Both Belgium and England will get into the playoff for the third place at the 2018 World Cup in the abysmal mood, for sure, as a Semi-Final loss is certainly the most painful in soccer. However, they will have to somehow find the strength as the clash is set on this Saturday, July 14th, 2018, at Saint Petersburg Stadium, so there’s no much time for resting.
Belgium vs. England
3-Way: 1: Belgium +120; X: +275 Draw; 2: England +230 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread 0: Belgium -160; England +135
Total +3: Over +100; Under -115
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: -185/+140
BELGIUM
The Red Devils give their best in the Semi-Final game with France, but it wasn’t enough to reach the World Cup Final for the first time in their history. They were beaten 1-0 by the Blues, and the only goal came after the corner-kick, so Roberto Martinez and his boys are surely largely disappointed as they couldn’t find the net in the most important match of their life. It looked like the Red Devils were very tired after a couple of dramatic victories over Japan and Brazil, and only Eden Hazard was a true danger for France’s defense.
The powerhouse forward Romelu Lukaku is the team’s leading scorer at the 2018 World Cup so far with four goals on his account, and he’s at +2000 to win the Golden Boot, but Lukaku is goalless in the knock-out phase. Eden Hazard has recorded a couple of goals and assists for his teammates thus far, while Kevin De Bruyne disappointed with just one goal and one assist in five appearances at the 2018 World Cup. The goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was excellent in the previous matches, but he’s at +2500 to win the Golden Glove.
Belgium has a 5-0-1 record at the2018 World Cup with a goal difference of 14:6, while four out of these six tilts had at least three goals in the total. The Red Devils have kept the net intact on two occasions, including a 1-0 victory over England in the ultimate game of the Group G. In the previous 20 matches overall, Belgium has recorded only one defeat along with 15 wins and four stalemates.
ENGLAND
The Three Lions waited for 52 years to have a chance to play in the World Cup Final, but they were beaten 2-1 by Croatia in the Semi-Final after an extra-time. England had an excellent first half, taking the lead in the 5th minute when Kevin Trippier scored a brilliant free-kick and missing several good opportunities to double the lead. In the second half, England lost the focus and after Ivan Perisic equalizer their game completely falls apart, so the Three Lions just haven’t deserved to play with France in the Final.
The captain Harry Kane is on the verge to win the Golden Boot with -2000 odds, bagging six goals at the 2018 World Cup so far, but Tottenham’s prolific striker had a poor game in the Semi-Final, taking just two shots toward the opponent’s goalie. The defender John Stones scored a couple of goals in Russia, and he will be a big threat for the Red Devils after the attacking set-pieces along with another defender Harry Maguire.
England has a 3-2-1 record with a 13:6 goal difference at the 2018 World Cup, counting just the regular time, and four out of these six affairs had two goals in the total or fewer. The Three Lions have kept the net intact only against Sweden in the Quarter-Final, while they’ve lost four out of their previous 20 games overall along with ten wins and six draws.
Belgium vs. England – Match and Odds Breakdown
The third-place playoff is often a high-scoring clash and since 1978 each game had at least three goals on the scoreboard, whilst just once on these ten occasions one of the rivals failed to find the net, and it was four years ago in Brazil when the hosts were beaten by the Netherlands 3-0. Hereof, the bookies expect to see more of the same this time, and -167 odds are set on the over 2.5 goals here, according to BetDSI Sportsbook.
The price on both teams to score is a modest -185, so it seems like wagering on the over 3 goals at +100 is the best option for the bettors who like betting on the totals. I think we’ll see a great battle, although both sides are struggling with fatigue, and it is a quite tricky job to wager on a three-way in this one. Belgium will probably control the ball in the middle of the park, while England will look for some chances through counter-attacks. Likewise, the bettors can expect some changes in the starting eleven on both sides, and I think Belgium has a stronger weaponry on the bench.
The Pick: Over 3 Goals (+100)
Additional Pick: Belgium (+120)
