France and Belgium are two of the last four teams standing in the 2018 World Cup. France knocked out Uruguay with a convincing 2-0 win over an outstanding Uruguayan defense, while Belgium got out to an early 2-0 lead and held on for the 2-1 win over five-time World Cup champion Brazil, relegating Neymar to the status of Internet laughingstock, as the #NeymarChallenge has people rolling on the ground on social media, trying to look like Neymar does when he is on the grass, begging for a nonexistent foul. As you consider your sports betting strategy for this match, take a look at our World Cup betting preview and predictions.
France vs Belgium 2018 World Cup Semifinals Betting Preview
When: Tuesday, July 10, 2018, 2:00pm ET Where: St. Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg TV: FOX/FS1 Radio: None Live Stream: fuboTV Soccer Odds: France +150 / Draw +215 / Belgium +200 / O/U 2.5 Why should you bet on France? France looked confident on offense in a win over a defensively stout Uruguay side on Friday. Raphael Varane headed in a free kick from Antoine Griezmann in the 40th minute, and then Griezmann clanked a shot right off the hands of Uruguay’s goalkeeper in the 60th minute to salt away the win. France won the battle of possession, 58 percent to 42 percent, and they got what has been termed the “save of the tournament” from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the waning minutes of the first half, as Uruguay had a gorgeous header that Lloris saved, with the rebound going right to an Uruguayan player, who kicked the ball over the crossbar from the doorstep. France only had two shots on target, but they both found the back of the net, and that was all they needed. If you like France, then you think their youth movement will keep possession of the ball against Belgium and deliver enough chances to knock out the Red Devils. Belgium is also a speedy team that delivers offense in bunches, so I do think that taking the “over” in this game makes some sense. However, people who bet on France will also remember how Belgium gave up an early 2-0 lead to Japan in the round of 16 — and I would not expect France to surrender a lead of that size as Japan did. Why should you bet on Belgium? Belgium took down one of the best teams in the world win they eliminated Brazil by a 2-1 score in their quarterfinal match. As many of these matches do, this one started with a lucky break as a Belgian corner caromed into the goal off Fernandinho, giving Belgium an own goal and an early lead. However, there was nothing accidental about Belgium’s second goal, as Romelu Lukaku got going on a counter and found Kevin de Bruyne, who nailed the ball into the goal from just outside the penalty area. Brazil was able to get a goal in the 76th minute, but Belgium’s offense held on despite Brazil possessing for 57 percent of the game and winning the shooting total 26-9 (8-3 on target). Belgium has not lost to France in 14 years; in the 2010s they have met three times, with two 0-0 draws and a 4-3 win for the Red Devils in 2015 friendly. If you like Belgium, you see that win over Brazil as a turning point for a youthful team that has combined speed and skill with the tendency to make crucial mistakes at exactly the wrong time. The fact that Belgium was able to keep Neymar from causing much in the way of problems speaks well to their mental toughness. Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction Both of these teams are fast and fun to watch, and this well could be the matchup of the two best teams left in the World Cup. I like the energy to be high from the beginning, and I’m definitely taking the “over” on the goal total because I think this match will feature a lot of back-and-forth with a lot of scoring chances. I predict that Belgium will win, 3-2.Next…😈#REDTOGETHER #CM2018 #BRABEL #diablesrouges #wearebelgium #WorldCup #FRABEL pic.twitter.com/yRc3AyD80R
— Geoff (@Geoffcourtois) July 6, 2018
