- England are 1.29 favorites in the match betting for Wednesday's World Cup last-16 clash.
- The Draw at 5.0 also makes appeal for this cup tie clash.
- Both Teams To Score - No at 1.49 also appeals as a low-risk bet for England.
Familiar foes in a fresh setting
A fresh World Cup knockout matchup awaits England and DR Congo at Atlanta Stadium, USA, where the prize is simple progression rather than group padding.
The Three Lions arrive as the most likely winner after England have won four and drawn one of their last five, while DR Congo have won one, drawn two and lost two of their last five matches. But Sebastien Desabre's men have enough steel and counterpunch about them to keep this competitive, which is why we are steering clear of the odds-on England price.
Our England vs DR Congo prediction is that the Three Lions can edge a tight contest, and England have won seven, drawn two and lost one of their last ten matches in all-competitions and they have looked a quality side ever since Thomas Tuchel took charge on 1 January 2025.
Three Lions can take the lion's share
Tuchel has got them playing with structure, a flexible formation, trigger-based pressing and sharp positional changes in and out of possession, which should see them overrun DR Congo if they can get the lion's share of territory.
For betting tips on England vs DR Congo, the under 3.5 goals market looks appealing, while England have scored six goals in their last five, two of which have come from Harry Kane, so he should keep his finishing sharp, while DR Congo have also found the net five times in the last five with Yoane Wissa, who has three, their main spark.
Leopards can spring counter attacks
Leopards will sit deep, play compact and narrow with a back five when out of possession, but they can spring forward quickly when the game opens up and particularly on the counterattack.
Desabre's side will not just absorb pressure, they will also look to hit England through the wide channels as they can switch from a 4-3-3 base to a back five on occasions.
England's all-competitions away record is not as imperious as their overall run, but the 0-2 win in Panama suggests they can still travel with authority.
In this preview of England vs DR Congo, they look good on paper in 4-2-3-1, but can go to a back three in possession which should allow the attacking players to overload the half-spaces on Wednesday, when Desabre's Leopards will be looking to soak pressure and punish.
Leopards can be a handful
England drew 0-0 with Ghana and then beat Panama 0-2 away in their two FIFA World Cup Group L 2026 matches and there was enough about both performances to suggest they will be tough to beat.
DR Congo have already shown they can scrap with the big boys in Group K, having already held Portugal to a 1-1 draw away, lost 0-1 away to Colombia and beaten Uzbekistan 3-1, which tells us they will be no pushovers.
Desabre has done a great job with DR Congo since he took charge on 8 August 2022 and they have a clear, pragmatic identity.
This prediction favours England to progress in the end, but their all-competitions run of 4W, 3D and 3L from their last 10 matches is worse than the odds-on Three Lions' run, so England should have too much quality for DR Congo in the end.
