Real Madrid vs Al Hilal Picks, Odds, Projected Lineups & Injury News

• Star studded Real Madrid is a -300 moneyline favorite over Al-Hilal in FIFA Club World Cup action on Wednesday.

• Kylian Mbappe (illness) is in danger of missing this contest

• See below for my Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal picks and predictions, plus the best odds for Wednesday’s matchup

No team has won the FIFA Club World Cup more than Real Madrid. The Spanish Superpower will begin its quest for a record sixth title on Wednesday, when they face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. Online sportsbooks are expecting a convincing Real Madrid victory, but the assignment potentially got much more challenging in the wake of Kylian Mbappe’s illness – more on that below.

The action is set to get underway at 3pm ET from the Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami, FL, with FOX Sports providing the broadcast coverage.

Kylian Mbappe Injury Update

Mbappe has reportedly come down with a terrible fever that kept him out of training on Tuesday. New manager Xabi Alonso said the club is carefully monitoring his situation, and want to avoid over-exerting him in the scorching Florida heat. His status is currently in doubt, but the good news for Real Madrid futures is that since its an illness and not an injury, his potential absence should be limited to one game.

If he does sit, Real Madrid will need to replace his dynamic offense and play-making. Mbappe has scored 42 times across all competitions this season, and potted 12 goals in his previous eight games prior to the start of this tournament.

Real Madrid vs Al Hilal Picks and Predictions

• Real Madrid -1.5 (-125)

Fortunately for Read Madrid backers, while Mbappe’s potential absence stings, it shouldn’t prevent them from recording a convincing win. For starters, the European Bluebloods are loaded with firepower. Vinicius Jr., Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham are all world class talent, and far exceed any potential goal scoring threat from the Al-Hilal side.

Vinicius Jr. has potted 19 goals across La Liga and Champions League play alone, and boasts the shortest odds to score in this contest after Mbappe. The Brazilian star averages 3 shots on goal per outing, and will become the focal point of the attack if Mbappe misses.

Also working in Real Madrid’s favor, is an underwhelming Al-Hilal defense. They’ve conceded more goals than any of the other top-5 teams in the Saudi League, and that’s against far inferior talent than they’ll face on Wednesday. Their backend looks especially vulnerable against the Real Madrid firepower, and we should expect it to fold under the overwhelming pressure that the Spanish Giants will enforce.

It’s early, but so far in the FIFA Club World Cup, European teams have looked far superior than the other squads. We should expect that to continue with or without Mbappe, which is why I’m picking Real Madrid to cover the 1.5 goal spread. Al-Hilal does feature some household names like Koulibaly and Ruben Neves among others, but neither of those players would even crack a healthy Real Madrid starting lineup.

Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal Starting Lineups

• Real Madrid projected lineup: Courtois (GK), Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Garcia, Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr.

• Al Hilal projected lineup: Bono (GK), K. Aldawsari, Koulibaly, Albulayhi, Cancelo, Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Lodi , Malcom, Marcos Leonardo, Mitrovic

Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal Odds

Odds as of June 17 from Bet365. Join the soccer crowd with our kickin’ Bet365 bonus code.

The best odds we can find on Real Madrid -1.5 is -125 at Bet365. Real Madrid is currently a -300 favorite, with Al-Hilal coming back as a +700 underdog. A draw pays +475, while the total sits at 3.5, with the juice shaded to the under.

This matchup can best be described as a mismatch on paper and in the betting market. Only PSG boasts shorter odds to win the FIFA Club World Cup than Real Madrid (+500), while Al-Hilal is a 50-1 longshot to win the title.