Final update: After Argentina’s thrilling win over France in the 2022 final, Spencer Limbach is the winner of the DK Nation staff picks pool with 65 points! Here’s the final standings.
Spencer - 65 points
Pete - 60 points
Nick - 57 points
Chinmay - 50 points
David - 48 points
Grace - 48 points
Collin - 41 points
Ben - 38 points
Ryan - 38 points
Teddy - 35 points
Semifinal round update: We are down to the last two teams with Argentina and France fighting for the 2022 World Cup title. Here’s how the DK Nation World Cup pick table stands with one match left.
Pete - 60 points
Nick - 57 points
Chinmay - 50 points
Spencer - 49 points
David - 48 points
Grace - 48 points
Collin - 41 points
Ben - 38 points
Ryan - 38 points
Teddy - 35 points
Quarterfinal round update: We’re down to four teams after the quarterfinal round in the 2022 World Cup, but our entire panel is still fighting for points in the DK Nation staff picks table. Here’s how the table stands ahead of the semifinal round.
Pete - 52 points
Nick - 49 points
David - 48 points
Chinmay - 42 points
Spencer - 41 points
Grace - 40 points
Ben - 38 points
Ryan - 38 points
Teddy - 35 points
Collin - 33 points
Round of 16 update: We are through the round of 16, with eight teams left in the 2022 World Cup. Here’s a look at how our panel has done after the first knockout stage.
Pete - 40 points
Nick - 37 points
David - 36 points
Spencer - 35 points
Teddy - 35 points
Ben - 34 points
Grace - 34 points
Ryan - 32 points
Chinmay - 30 points
Collin - 27 points
Group stage update: We’ve got more results as Group D has wrapped up. Here’s how our panel stands with all 16 teams in the knockout round set.
Nick - 22 points
Pete - 22 points
Spencer - 20 points
Teddy - 20 points
Chinmay - 19 points
Grace - 19 points
David - 18 points
Collin - 17 points
Ryan - 17 points
Ben - 17 points
The 2022 FIFA World Cup gets underway Sunday with host nation Qatar opening group play against Ecuador. The group stage will continue through December 2 and the knockout stage will begin with the round of 16 starting December 3.
We’ve brought together a handful of the DK Nation staff to make picks for each round and also select award winners. There will be a scoring system to track every panelist’s progress through the competition and we’ll see who finishes with the most points at the end of the World Cup. Here’s a look at our panel.
David Fucillo - Editor in Chief
Ben Zweiman - Senior Managing Editor
Collin Sherwin - Deputy College Sports Editor
Chinmay Vaidya - Sports Editor
Nick Simon - Staff Writer
Grace McDermott - Staff Writer
Teddy Ricketson - Staff Writer
Pete Hernandez - Newsdesk Writer
Ryan Sanders - Newsdesk Writer
Spencer Limbach - Newsdesk Writer
Here’s the how the scoring system will work. The 16 teams advancing to the knockout round are assigned seeds, with the group winner being 1 and the runner-up being 2. For example, the winner of Group A will be A1. Each panelist has selected 16 teams by seed. There will be one point awarded for each correct team picked, and one additional point for the correct seed.
From the round of 16, there will be two points awarded for every correct team in the quarterfinal round. One additional point will be given for correct placement in the bracket. From there, panelists will get four points for every correct team in the semifinal round with two additional points for correct placement. Each correct finalist will add eight points and picking a correct winner will be worth 16 points.
Here’s a look at how our staff sees the group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and final playing out.
