Egypt v Australia Betting Markets
Egypt fans could be in dreamland if their nation can make it to the last sixteen of the World Cup. They've received a favourable route after a second-placed finish in their group. The Pharaohs opened with a 1-1 draw against Egypt where they were in the lead for a good chunk of the game. Then came a 3-1 success against New Zealand where the African side came from behind to score three second-half goals.
Hossam Hassan's side then played out a 1-1 draw against Iran to cement their runner-up spot and it will be interesting to see how they fare against Australia. We're quite sweet on their chances as they've gone unbeaten thus far and had some encouraging results leading into the tournament.
Egypt enjoyed a 4-0 friendly victory against Saudi Arabia in March and that was before a goalless draw against Spain. They then overcame Russia by a single goal before being narrowly beaten by Brazil. That defeat is the only time that they've lost across the space of eight games, with the bookies making them favourites to claim a victory.
Although the odds suggest they only have a 40% chance of success in normal time, they're regarded as having a 60% probability of going through to the last sixteen stage and a probable clash against Argentina.
As for Australia, they are priced at 3.25 to claim a victory here. That means a roughly 30% chance of getting the job done in normal time. The Socceroos produced a surprise result by beating Turkey in their opening match when winning 2-0. They then barely laid a glove on co-hosts United States of America, with a goalless draw against Paraguay being completely predictable as both teams could go through.
Goals Under/Over
It's little surprise that Under 2.5 Goals is priced at short odds. The price of 1.44 suggests that there's a 70% chance that two goals or less will be scored. There might even be some merit in going for the bigger price of 2.37 that there are Under 1.5 Goals. After all, both sides are playing for the chance to reach the last sixteen and there's a lot at stake.
All three of Australia's games have featured two goals or less. They're not blessed with attacking talent although manager Tony Popovic is capable of organising the team from a defensive point-of-view. Captain Harry Souttar marshals a defence and is flanked by Alessandro Circati and Lucas Herrington.
Egypt also specialise in being defensively strong. Two 1-1 draws against Belgium and Iran means that we can be confident they also know how to run a tight ship, although perhaps they're over-reliant on Mohamed Salah to score goals.
BTTS
With the Under 2.5 Goals price trading so short, it's hardly a surprise that BTTS No is also heavy odds-on. The 1.61 suggests that there's a 62% chance of at least one side failing to score. The cliché is that the first goal is vital although that really does ring true here. Whichever side takes the lead could well defend for their lives and get over the line with a victory.
The problem with wagering on BTTS No is that there's a strong possibility of there being a 1-1 scoreline. Egypt have played out three BTTS Yes games during the group stage, including two 1-1 draws. The Pharaohs have scored and conceded in all their games at the tournament and might take the attacking initiative here.
As for the Aussies, all of their games included BTTS No. They scored in just one of these games, with two goals coming against Turkey before drawing a blank against the United States and Paraguay. We actually think that if you fancy Egypt to land a victory in normal time, this could be paired with BTTS No to achieve a bigger price.
First Goalscorer
There have been five different scorers for Egypt during the World Cup. Therefore, while Mohamed Salah is likely to be the most popular player on this market, it's worth considering alternatives for your Bet Builder. Emam Ashour broke his duck against Belgium and the Al Ahly forward has a decent strike rate at club level. Perhaps he's the one to break the deadlock here.
Then we have the curious case of Mostafa Ziko, with the 29-year-old having made just four appearances for his country although he has scored three times. There was a goal against New Zealand during the group stage and the Pyramids player also supplied an assist, so he could well be worth watching for this clash.
As for Mohamed Salah, the former Liverpool man put his team ahead against the Kiwis and is going to be the best attacking player on the pitch. The 34-year-old has scored 68 goals across 119 matches, with the winger having notched an incredible 191 goals across 315 games and perhaps he can sprinkle some stardust here.
Australia will pin their hopes of Nestory Irankuda, with the Watford man having scored six goals in eighteen international appearances. Connor Metcalfe and Cristian Volpato will also hope to break through for the Socceroos.