Belgium v Egypt Betting Markets
Belgium could be the World Cup dark horses and they're warm favourites to top Group G of the tournament. The Red Devils face Egypt in their opening clash and odds of 1.66 imply that they have a 60% probability of success. Punters might be slightly wary of a nation who turned up at the previous tournament and swiftly exited at the group stage, although signs are that they'll produce a better quality of performance here.
Kevin De Bruyne might have left Manchester City although the Napoli midfielder is still capable of delivering on a big scale. There's another veteran operator in Axel Witsel who will look to bow out at the top, with Romelu Lukaku being the sort of striker who has always thrived when representing his country. Jeremy Doku also has the star quality to create and score chances.
Recent results have been encouraging. A 1-1 draw against Mexico came after mauling the United States 5-2 and this was without several first-team players in March. They also scored eight goals across two qualifiers against Wales and the modus operandi seems to be outscoring any opponent in a bid for greater success.
Egypt turn up as the outsiders although they'll know that easier tests await them in their subsequent two group games. The Pharaohs missed out at the 2022 World Cup and lost all three matches four years previously, with captain Mohamed Salah having recently left Liverpool and aiming to deliver his country to a triumph of sorts in north America.
There's little doubt that Egypt are an experienced group although many of their players operate for national clubs. One of the exceptions is Mohamed Abdelmonem who is a sturdy defender who turns out for Nice, although it's a big ask to see them getting anything out of this opener.
Goals Under/Over
Over 2.5 Goals could be the way to go here. Belgium are power-scorers and it could be a long match for Egypt in Seattle. Although only two goals were scored in the Red Devils' recent encounter against Mexico, the ball hit the net seven times when facing the United States. The same thing happened in the last World Cup qualifier against Liechtenstein where Rudi Garcia's side netted all of them.
The flip side to the argument is that Egypt may attempt to run a tight ship. The fact that they held Spain to a goalless draw at the end of March provides some crumbs of comfort. A few days previously, they proved too strong when beating Saudi Arabia 4-0 and there was a goalless draw with Nigeria in the AFCON semi-finals which ended up going to penalties.
Defensive organisation could lead to a tighter game and perhaps Under 2.5 Goals might be a decent wager given the warm conditions that are likely to be in force.
BTTS
The BTTS Yes odds are once again slightly shorter than BTTS No. It would be a big surprise if Belgium failed to find the net and they are clearly stronger offensively than defensively. It makes sense for them to play attacking football, although that often leaves them blindsided as a result. It's hard to think many other sides would enjoy winning scorelines such as 5-2 or 4-2 over the USA and Wales respectively.
However, Egypt have drawn a blank in three of their previous four matches at the time of writing. It's clear that Mohamed Salah is relied upon quite heavily and his form for Liverpool tailed off during the previous campaign. The Belgians will know that keeping the former Roma player quiet could be the key to ensuring that they get a clean sheet.
We do lean towards BTTS Yes and perhaps this can be combined with a Belgium win to great effect. There will be a search for early goals and a breakthrough could mean Egypt will also go on the front foot. It wouldn't be out of the question to get another crazy scoreline considering the attack-minded nature of the Red Devils.
First Goalscorer
Romelu Lukaku has scored 89 goals in 124 appearances for Belgium. The Napoli front man has had an injury-ravaged 2025/26 campaign although he has long been targeting the World Cup and always seems to deliver on the big stage. The 33-year-old has plenty of class and could rate as a good bet considering he's a likely starter for this clash.
Jeremy Doku shone for large parts of the previous domestic season when representing Manchester City. The winger has started to show more of an eye for goal and could well have the desired impact, with Kevin De Bruyne boasting 36 goals across 117 appearances for the Red Devils. This is likely to be his final World Cup and he can deliver in an attacking midfield role.
Thomas Meunier offers a threat from set pieces and has ten international goals, with the Lille defender also potentially joined by Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper. The opposition will hope that Mohamed Salah can find a way to score goals, although the former Liverpool forward won't be surrounded by other world-class players as he aims to find the net.