Group Stage Predictions
World Cup Group Stage Predictions
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
Group A winner | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands |
Group B runner up | USA | Wales | England | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | USA | Wales |
Group C winner | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina |
Group D runner up | Denmark | Denmark | Australia | Denmark | Denmark | Denmark | Denmark | France | Denmark | Australia |
Group E winner | Spain | Spain | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany | Spain | Germany | Germany |
Group F runner up | Morocco | Belgium | Croatia | Croatia | Canada | Croatia | Croatia | Croatia | Croatia | Croatia |
Group G winner | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Switzerland | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil |
Group H runner up | Uruguay | Uruguay | Ghana | Uruguay | Portugal | Portugal | Ghana | Uruguay | Uruguay | Ghana |
Group B winner | England | England | Wales | England | England | England | England | England | England | England |
Group A runner up | Ecuador | Ecuador | Ecuador | Senegal | Senegal | Ecuador | Ecuador | Senegal | Ecuador | Senegal |
Group D winner | France | France | France | France | France | France | France | Denmark | France | France |
Group C runner up | Poland | Poland | Poland | Mexico | Mexico | Mexico | Poland | Mexico | Mexico | Poland |
Group F winner | Belgium | Croatia | Canada | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium |
Group E runner up | Germany | Japan | Spain | Spain | Spain | Spain | Spain | Germany | Spain | Spain |
Group H winner | Portugal | Portugal | Uruguay | Portugal | Uruguay | Uruguay | Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | Portugal |
Group G runner up | Serbia | Serbia | Serbia | Brazil | Serbia | Switzerland | Switzerland | Switzerland | Switzerland | Serbia |
Round of 16 Predictions
World Cup Round of 16 Predictions
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
A1 vs. B2 | Netherlands | Netherlands | England | USA | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands | Netherlands |
C1 vs. D2 | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina |
E1 vs. F2 | Spain | Spain | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany | Germany | Spain | Germany | Germany |
G1 vs. H2 | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Uruguay | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil | Brazil |
B1 vs. A2 | England | England | Wales | England | England | England | England | England | England | Senegal |
D1 vs. C2 | France | Poland | France | France | France | France | France | Denmark | Mexico | France |
F1 vs. E2 | Belgium | Croatia | Canada | Belgium | Belgium | Spain | Belgium | Belgium | Belgium | Spain |
H1 vs. G2 | Portugal | Portugal | Uruguay | Brazil | Uruguay | Uruguay | Portugal | Portugal | Portugal | Portugal |
Quarterfinal, Semifinal, Final Predictions
World Cup Quarterfinal, Semifinal, Final Predictions
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
QF 1 winner | Argentina | Netherlands | England | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Netherlands | Argentina |
QF 2 winner | Brazil | Brazil | Germany | Germany | Brazil | Germany | Germany | Brazil | Germany | Brazil |
QF 3 winner | France | England | France | France | England | England | France | England | England | France |
QF 4 winner | Belgium | Croatia | Uruguay | Brazil | Belgium | Spain | Belgium | Portugal | Belgium | Spain |
SF 1 winner | Brazil | Brazil | Germany | Argentina | Brazil | Argentina | Argentina | Argentina | Netherlands | Brazil |
SF 2 winner | Begium | England | France | Brazil | Belgium | England | Belgium | England | England | France |
Final winner | Brazil | England | France | Brazil | Brazil | England | Belgium | Argentina | England | Brazil |
Brazil is the most popular pick with four panelists picking the odds-on favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook to go on and win the trophy. Three panelists have England winning it all. Collin has France repeating as champions, Spencer has Lionel Messi capturing the ultimate prize in his final World Cup and Pete sees Belgium’s “Golden Generation” cementing their legacy with a World Cup title.
Awards Predictions
Here’s a look at who our panelists believe will win the Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove awards. Golden Boot goes to the highest scorer, Golden Ball is for the best overall player and Golden Glove is for the top goalkeeper.
World Cup Awards Predictions
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pick | David | Ben | Collin | Chinmay | Ryan | Grace | Pete | Spencer | Teddy | Nick |
Golden Boot | Kylian Mbappe | Harry Kane | Kai Havertz | Lautaro Martinez | Kylian Mbappe | Harry Kane | Kylian Mbappe | Harry Kane | Harry Kane | Kylian Mbappe |
Golden Ball | Neymar | Neymar | Antoine Griezmann | Neymar | Neymar | Neymar | Lionel Messi | Lionel Messi | Neymar | Lionel Messi |
Golden Glove | Thibaut Courtois | Jordan Pickford | Manuel Neuer | Manuel Neuer | Thibaut Courtois | Manuel Neuer | Thibaut Courtois | Alisson | Manuel Neuer | Manuel Neuer |