2018 World Cup: England vs. Tunisia odds, expert picks, insider predictions

Football superpower England kicks off its 2018 World Cup with a Monday match in Volgograd at 2 p.m. ET against Tunisia. England, which won the 1966 title, is -240 on the money line, meaning you would need to risk $240 on the English to win to earn a $100 profit. Tunisia, making its first World Cup appearance since 2006, is +750 on the money line, which means a $100 wager on Tunisia would earn $750. The current line is +355 for a draw. The Over-Under, or total number of goals expected to be scored in this 2018 World Cup match, is 2.5.

Before you make your 2018 World Cup picks on this highly- anticipated contest, you need to see what SportsLine football insider Thomas Rongen has to say. The Dutch-American commentator was the former assistant coach and chief international scout for the U.S. men's national team.

Rongen is an astute analyzer of talent and extremely familiar with these rosters. He has scrutinized all the matchups and trends that will determine the outcome and isolated a crucial X-factor you're not even considering. Knowing what it is will give you a huge leg up over the general public.

Rongen is aware that England has never lost to an squad from Africa at the World Cup, notching three wins and three draws. He also has factored in that Tunisia has just one clean sheet in its last 12 World Cup matches.

"England has not scored more than one goal in its previous nine World Cup matches," noted Rongen. "However, Tunisia has failed to win any of its previous 11 tournament contests."

During the last World Cup, England didn't win a match, losing to Uruguay and Italy before drawing with Costa Rica. Tunisia's lone World Cup victory came against Mexico back in 1978.

Aggressive forward Harry Kane, England's fiercest striker, is team captain. Tunisia's most imposing player for the 2018 World Cup is midfielder Saif-Eddine Khaoui.

So which squad does Rongen believe will win its World Cup opener? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to get Thomas Rongen's exclusive pick for England-Tunisia, and see what huge X-factor determines the outcome, all from an international football insider and MLS Manager of the Year.