High Stakes in Doha
Once again, Belgium is one of the favorites to win the World Cup. Let’s not forget that in 2018, the Red Devils finished third. The thing is that their debut in the 2022 edition is going to be against Canada, a team that’s eager to prove its worth after not having played on soccer’s grandest stage since 1986.
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports, and World Cup lines for Belgium vs Canada. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Belgium vs Canada Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total | Team Total |
| Belgium | -1 -120 | -195 | O2½ -130 | O1½ -155
U1½ +135 |
| Canada | +1 Ev | +525 | U2½ +110 | O½ -145
U½ +125 |
| Draw | +340 |
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
Belgium: Forget About Lukaku
I’ve been saying it for a long time: having the World Cup in the middle of the season is a terrible idea. A lot of stars couldn’t be in Qatar due to injuries, including Karim Benzema, Christopher Nkunku, Sadio Mane and now Romelu Lukaku.
The 29-year-old Belgian striker is struggling with a hamstring injury. Even so, head coach Robert Martinez called Lukaku up to thinking about the knockout stages. That’s right, Lukaku could be available from the Round of 16 if Belgium makes it out of Group F.
With Lukaku out, it’s time for Michy Batshuayi to shine. There’s also Lois Openda, who plays for Lens in Ligue 1 and is only 22 years old. Both are extremely fast but not as strong as Lukaku, whose absence could also be an opportunity for Eden Hazard to turn things around. Hazard barely plays in Spain with Real Madrid, but Martinez fully trusts him.
Let’s not forget that the Red Devils’ roster also includes Kevin De Bruyne, Charles de Ketelaere, Yannick Carrasco and Thibaut Courtois, to name a few. In other words, they should be fine.
Canada: Talent to Spare
Canada finished atop the CONCACAF qualifiers standings thanks to an 8-4-2 record, with 23 goals for and seven against. No other team scored more goals and no other team allowed less.
Cyle Larin finished as the qualifiers’ top scorer with 13 goals. He was followed by Jonathan David with nine. Alphonso Davies and Lucas Cavallini contributed five each. Davies also finished as the player with the most assists with eight.
Most recently, the Canadians defeated Japan 2-1 in their last preparation game. Steven Vitoria and Cavallini were the scorers. They showed a lot of resilience as Japan went ahead thanks to Yuki Soma, who scored only nine minutes into the game. Besides winning, Canada finished with 17 shots in total, 10 more than Japan, and won possession with 55 percent.
The following players came off the bench: Cavallini, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea. Stephen Eustaquio didn’t even play. In other words, we’re talking about a team that has the talent to spare. As if that wasn’t enough, they have no major injury concerns.
Belgium vs Canada Match Information
- Game: Belgium vs Canada
- Date/Time: Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2 p.m. ET
- Location: Al-Rayyan Stadium, Doha
- Belgium vs Canada Live stream: fubo.tv
Belgium vs Canada Picks & Prediction
- Worth betting on the Moneyline?
Not really. Belgium is offering a -195 price in the sportsbook, while Canada is +525. I do believe the Red Devils are going to win, but I also expect Canada to put up a really good fight. In this case, you would need to wager $195 in order to win $100. Considering Belgium lost 2-1 to Egypt in its last preparation game, it’s too risky.
- Worth betting ATS?
Again, not really. Belgium comes -1 at -120. The risk is lower, but I don’t see Belgium winning by more than one goal. The Red Devils’ last two victories were against Poland and Wales, both by one goal.
- Worth betting on the Totals?
This is it. The game total is set at 2½ goals. The over, which is my soccer betting recommendation, is offering a -130 price. That’s better than investing $200. Why do I believe the total is going over? Because we’re talking about one of the top-scoring teams in Europe, with 25 goals during the qualifiers, and the top-scoring team in CONCACAF with 23 goals in the last round. So, if there’s something you can expect from these two, it’s goals.
SCORE PREDICTION: Belgium 2, Canada 1
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
