We need to scour the globe to find the football action on Wednesday, but a quiet day can still produce some decent tips.

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Bet of the day

Draw/Venezuela v Paraguay @ 3/4 

Paraguay, in eighth place in South America’s World Cup qualifying standings, take on Venezuela, in seventh, in a huge contest in Asuncion.

Only the top six go through by right to the 2026 World Cup, so slip-ups over the second half of the qualifying campaign are going to prove critical.

Paraguay will see this as an obvious opportunity to leapfrog Venezuela, who they trail by a point after nine rounds.

But, having scored only two goals in nine qualifiers, Gustavo Alfaro’s men are extremely hard to fancy against one of the continent’s most improved countries.

Venezuela proved at the Copa America in the summer that they are on the up, winning all three group games before going out to Canada on penalties.

They have drawn five of their nine World Cup qualifiers, including against Brazil, Uruguay and as recently as the weekend, Argentina. Indeed, they may be seventh in the standings but they have lost as many qualifiers as Lionel Messi’s pace-setters.

A Paraguay squad where Newcastle’s Miguel Almiron is as likely as anyone to score, does not look in any way attractive at 20/21.

They don’t lose many though nor do Venezuela. Look at the Double Chance market and take the Draw/Venezuela at 3/4.

Special of the day

Raphinha Anytime Goalscorer @ 11/8

President Lula da Silva may have declared Raphinha and a few other stars not good enough for the Brazil national side, but head coach Doriva disagrees and it’s his view that matters.

The Barcelona winger played the full 90 minutes of last Thursday’s 2-1 win in Chile, an unimpressive effort from the Selecao and not the first during the past couple of years.

But a win’s a win and, having seen off the side in tenth place, they can now take care of the team in ninth, Peru, in Brasilia.

And Raphinha looks attractive enough at 11/8 to score at anytime. The Barca flyer, playing in his best position for Brazil on the right, has scored six goals for his Spanish employers so far and can grab his eighth for his country against the Peruvians.

Long shot of the day

Uruguay v Ecuador No Goalscorer @ 7/1

Ecuador head for Montevideo on the back of a 0-0 draw at home to Paraguay, to take on a Uruguay side who failed to find the net in Peru, a shock 1-0 loss.

That was Ecuador’s second 0-0 draw in the last five competitive matches, a quintet of fixtures which have produced just four goals.

Uruguay, meanwhile, have had three 0-0 draws in their last six outings.

Ecuador have been sucked into what is turning out to be a real dogfight between up to four countries for what are likely to be two automatic places at the 2026 World Cup.

To that end, they would happily take another 0-0 draw and this defensively strong outfit are quite capable of securing it.

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