On paper, Group G of the World Cup is the one with the least potential of surprises. Both Belgium and England seem certain to reach the last 16 at the expense of Tunisia and Panama.
I tend to agree with these expectations, but you never know.
The 1st round of the group stage will be a good sign for things to come, as both favorites have the chances to start with a win against one of the underdogs.
However, the odds for them to do so are abysmal, and it’s interesting to see if there are any other valuable betting opportunities available.
So, let’s go ahead and do just that.
To start with, here are the main odds for this Group G match.
Panama has never played in the World Cup finals, and the whole nation is excited for the team to be in Russia. The country can’t expect a warm welcome to the tournament in its first game, as Belgium is one of the most talented sides out there.
The European side has an exceptional squad and quality in all parts of the pitch. The goalkeeper and the defense are more than capable of keeping much stronger teams than Panama quiet.
At the same time, the attacking players of the team are simply stunning. The likes of De Bruyne, Hazard, and Lukaku are among the best players in the World Cup. You would struggle to find many other World Cup participants with a more potent front line.
On top of that, there’s a lot of balance. Hazard is quick and technically gifted, while Romelu Lukaku provides a physical presence and the ability to score all kinds of goals. Add one of the best passers in the world in De Bruyne, and you know that Panama will be in trouble.
The main hopes of the small country will be related to skipper Roman Torres and the goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. They are the backbone of a somewhat decent defense which helped Panama reach the finals in Russia.
I’m 100% positive that Panama will give everything in the World Cup and in this match, in particular, but I simply can’t see anything but a comprehensive victory for Belgium here. The difference in quality is simply enormous.
A price of 1.18 for Belgium to win against Panama is hardly attractive enough for my taste. I expect the Europeans to win with ease, so I checked the Asian handicap options. Belgium -2 goals is priced at 1.98, which is fantastic.
This means that any win with 3 or more goals will bring back a profit, while if the European team wins with 2 goals, the wager will be void. I feel this is the best betting option out there, as my correct score prediction is 4-0 for Belgium.
Here are the main prices in the main betting markets.
I feel this game will be much closer than the first one for a couple of reasons. For a start, England doesn’t have the same balanced team as Belgium.
Sure, an attack with Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, and Dele Alli is more than capable of providing goals, but the midfield doesn’t have enough creative players. The likes of Jordan Henderson and Eric Dyer are solid when shielding the defense, but they are not exactly flair players.
The other problems of this England squad are related to the defense and the goalkeeper. It’s hard to determine the best goalie, and the coach, Gareth Southgate, has struggled to pick a back line that works well.
This shouldn’t be that big of a problem against Tunisia, though. The country had a couple of important players with injuries just before the World Cup, most notably the top scorer in the qualifiers, Youssef Msakni, who won’t play in Russia.
As a result, the African side will find it hard to score and will have to rely more on their defense. I expect some hard work and a lot of discipline from Tunisia.
It probably won’t be enough to grab a point, but England will have to put in the effort to get all three points.
Backing England to win at a price of 1.44 is out of the question, as the odds are way too low. At the same time, Tunisia will struggle to score without its best forward and with a couple of creative players just returning from an injury.
I will take the risk to pick under 2.5 goals. The price is 1.72, and I will rely on a clean sheet from England and hard work at the back from Tunisia. As a result, the European side should take a win in the 1-0 or 2-0 region.
The biggest risk here is that England will score an early chance, and this will open the game. Still, it’s a risk I’m willing to take.
I will finish this post with my suggestion for the Million Pound Bet by BetVictor. It’s still early days, so I will still keep it somewhat reasonable. The game I would like to pick here is England-Tunisia.
England to win 2-0 Harry Kane to score first Tunisia over 2.5 cardsI obviously feel England can win and keep a clean sheet. At the same time, Harry Kane is the most dangerous player on the pitch, so to back him to score first is the logical choice.
Finally, I expect Tunisia to commit a lot of fouls, so a couple of cards are not the worst choice. The overall price I get is 35, which is more than decent.
I don’t see the possibility of a surprise here. The favorites Belgium and England should take the three points comfortably.
If you have another idea, simply share your thoughts in the comments section. I would love to hear them.
Good luck!
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