Game by game, Brazil is building up the form, and the Quarter-Finals clash with Belgium set for this Friday, July 6th, 2018, at Kazan Arena should be the biggest test so far for the five-time World Cup champions. On the other side, Belgium somehow survived Japan in the previous rounds, so the Red Devils will be highly motivated to prove their worth and beat Selecao as clear underdogs.
Brazil vs. Belgium
3-Way: 1: Brazil +110; X: +250 Draw; 2: Belgium +275 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Brazil +110; Belgium -125
Total +2.5: Over +100; Under -125
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: -125/-105
BRAZIL
With two unconvincing wins over Costa Rica and Serbia, and a starting draw with Switzerland in the group stage, Brazil hasn’t impressed their fans, but in the last-16 match with Mexico, Selecao put on a strong performance to easily overcome El Tri 2-0 with a couple of goals in the second 45 minutes. Neymar has finally shown the class, scoring the opening goal and assisting to Roberto Firminho for the second, but the midfielder Willian was arguably the best player on the field. Mexico strictly marked Philippe Coutinho in the middle of the park, leaving plenty of room for Willian who knew how to use it, creating a lot of dangerous scoring chances for his teammates.
The striker Gabriel Jesus had another awful game, but the manager Tite obviously doesn’t want to change anything at the front, although Firmino looks like playing in a quite good form. The defensive line had an excellent day in the office against the Mexicans which is encouraging fact ahead of the clash with Belgium. The anchor-man Casemiro will have to serve his yellow card suspension, and it could be a huge miss for Selecao, while full-backs Marcelo and Danilo both should be ready after some injury problems. The winger Douglas Costa is still unavailable due to a thigh injury.
- Brazil is a +275 favorite to beat the 2018 World Cup
- Brazil is at -175 to qualify for the Semi-Finals
- Brazil is at +175 to reach the Final
BELGIUM
The Red Devils were on the verge of elimination in the previous round, losing 2-0 against Japan until the 69th minute when Jan Vertonghen cut the deficit. Five minutes later, Marouane Fellaini made it 2-2, while Nacer Chadli scored the winning goal in the dying seconds of the game after a terrific counter-attack. Belgium was at -250 to beat Japan, so this has to be an alarm ahead of the clash with Selecao, as the Red Devils looked so fragile at the back.
With three men at the defensive line, Belgium struggled to cope with Japan’s attacks from both flanks, leaving a lot of space for through balls behind their back. On the other hand, the Red Devils had a huge problem with Japan’s high pressure, failing to create dangerous attacks from the middle of the park, so they must improve in the next match against Brazil if they want to get anything from this World Cup. The striker Romelu Lukaku completely disappointed, although he had a huge physical advantage over Japanese defenders, while Dries Mertens also had a poor game.
- Belgium is a +550 favorite to win the title in Russia at BetDSI Sportsbook
- Belgium is at +137 to qualify for the Semi-Finals
- Belgium is at +333 to reach the Final
Brazil vs. Belgium – Match and Odds Breakdown
This will be the clash of the Titans, the duel between the first and the third strongest candidate to beat the 2018 World Cup. Brazil is searching for the sixth crown, while the perpetual losers Belgium are looking for the first major trophy ever. The Red Devils possess a sheer quality among the squad, but they always underperform in big games.
I think Belgium stands a chance here only if makes changes in the system, as with three at the back, they will suffer against Neymar on the left wing and Willian on the other. Likewise, the Red Devils will obviously have to take a more aggressive approach in the middle of the park, or Selecao’s pace will make a huge damage. On the other hand, the set-pieces are Belgium’s chance, while Lukaku and Mertens must improve in the final third.
With so many attacking weapons on both sides, the bettors could easily see a couple of goals, while +110 odds on a draw at halftime are always attractive in this kind of matches with so much on the stake. Wagering on the over 2.5 goals at +100 could be a nice choice, but as long as it stays tied on the scoreboard, I don’t think we’ll see too much risky action.
The Pick: Both Teams to Score YES (-125)
