World Cup Day 5 Chaos: Four Straight Draws and a Cape Verde Miracle

The 2026 World Cup is officially delivering the chaos bettors love. Monday's four-game slate ended with exactly zero winners, meaning anyone holding draw tickets cashed in big all day long. The Cape Verde Miracle Spain entered the tournament as a co-favorite alongside France, boasting a roster loaded with young talent like Lamine Yamal and Pedri. They were expected to cruise past Cape Verde in Atlanta. Instead, they ran into a brick wall named Vozinha. The 40-year-old Cape Verde goalkeeper pulled off seven massive saves to secure a 0-0 draw. It was the second-most saves by a keeper aged 40 or older in a single World Cup match since 1966. For bettors, Spain was sitting at -1400 on the moneyline, while the draw paid out at a massive +1300. The Day of the Draw The upsets did not stop in Atlanta. Over in Seattle, Egypt held Belgium's Golden Generation to a 1-1 draw. Mohamed Salah's squad led for most of the game before Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal just seconds after coming off the bench. The draw cashed at +290. In Miami, Saudi Arabia (+330 draw) frustrated Uruguay, holding a lead until Maxi Araújo found an 80th-minute equalizer to make it 1-1. Finally, in Los Angeles, Iran (+245 draw) erased two deficits against New Zealand to complete the four-draw sweep. SBA Takeaway Tournaments like the World Cup are marathons, not sprints. Early group stage matches often feature heavy favorites playing tight, conservative soccer to avoid injuries and secure points. When you see massive moneyline favorites like Spain at -1400, the value is rarely there. Look for live underdogs or sprinkle small units on the draw, especially when a team is heavily reliant on a veteran goalkeeper standing on his head. --- Related reading: - World Cup Day 4 Recap: Ivory Coast Stuns Ecuador - World Cup Day 3 Recap: Socceroos Stun Türkiye