has big players such as Christian Pulisic, Folarin Balogun, and Sergino Dest back in his team. Elsewhere, Josh Sargent had a fantastic start with Norwich City this season, and will be eager to build on that momentum at the international level. They should have enough to secure victory.

  • USA vs South Korea Bet 1: USA to win at odds of 2.477 on 1xBet

Goals at both ends

The USA have struggled to keep a clean sheet lately. They’ve only kept two in 2025 so far, and they came against Saudi Arabia and Costa Rica. The Koreans, with Son Heung-min as one of their attacking threats, will back themselves to score once or twice.

Myung-bo’s men scored in 11 of the 13 matches that they’ve played over the last 12 months, and have players who can hurt the Americans. Although Son is the obvious threat, other players such as Lee Kang-in and Bae Jun-Ho can also cause them trouble. This match could be fun for the neutral fans.

  • USA vs South Korea Bet 2: Both teams to score at odds of 1.75 on 1xBet

Firepower on show

Based on recent fixtures involving the USA, the Sports Illustrated Stadium will feature plenty of goals this weekend. All of their last four matches have seen over 2.5 goals scored, and just two of their last 13 haven’t. They’ve proven to be slightly better at scoring goals than they are at defending them.

Korea’s games don’t tend to feature many goals, as only five of their 12 matches have seen over 2.5 goals. However, they’ve had only three 0-0 draws in two years. Additionally, 11 of their last 12 fixtures have seen over 1.5 goals scored. So, this could be an exciting evening with plenty of action at both ends.

  • USA vs South Korea Bet 3: Over 2.5 goals at odds of 2.08 on 1xBet