New Zealand vs Egypt Prediction & Betting Tips — FIFA World Cup
Our New Zealand vs Egypt Prediction: Over 1.5
- New Zealand have won only 1 of the previous 6 matches.
- Egypt have 2 wins and 2 draws in the previous 5 matches.
- Both teams dropped points on Matchday 1, meaning they desperately need a victory to progress to the knockouts.
Why Over 1.5 Goals for New Zealand vs Egypt
We are backing the Over 1.5 goals selection for a 1.38 payout on SportyBet. Egypt are the overwhelming favorite as they have the technical quality to control the tempo against a weaker New Zealand lineup.
Add that to the fact that New Zealand have only won 1 of their last 6 games, I’m confident Egypt will leave BC Place tonight with all 3 points or a draw at the very least.
Both Nations Need a Win
Egypt and New Zealand enter this game with a lot of frustration. Both teams held leads in their opening group matches and threw the advantage away. A draw puts both teams at risk of an early exit, so I think we are in for an end-to-end attacking display from both sides.
Head-to-Head Record
Although these nations have never faced off at the World Cup, they have met on 3 occasions. Egypt has never lost any of those matches, winning New Zealand twice and settling for a draw on 1 occasion.
Egypt Has the Star Power
While Egypt functions well as a unit, their attacking system relies heavily on the individual brilliance of Mohamed Salah. The forward accounted for 60% of all Egyptian goals and assists during the qualification phase, highlighting just how much the team leans on his production.
That reliance was evident in their last outing when Salah delivered the crucial pass for Emam Ashour to score and give Egypt the lead before the half-time mark.
Verdict
We were tempted to play Egypt to win, but there’s a good chance New Zealand won’t sit back and absorb pressure, given that their World Cup campaign hangs in the balance.
Neither side can take their foot off the gas until they find the back of the net, so I’m backing Over 1.5 Goals to cash today.