Getty Young attacking talent highlights Tuesday's semifinal matchup.
The world’s tournament is down to four teams, and the two best are squaring off on Tuesday. France and Belgium each field some of the most talented players on the planet, and the teams themselves have faced off many times before. France are the odds favorite for the matchup, but it’s a toss-up between two teams equally capable of producing magic.
France vs. Belgium Odds
France are favored on the three-way moneyline for this semifinal, priced as high as +160 according to OddsShark.com. Belgium are a nice underdog compared to their quality, valued at +200 to upset Les Bleus. With two gifted attacking teams, the draw is an unlikely candidate at +255.
Remember, these bets are for regulation only.
On the spread France are barely favored, priced at -130 on a Pick Em. Belgium are even money, an attractive betting option for those projecting a close game and unafraid of a push.
The total for this game is set at 2.5 goals. Despite the goals from both sides in the tournament, the under (-105) is a slight favorite compared to the over (+105).
If you’re looking for a much simpler bet, you can wager simply on which team you think will advance to the final. France is favored at -135 to advance, while Belgium is priced at +105.
With Hazard and Lukaku facing off against Mbappe and Griezmann, it’s not crazy to expect both teams to score. BTTS is a popular soccer bet, and YES is a small favorite for this matchup (-125).
France vs. Belgium Prediction
This is the big one. The left side of the bracket was stacked, but these are the teams left standing. It’s not crazy that Belgium and France reached this stage in the tournament, but many pundits expected at least one to disappoint in Russia.
Because for all of their prowess, both of these teams have their own flaws. France have all the pressure, as they arrived in Russia on the heels of choking away a European championship on home soil. Add to the usual disappointing nature of a Didier Deschamps squad, and people knew this team would crash out but were unsure of when. Well it hasn’t happened yet, and France are playing as well as anybody in the tournament’s final days. France gets back Blaise Matuidi for this one, completing a midfield that’s been dominating through five matches.
There’s no doubt about it, Belgium have absolutely escaped in their two knockout wins. People want to remember their dominance of the early rounds, and the individual brilliance of Romelu Lukaku, but the Red Devils nearly collapsed against both Japan and Brazil. The were the luckiest against Brazil, who missed multiple open chances as they pushed for a tying goal.
In that matchup, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez switched from a three to a four-man back line to help deal with Neymar and Brazil. It’s unknown if he will do that against France, but it did have an additional benefit. The formation switch allowed Kevin de Bruyne to play higher up the field, allowing him to contribute to Belgium’s second goal.
Ultimately I think France are the most complete team in the tournament. They should have won Euro in 2016, and should win it all in Russia.
Prediction: France win 2-1