England vs. DR Congo Prediction, World Cup Picks, Lineups for Round of 32

July 1, 2026

World Cup
England vs. DR Congo Prediction, World Cup Picks for Round of 32 - Wednesday, July 1

The World Cup Round of 32 is well underway, and on Wednesday at noon ET,  England will continue their path to the World Cup Final vs. DR Congo, live on FOX and Telemundo from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. 

The Three Lions will look to get back on track after scoring just 2 goals over their last two games, while DR Congo is riding high after a 3-1 win vs. Uzbekistan to qualify from Group K. 

According to PrizePicks Team Picks, England is an overwhelming favorite to advance to the Round of 16 vs. the African side, with a 1.09x payout.

Below, we’ll break down our England vs. DR Congo World Cup prediction and picks for Wednesday’s Round of 32 match, including to advance markets, spread, total goals, and best players for PrizePicks.

Make your England vs. DR Congo World Cup prediction and picks on PrizePicks now!

{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

England vs. DR Congo Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Wednesday, July 1

How to watch England vs. DR Congo: FOX (English) / Telemundo/Peacock (Spanish)

Kickoff Time: 12:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium) in Atlanta, Georgia

England went unbeaten in the group stage, with two wins over Croatia and Panama, along with a 0-0 draw against Ghana, to win Group L. 

There have certainly been moments of brilliance from the Three Lions, but there have also been uninspiring stretches from Thomas Tuchel’s side. They are still favorites (over 50% implied) to advance through the quarterfinals; if they do, their most likely foe in the semifinals will be Argentina.

Still, across their first three matches of the tournament, England has the third-most shots on target per match (6.7) and the sixth-best xG difference (4.6), per FotMob

ST Harry Kane is tied for the sixth-most goals scored (3) so far, and he has the fourth-lowest payout to win the Golden Boot (14.28x), via PrizePicks Team Picks.

In terms of expectations for England, they have a 1.11x payout to qualify for the Round of 16, and the fourth-best implied chance to win the World Cup (8.33x).

DR Congo finished as the best third-place team to advance to the Round of 32, logging a 1-1-1 record and a +1 goal difference after a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan to conclude the group stage. Make no mistake about DR Congo’s 3-goal effort; they earned a spot in the knockout stage due to their contagious defense.

Entering Wednesday’s match, DR Congo have surrendered the fifth-fewest xG (1.8). Only Spain, Mexico, and England have conceded fewer xG up to this point than DR Congo.

Despite that being the case, our power rankings have England at 7th and DR Congo at 24th.


England vs. DR Congo: Favorite to Advance, Spread, Total for World Cup Round of 32

England enters Wednesday’s game as the favorite, returning a 1.09x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks. While the total is set at 2.5, there is a lean toward the under, while the over is just below a 2x payout.

Meanwhile, DR Congo will have to defend with effort to generate chances as underdogs, and continue to keep up their rock-solid defense.

Here are the full payouts for the England vs. DR Congo match on PrizePicks Team Picks.

To Advance Payout: DR Congo – 6.25x | England – 1.09x

Spread: England -1.5 (1.81x Payout) 

Total Goals: 2.5 (Over – 1.96x)

Both Teams to Score: Yes 2.7x | No 1.42x

Make your England vs. DR Congo prediction on spread or goals on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states!

{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.

Team Picks markets are settled after full-time (90 minutes + stoppage). Extra time and penalties are not included.


England vs. DR Congo Prediction on Total Goals for Round of 32 

Here are the key stats and trends for England vs. DR Congo before making your World Cup 2026 predictions on PrizePicks.

  • The total goals for England vs. DR Congo is set at 2.5, with a 1.96x payout on the over.
  • After winning a 4-2 high-scoring affair against Croatia to kick off the World Cup, England has seen 2 or fewer total goals scored in back-to-back matches.
  • England has seen fewer than 3 total goals scored in seven of their last nine matches across all competitions.
  • Since the start of World Cup qualifying, the Three Lions have conceded fewer than 2 goals in 14 of their last 15 games.
  • Before scoring 3 goals against Uzbekistan, DR Congo had combined for 2 goals over their previous four matches.
  • As mentioned above, both of these teams have been among the better defensive units. England and DR Congo have combined to give up only 3.3 xG in the World Cup.
  • Even with a dominant outing vs. Uzbekistan, DR Congo is 39th in accurate passes per match (273.7) and 36th in shots on target per match (2.3).
Lock in your England vs. DR Congo prediction for the 2026 World Cup now!

