2018 World Cup Betting Predictions: Russia vs. Egypt Odds

The host side is coming off a massive win over Saudi Arabia in its opener and will look to double down against a side that lost its first match. However, Egypt could look much different with the return of its star striker, Mo Salah, who is looking to make an immediate impact to help his side salvage this tournament over its final two games.

World Cup 2018: Russia vs. Egypt Betting Analysis

This will be the first time that Russia and Egypt meet in a competitive soccer match. Russia is coming off an impressive debut after beating Saudi Arabia 5-0. They cashed as a big favorite. Meanwhile, Egypt is coming off a 1-0 loss to Uruguay after finishing atop its group in qualifying with a 4-1-1 record.

Russia

The Russians looked like a revitalized unit in the opening match of the tournament. While most had them winning that first match, few projected them to explode for five goals versus Saudi Arabia. Injuries somewhat forced the team’s hand with a switch from their traditional 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2 formation that we will likely see again from them in their second game. The only change for Tuesday’s game will likely be the insertion of Denis Cheryshev into the starting lineup in place of the injured Alan Dzagoev. Cheryshev impressed with two goals as a substitute in the opening match, so even if there wasn’t an injury, he had made a strong enough impression that we would have likely seen him featured in this match.

The challenge here is that Egypt is a step up in competition for Russia. Saudi Arabia looked like a team who really didn’t know how to play soccer. That means we don’t really know if Russia is as good as they looked or if Saudi Arabia just made it so easy for them. Egypt is a step up in competition but not a big one, so this is still a very manageable spot for Russia – especially at home.

Egypt

Egypt came within minutes of salvaging a point versus Uruguay while playing without its superstar Mo Salah. Instead, Uruguay broke through in the dying minutes with a late goal and Egypt was forced into a corner with nothing to show for a relatively strong effort. Now the urgency ramps up for Egypt with Salah fully expected to start versus Russia but how healthy is he? And the health questions don’t end with him. Amr Wanda and Mahmoud Trezeguet both suffered injuries late in the opening match.

Even with Salah back, Egypt will have a difficult time breaking through but the reality here is that Russia isn’t exactly a powerhouse. Their opening match didn’t tell us anything about them that we didn’t know. If Egypt keeps this close, the pressure will mount on Russia as the game progresses. Egypt could use a conservative style to bring Russia back down to earth and force them into a draw.

Russia vs. Egypt World Cup Prediction:

Russia 1, Egypt 1