Russia had the most dominant match of the group stage in its 5-0 blowout win over Saudi Arabia last Thursday. The team will try to carry the momentum of that big win into another one Tuesday when it takes on Egypt.
Russia vs. Egypt odds 2018: Host side set as betting favorite for Tuesday World Cup game
Russia will try to follow up a blowout win over Saudi Arabia with another strong match facing Egypt, with the sportsbooks giving them the clear edge on the betting lines.
Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images
The Russian national team is going off as a +110 favorite to defeat Egypt at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Egypt will try to pull off the upset as +315 underdogs or at least pick up its first point of the tournament with a draw at +215.
World Cup Group A: Russia vs. Egypt
When: Tuesday, June 19, 2 p.m. ET
Where: Saint Petersburg Stadium, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Betting Line / Total: Russia +110 / 2 Goals
Being the host nation usually works in favor of the players on the home team, but sometimes the pressure that comes with being the heavily cheered side can work against a host.
That wasn’t the case for Russia in their opener against Saudi Arabia as the Russians cruised to a 5-0 win. Egypt will be a much tougher opponent and will give Russia the chance to prove that its excellent result against Saudi Arabia was not just the result of facing a poor opponent.
Russia entered this tournament ranked No. 70 in the FIFA World Rankings, 25 spots below Egypt at No. 45.
Egypt held its own for the majority of its match against Uruguay before eventually conceding a goal in the 89th minute to lose 1-0. Things may be different this Tuesday as Egypt is expected to get its best player back from injury in Mohamed Salah.
Salah’s fitness for this match will be a key to Egypt’s chances as he is capable of being a game-breaker when healthy. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season with Liverpool this year, scoring 32 goals in 36 games.
Tuesday’s total is set at two goals. There have been at least two goals scored in Russia’s last seven games.
This is an extremely important match for both of these teams. With Uruguay expected to win the group, this game will likely decide which of these sides will advance into the Round of 16. Egypt figures to be the better team on paper, especially if Salah is able to start and is close to 100 percent. But if Russia can feed off the home crowd’s energy as it did last Thursday, this should be a very interesting match.
For more odds information, betting picks, and a breakdown of this week’s top World Cup betting news check out the OddsShark FC podcast with Andrew Avery, Rob Trites, and Craig Cormier. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsSharkFC.libsyn.com.