{{worldcup_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

England vs. DR Congo Lineups for Round of 32 – Wednesday, July 1

Here are the projected England vs. DR Congo lineups for Wednesday's World Cup knockout stage match. Starting XIs are not official and are consensus projections.

England Lineup vs. DR Congo Today

Projected Formation: 4-2-3-1

  • Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford
  • Defense: Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guéhi, Ezri Konsa, Djed Spence
  • Midfield: Elliot Anderson, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham
  • Forwards: Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka

DR Congo Lineup vs. England Today

Projected Formation: 3-5-2

  • Goalkeeper: Lionel Mpasi
  • Defense: Arthur Masuaku, Steve Kapuadi, Chancel Mbemba, Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron-Wan Bissaka
  • Midfield: Samuel Moutussamy, Ngal’ayel Mukau, Noah Sadiki
  • Forwards: Cédric Bakambu, Yoane Wissa

England vs. DR Congo World Cup Picks, Player Stats for Round of 32

Here are the top England vs. DR Congo player picks to target on PrizePicks for Wednesday, July 1. Today’s World Cup 2026 picks are headlined by England attackers Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford.

England ST Harry Kane vs. DR Congo 

Harry Kane Projections via PrizePicks: 4 Shots, 1.5 Shots on Target (Goblin), 0.5 Goals (Goblin), 15.5 Fantasy Score

  • Although Kane has taken only 3 shots in back-to-back matches, he had 7 against Croatia, and England can dominate possession in this game.
  • Kane is registering 4.4 shots per 90 minutes and 2.0 shots on target per 90.
  • Additionally, Kane has posted 2 or more shots on target in two of England’s first three matches at the World Cup.
  • Once again, Kane already has 3 goals in the 2026 World Cup, and he’s found the back of the net in 11 of his last 15 caps for the Three Lions across all competitions.
Combine England + Harry Kane World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks

England LW Marcus Rashford vs. DR Congo

Marcus Rashford Projections via PrizePicks: 3 Shots, 0.5 Shots on Target (Goblin), 0.5 Goals (Demon), 0.5 Assists (Demon)

  • Rashford made his first start of the tournament in England’s group stage finale against Panama, and he accrued 5 shots in 90 minutes.
  • On top of that, Rashford now leads the Three Lions in shots per 90 (4.7), while recording the second-most shots on target per 90 (1.6).
  • With DR Congo essentially a back five on defense, Rashford’s speed and creativity on the wing can help stretch the defense to generate more space for Kane.
  • Rashford scored a goal as a sub in England’s World Cup opener against Croatia, and he’s pacing the squad in xA per 90 (0.32).
  • Rashford’s last match was the only time he’s played a full 90 minutes in any match for England across qualifying, friendlies, and the World Cup.
Combine England + Marcus Rashford World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks

{{worldcup_generic_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}

Make Your England vs. DR Congo Prediction on PrizePicks

England has expectations of advancing to at least the quarterfinals for the third straight World Cup, but they can’t overlook DR Congo in the Round of 32. Goals could be tough to come by with the back lines of both England and DR Congo holding strong in the tournament so far.

Don’t wait until lock. Make your England vs. DR Congo picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.

Pick World Cup players, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you’re right. With Team Picks, you can make predictions on World Cup match winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.

Stay locked in on Playbook for daily World Cup 2026 predictions, picks, news, and analysis.

Team Picks and Culture Picks are event contracts offered by Performance Predictions II, LLC d/b/a PrizePicks Predict, a CFTC-registered FCM and NFA Member. All event contract customers must be U.S. residents and 18+. Some event contracts may not be available in every state.Event contract trading carries significant risk and is not appropriate for everyone. No guarantee against loss is offered. Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results.Void where prohibited by law. Restrictions apply. For full terms of service see prizepicks.com/predict-regulatory. Team and Culture Pick Early Payouts subject to market liquidity. The content provided is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, or a recommendation to trade any commodity interest.

Skyler Carlin is an experienced writer with nearly 10 years of experience writing and editing NFL, NBA, MLB, CFB, CBB, & soccer content for FanDuel Research & USA Today. When he's not writing, he enjoys cooking, watching movies, & playing video games.