In the second round of Group B at the World Cup, Switzerland and Bosnia meet in Los Angeles. Both teams drew their opening matches — Switzerland played to a 1-1 draw with Qatar, while Bosnia held Canada to a 1-1 draw. The winner of this match will take control of the qualification race, while the loser could be forced into a do-or-die final-round battle. With the qualification picture still far from clear, neither side is likely to take unnecessary risks. Switzerland’s performance in the opening round was far from convincing. Against Qatar, the weakest team in the group, Switzerland dominated possession with 68% and completed more than twice as many passes as their opponents, yet they managed to score only once. Xhaka and Freuler’s control in midfield is beyond doubt, but there are obvious shortcomings in the efficiency of their forward passing and their finishing. Embolo and Vargas lacked chemistry in the attack, and several moves stalled at the edge of the penalty area. In Switzerland’s last 10 matches, six have finished with two goals or fewer, highlighting a long-standing issue with attacking efficiency. Bosnia also showed extremely strong defensive discipline in the first round. Faced with a relentless Canada side that fired 17 shots, Bosnia conceded only once, with goalkeeper Vasilj and the defensive pairing of Katić and Muharemović turning in top-class performances. The possible injuries to Džeko and Tabaković have a huge impact on Bosnia’s attack — their physical duels and hold-up play are Bosnia’s only weapons capable of pinning back the opposition defense. If neither player can start or if they are not fully fit, Bosnia will be even more reliant on sporadic counterattacks and set pieces. The over/under line is the most important market to watch in this match. The opening line was 2.5 goals, and the over price has gradually dropped from the extremely high range of 1.00-1.05 to 0.98-1.00, while the line itself has remained at 2.5 goals without dropping to 2/2.5. Although the price has come down slightly, it is still at a relatively high level, meaning the bookmaker’s payout risk on the over has not been reduced to a normal range. With both teams scoring only one goal each in the first round, a 2.5-goal line is itself a relatively high threshold. The two sides produced just two goals combined in their opening matches, and neither attack looked particularly efficient. Switzerland have the stronger overall play but lack a decisive final blow, while Bosnia are good at grinding games out but have limited tools to break opponents down. The opening-round draw left both teams with one point, and the loser of this match will be in a difficult position. This is unlikely to be an open, end-to-end contest. Overall, Switzerland are more likely to win, but they may find it difficult to break through Bosnia’s defense. The total goals are unlikely to exceed two. Recommended over/under bet: Under 2.5 goals.