France will be looking to book its first trip to the World Cup final since 2006 when it takes on a high-powered squad from Belgium in Tuesday’s semi-final contest as +150 favorites on the World Cup lines.
Les Bleus remained unbeaten at Russia 2018 with a decisive 2-0 win over Uruguay as +100 chalk in quarter-final action on Friday, and now sit perched as +200 favorites on the World Cup championship odds going into Tuesday’s matchup at Saint Petersburg Stadium.
France has kept clean sheets in three of their five tournament wins to date, and has allowed more than one goal just once while compiling a 7-2-0 win-draw-loss record in their past nine matches across all competitions, a 4-3 victory over Argentina in the Round of 16.
However, Les Bleus must contend with the tournament’s top offense when they battle Belgium, who sit as +200 underdogs on the World Cup semi-final odds in Tuesday’s match.
Les Diables Rouges hope to have buried the memory of recent World Cup disappointments with a 2-1 win over Brazil in the quarter-finals as +275 underdogs. Belgium now leads the tournament with 14 goals scored, and have been a dominant offensive force during their 24-match unbeaten streak, averaging 3.25 goals per game. That trend has given added appeal to the OVER in totals betting, which sports +110 odds of the goal total topping 2.5.
These two sides filled the net in their most recent meeting, a 4-3 Belgium victory in a 2015 friendly. Neither side has dominated in recent clashes, with both squads sporting 2-2-2 marks over their past six meetings. However, France holds the edge with a pair of victories in previous World Cup meetings, including a 4-2 win in added time when they last met in the third-place game in 1986.
Belgium remains close on France’s heels with +275 odds in World Cup championship betting.
In this week’s other semi-final contest, England takes on Croatia as +130 favorites on the World Cup odds. The Three Lions kept rolling along in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Sweden as a -120 wager in quarter-final action. England’s 11 goals equals their goal total from the 1966 World Cup, when they claimed their last tournament victory, and they closely trail France as a +250 bet on the World Cup championship odds.
A youthful squad has been getting it done for England, led by Harry Kane, who sits atop the goal scoring race with six markers. But a stout defense has been a big difference maker for the Three Lions, who have surrendered just seven total goals during their current 11-3-1 run across all competitions.
Croatia has needed to go to penalties to secure victory in their two knockout stage contests at this year’s tournament, and take on England as a +240 bet on the World Cup semi-final odds.
Those lengthy contests have contributed to strong +220 odds of Tuesday’s date going beyond 90 minutes. However, Croatia has been dominated by England, including a pair of lopsided defeats in UEFA World Cup qualifying, and are a -145 bet to see their tournament end on Tuesday.