Serbia and Costa Rica clash in an opening-round 2018 World Cup match on Sunday at 8 a.m. ET. Each team desperately needs points to have a chance of advancing out of a tough group that also includes Switzerland and Brazil. Serbia is the favorite at -110, meaning you'd need to bet $110 to win $100 on a Serbian victory. Costa Rica is at +350 (risk $100 to win $350), while a draw is +225. The Over-Under for total goals scored in this 2018 World Cup match is 2.

Before you make your Costa Rica vs. Serbia picks, you need to see what European soccer expert David Sumpter has to say.

Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics," the book that shows how math works inside the game. Together with experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model.

The Soccerbot reads all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In the two-and-a-half seasons since it was born, the Soccerbot is up 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds. That's right -- 1,800 percent. It already nailed Argentina and Iceland ending in a draw on Saturday at +385.

Now, the Soccerbot has examined Serbia vs. Costa Rica and has released money line, against the spread and Over-Under picks.

We can tell you he's leaning toward the Over, but his strongest 2018 World Cup picks for Sunday's match are on the money line and spread. You can only see them over at SportsLine.

The model knows Serbia is back at the World Cup after missing the fun in 2014. This is its 13th appearance.

Serbia is considered to be an aging team, with several veterans who may not have the speed to keep up with the younger, flashier teams. But it still has plenty of skill, led by Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic, and youth up front with Aleksander Mitrovic, who has 12 goals in 19 games for Newcastle.

Costa Rica returns to the World Cup after being the darling underdog of 2014, advancing to the quarterfinals in their fifth tournament appearance.

Costa Rica may not have the horsepower of some of the world's elite teams, but it does possess one of the world's top goalkeepers in the back, Real Madrid's Keylor Navas. Up front, it's the opposite, as youth and inexperience could pay off or be a detriment. Joel Campbell, an Arsenal striker, leads the way.

So which hungry nation wins on Sunday? Or does it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Serbia-Costa Rica money line pick, all from a European football expert whose powerful is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.