Football Bet of the Day: Brilliant Bruno to have lift off in Houston

FIFA World Cup action headlines the football schedule on Wednesday and there are two games on offer at a reasonable hour for UK audiences, including England's first match against Croatia. The other sees Portugal face DR Congo in Houston (12pm local/6pm BST, BBC One).

This is the contest that I've selected for my Football Bet of the Day, which centres around one particular midfielder.

Portugal vs DR Congo Odds

Betfred have Portugal as the clear favourites to win this Group K clash at 2/7, with Roberto Martinez's side on a three-game winning streak right now.

The draw is available at 9/2, with DR Congo playing out a stalemate against Denmark on 3 June.

The Leopards are deemed a 10/1 shot to come out on top on Wednesday.

Both teams have scored in each of Portugal's last two outings and BTTS - Yes can be backed at 11/8 here.

But for my Bet of the Day I'm seeking value in the player markets. Cristiano Ronaldo looks set for this to be his last dance at the World Cup, and despite his relatively low stats across several tournaments, his odds are too short to touch for this column.

I wouldn't be confident in the attacker anyway. When considering potential goalscorers, I did consider Goncalo Ramos because he scored three at the last edition in 2022, all of which came from the bench.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker is EVS to score anytime against DR Congo, but considering he's likely to play second fiddle to Ronaldo, the odds are simply not tempting enough.

Instead I'm turning to attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who has just enjoyed a record-breaking season in the Premier League. The Manchester United man recorded the most assists (21) in a single campaign, but he also ended the term with nine goals in the top flight.

It's his goalscoring talents that I'm counting on against DR Congo and I like the look of his 7/4 price to score using Betfred's Sub Switch market. This means that the bet will stay in-play if Fernandes doesn't score and gets substituted.

The bet then carries on with the player coming on, who may even be Ramos.

I've picked out Fernandes because he's got 29 goals in 89 appearances for Selecao das Quinas, including two in six at the World Cup finals. The creative force has also netted four goals in his previous five outings for his country, and I think he's going to be a key player for them at this tournament.

I predict his influence will begin in this Group K opener and I think we'll see him get on the scoresheet at 7/4.

Click here for the latest Football Odds

Sub Switch

Pre-Match Bet Builder & Single bets on qualifying Player selections. Selected leagues & markets only. Applies to Price Boosts & Turbo Boosts. Extra-time will count. T&Cs Apply.

Sub Switch

Pre-Match Bet Builder & Single bets on qualifying Player selections. Selected leagues & markets only. Applies to Price Boosts & Turbo Boosts. Extra-time will count. T&Cs Apply.