Belgium v Senegal Betting Markets
Senegal are trading at an attractive 3.50 to claim a last-32 victory over Belgium at Lumen Field in Seattle. The Lions of Teranga will have been glad that their third-placed finish has led to them facing these particular group winners, with the African side having earned their place in the knockout stage thanks to a 5-0 demolition of Iraq.
Pape Thiaw's side may have lost to France and Norway already, although they were in both games throughout these contests. They were able to cause real problems for Les Bleus in their opener and will be confident of serving it up against a team who have looked disjointed at the tournament so far.
Senegal's front three is among the best in the tournament, with Sadio Mane and Ibrahim Mbaye flanking Ismaila Sarr. Idrissa Gueye is a quality player to have in the engine room, with the physical challenge from the African team potentially meaning that they can have the edge over a Belgian side who are hard to trust.
The Red Devils have a quality attacking triumvirate operating behind Charles De Ketelaere although it might be that Romelu Lukaku is given the nod. Kevin De Bruyne can still pull the strings and there's the guile of Leandro Trossard along with the pace and trickery of Jeremy Doku.
There is weakness at the back for both teams which could be exploited by superior attacks. Perhaps the best shout of all is the draw at a value price. It's a game which both teams will feel they have a good chance of winning, although the stakes are high when it comes to knockout football.
Goals Under/Over
The bookies have the shortest price when it comes to Under 2.5 Goals. There's a 60% chance of this happening according to the latest odds. Some might be surprised to find Over 2.5 Goals is operating at odds-against when you consider that fourteen goals have been scored across three Senegal matches so far.
Eight of these have been notched by the Lions of Teranga across games against France, Norway and Iraq. They have also conceded on six occasions, with Les Bleus and the Norwegians having each pilfered three goals. Therefore, we might expect a more open game than the bookmakers are predicting.
Perhaps the prices are set due to Belgium playing two low-scoring encounters during the group stage including a goalless draw against Iran. There was also a 1-1 scoreline against Egypt. There will be a fear of conceding.
BTTS
There's nothing to separate the odds between BTTS Yes and BTTS No. We'd argue that the former is preferable considering Senegal have scored in all three group games, with Belgium finding the net against Egypt and New Zealand. The Red Devils do tend to get on the front foot and they do have some quality attacking options, especially with Trossard and Doku operating in wide positions.
There's a strong chance that Rudi Garcia's side will find the net considering Senegal conceded three times apiece against France and Norway. The Lions of Teranga really have to try and attack opposition who will instead be driven forward by Kevin de Bruyne and the Napoli man can unlock some of the tightest of defences.
We think the best bet combination could be a draw along with BTTS Yes. Alternatively, you could simply have a play on the 1-1 and 2-2 draw. For both teams, the attacks are stronger than the defence and that could lead to a bit of a shootout. We can't trust either defence to keep a clean sheet.
First Goalscorer
If Senegal are to score, then it could come from the boot of Ismaila Sarr. The Crystal Palace man has enjoyed plenty of success in front of goal, with the wide forward notching a brace against Norway before also getting on the scoresheet when his team thrashed Iraq 5-0. Papa Gueye might be a defensive midfielder but he demonstrated an eye for goal by landing a brace against the Iraqis and more could come here.
Interestingly, Sadio Mane is yet to find the net although the former Liverpool and Bayern Munich forward clearly carries a threat. He is likely to remain on the pitch for the vast majority of the game, with Ibrahim Mbaye also capable of providing a big threat from a wide attacking role considering the eighteen-year-old has four goals on the board during a short international career.
Belgium have scored six times in the tournament although all the Red Devils had to show for their efforts after two games was an own goal equaliser against Egypt. The European side then cut loose in their final clash and it was notable that Leandro Trossard was on the scoresheet twice. The Arsenal man has more of an eye for goal than Jeremy Doku who can be an assist provider instead.