With three points to their name so far, Ivory Coast need a draw on matchday three to secure a second-place finish in Group E. A defeat here would leave the Elephants vulnerable to an early exit.As for Curacao, only a win will do if they want to extend their participation in their debut World Cup. Which way will Thursday’s game go?Ivory Coast to score over 2.5 goals – 5/6 with bet365Ivory Coast to score in both halves – 4/6 with SpreadexAmad Diallo to score any time – 7/8 with BetwayCuracao vs Ivory Coast head to head overviewDate: Thursday 25th June.Kick-off: 9pm.Venue: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA.Where to watch: BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.Referee: Glenn Nyberg.VAR: Yes.Last meeting: Never played before.Favourite to win: Ivory Coast.Curacao vs Ivory Coast predicted lineupsCuracao expected lineup: Room; Brenet, Obispo, Gaari, Floranus, Fonville; Chong, L. Bacuna, Comenencia, J. Bacuna; Locadia.Ivory Coast expected lineup: Y. Fofana; Doue, Kossounou, Agbadou, Konan; Kessie, Sangare, Ouali; Amad, Bonny, Diomande.Curacao vs Ivory Coast predictionsIvory Coast suffered late heartbreak on matchday two of World Cup 2026.Their Group E meeting with Germany looked set to finish 1-1 following goals from Franck Kessie and Deniz Undav. But after Ivory Coast missed a golden chance on the counter-attack when Simon Adingra failed to pull the trigger, Undav punished their profligacy by notching his second goal of the game – and the winner – in second-half stoppage time.It was a disappointing moment for Ivory Coast, but there were more positives than negatives to take from their performance. They held their own against Germany for most of the match, and could easily have triumphed had they been more ruthless in front of goal.Ivory Coast are still in a strong position to progress. They can no longer finish top of the group due to Germany’s superior head-to-head record, but Ivory Coast will finish second if they avoid defeat by Curacao on Thursday.Curacao, the smallest nation to have ever participated in a World Cup, can still reach the round of 32. In order to do so, they must beat Ivory Coast, which would be sufficient for them to finish second if Germany beat Ecuador.Curacao were demolished 7-1 by Germany in their first outing of the tournament, but they produced a spirited showing to hold Ecuador to a 0-0 draw last time out.Eloy Room made 15 saves on the night, setting a new record for a 90-minute goalkeeping performance at the World Cup (at least since such data began being recorded in 1966).Curacao will probably need more heroics from Room to get anything from this match, as Ivory Coast aim to progress to the knockout stage for the first time in their history.Curacao vs Ivory Coast betting tipsCuracao face Ivory Coast as Group E comes to an end on Thursday evening (BST).Curacao defence will struggleCuracao kept a clean sheet against Ecuador after a dogged defensive display, but they were also helped by their opponents’ wastefulness.Ecuador racked up an xG of 2.84, so they created enough chances to have won the match comfortably. Ivory Coast will not be as forgiving if they fashion a similar amount of opportunities. The speed and trickery of Amad Diallo and Yan Diomande could terrorise the Curacao defence, while Christ Inao Oulai and Franck Kessie will make forward runs from midfield in an attempt to overwhelm the opposition rearguard. Curacao will have to take a few risks given they need to win this game, which will leave more space for Ivory Coast to break into. Back Ivory Coast to score over 2.5 goals at 5/6 with bet365 Ivory Coast have attacking talentCuracao would probably have preferred it had Ivory Coast drawn with Germany on matchday two.That would have sent Emerse Fae’s team through to the last 32 and allowed them to take their foot off the gas for this game in Philadelphia.As it is, Ivory Coast need to get something here, and although a draw would be enough for second place, they will not play for a point.Fae will view this as an opportunity to build confidence ahead of the next round, so Ivory Coast should find the back of the net either side of the break. Tip Ivory Coast to score in both halves at 4/6 with Spreadex Who will find net?Amad Diallo scored Ivory Coast’s first goal of this World Cup in the 1-0 victory over Ecuador, coming off the bench to score the winner in the 90th minute. He will once again start on the right-hand side of the Ivorian attack against Curacao, with Yan Diomande supplying the width on the left.Amad will look to cut infield onto his left foot and exploit any space left behind by Curacao left wing-back Deveron Fonville.The Manchester United man has scored three goals in seven appearances for his national team this year, and we expect him to increase his tally on Thursday. Go for Amad Diallo to score any time at 7/8 with Betway Curacao vs Ivory Coast latest oddsFind the latest Curacao vs Ivory Coast betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.More World Cup 2026 predictionsWe have plenty more World Cup 2026 predictions and picks – find our latest betting tips from expert punters in our match preview overview.Important historical facts about Curacao and Ivory Coast for bettingIvory Coast has never won two matches or reached the knockout stage of the World Cup before.Curacao has kept more clean sheets at this tournament than Germany and the Netherlands among others.Ivory Coast has not lost a game by more than one goal since a 4-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea in January 2024.World Cup 2026: More from talkSPORTWorld Cup 2026 Betting offersWorld Cup 2026 Betting tips and predictionsWorld Cup 2026 AI predictionsWorld Cup 2026 Betting guideWorld Cup 2026 Top goalscorer oddsEngland to win World Cup 2026 oddsWorld Cup 2026: Best young player oddsAbout the authorGreg LeaGreg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootballCommercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.Remember to gamble responsiblyA responsible gambler is someone who:Establishes time and monetary limits before playingOnly gambles with money they can afford to loseNever chase their lossesDoesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressedGamcare – www.gamcare.org.ukFind our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.