The United States Men’s National Team will take on Belgium in the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup and we have our first major surprise from that matchup.
After easily advancing past the group stage, the USMNT took on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first round of the knockout stage and emerged victorious, 2-0, on Wednesday.
In order to set up the matchup against the U.S., Belgium narrowly defeated Senegal, 3-2.
Ahead of the USA-Belgium showdown on Monday, July 6, sportsbooks have put out their betting odds for the contest and the soccer world was left stunned by them.
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Shocking USA-Belgium betting odds
According to FanDuel, the USMNT (+155) is favored to topple Belgium (+165), which would amount to a big upset, no matter how well the United States squad has been playing, and regardless of how average Belgium has looked.
The United States has only beaten Belgium once in six tries dating back to 1930, and that was the last time the U.S. beat Belgium.
History is also working against the United States in this match, as the USMNT has only made it past the Round of 16 once in World Cup history, and that also came in 1930.
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Another reason the USMNT should be an underdog has to do with the FIFA rankings that have Belgium ranked No. 9 in the world. Meanwhile, the U.S. is ranked 15th.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the U.S. won’t have its leading goal scorer, Folarin Balogun, after he was dealt a red card in the 2-0 win on Wednesday.
How Belgium, United States got here
Despite being the clear favorite in its group, Belgium struggled its way through the stage after posting just one win and two draws in three contests.
Belgium then barely squeaked through to the Round of 16 with a 3-2 victory over Senegal.
If not for a clutch game-tying goal from Youri Tielemans in the 89th minute, Senegal, not Belgium, would be playing the United States.
The road has been a lot less bumpy for the USMNT.
After cruising through the group stage with two wins by a combined score of 6-1, the USMNT was able to overcome a good challenge from Bosnia and Herzegovina en route to landing in the Round of 16.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Michael Moraitis
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Source: The Big Lead