Published Jun 18, 10:05pm ET by
Keith McCarthy - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 18, 10:05pm ET
Credit: Shutterstock
Updated Jun 18, 10:08pm ET
New Zealand and Belgium meet in an exciting Group G clash. Belgium is heavily favored but will look to avoid a shocking upset against a scrappy New Zealand team that is certainly capable of surprises.
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| Belgium | -450 |
| DRAW | +550 |
| New Zealand | +1200 |
New Zealand managed to force a draw against Iran, a solid result for a squad with one of the lowest FIFA rankings to qualify for the World Cup. They still face an uphill battle to make it past the group stage, though the point they earned in the first game is a good start. Belgium will offer a much more difficult matchup and New Zealand will need to be at their very best to have a chance of earning another point in this one.
Belgium had a disappointing result in their first game, allowing Egypt to draw them 1-1, despite Belgium having a much higher FIFA ranking. Still, they drew one of the most favorable groups, with Iran and New Zealand not expected to offer much more of a fight than Egypt. Belgium is in good shape to win this game and lock down a spot in the knockout stage if they can get off to a hot start.
Both of these teams forced draws in their first game, though New Zealand's was a much more positive result as their underdog in their game. They once again enter as the underdogs, this time by quite a wide margin. While I'd be wary of picking a slow-starting Belgium to win this game by multiple goals, bettors should be able to feel confident in take them to win what should be close to a 3-1 game.
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Pick
Belgium to win (-450)
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