France host Belgium at the Stade de France on Monday night, with Didier Deschamps's side chasing a seventh straight win over their neighbours.
France welcome Belgium to Paris on the back of an excellent run of form, having beaten the Red Devils in six consecutive meetings. Belgium arrive with goals of their own to their name, though their defensive record has been shakier in recent outings, setting up what should be an open, attacking contest between two sides packed with firepower. Kick-off is at 20:45 BST.
Who is the Favourite to Win in France v Belgium?
France go into the game as heavy favourites, priced around 4/6 to win, with the draw available at 14/5 and Belgium out at 9/2.
That gap in the market reflects both France's recent dominance in this exact fixture and their overall squad strength, though Belgium's attacking output this season means they shouldn't be dismissed entirely, particularly in a game many expect to be fairly open.
France v Belgium Best Betting Tip
Best Bet: Match Result and Both Teams to Score - France
Best odds: 9/5 (Ladbrokes)
Stake: 1pt
France to win and both teams to score is the standout angle on this card. France are in outstanding form at the moment and have won six straight games against Belgium, a run that makes backing them to win tonight relatively straightforward on its own.
The goals angle is what makes this bet interesting. Belgium have scored 13 goals in their last six games, a return that suggests they'll have their own moments in this match even while on the losing side, and with both teams carrying genuine attacking quality, a France win accompanied by goals at both ends looks a well-rounded way to back the hosts.
France v Belgium Bet Builder Tip
Here's our France v Belgium Bet Builder Tip for tonight's game:
- Yes - Both Teams To Score
- Jérémy Jacquet Over 1.5 - Tackles
- Adrien Truffert Over 1.5 - Tackles
- Timothy Castagne Over 1.5 - Fouls
Best odds of 15/2 at bet365 while publishing.
Yes - Both Teams To Score
Both teams to score is close to a 50/50 call in this fixture on paper. History between these two sides suggests it should be a tough ask for either defence to be breached twice, but recent form points the other way, with both sides carrying enough attacking quality to trouble any backline in Europe.
Given the firepower on both teams tonight, leaning towards goals at both ends looks the sharper read of this matchup.
Jérémy Jacquet Over 1.5 Tackles
Jacquet's tackle numbers have been consistently strong across his recent run of starts. He has recorded 2 and 2 tackles in his two Nations League appearances so far, and averages 3.7 tackles across his last 10 starts for France.
His tackle count has also trended upward recently, with his last five starts reading 2, 2, 2, 5 and 8 - including two outings well above tonight's line. Across his last 10 starts overall, his numbers read 3, 4, 3, 1, 1, 3, 3, 1, 1 and 1, and with Belgium likely to see spells of possession, Jacquet should have plenty of defensive work to do.
Adrien Truffert Over 1.5 Tackles
Truffert joins Jacquet in this builder as a second defensive leg, with his role on France's left side likely to put him directly up against Belgium's attacking threats down that flank for large parts of the game. A side expected to face a reasonable amount of Belgian pressure in wide areas gives him every chance to clear this mark.
Timothy Castagne Over 1.5 Fouls
Castagne's recent disciplinary record gives this leg plenty of support. His fouls committed across his last nine starts for Belgium read 1, 0, 2, 0, 2, 4, 0, 1 and 3, while his numbers across his three most recent Nations League matches read 1, 0 and 2.
What makes this leg particularly appealing tonight is the opposition he'll be facing. Castagne is set to come up against an attack featuring Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola, a level of direct running and movement that should test him defensively throughout and give him every chance of picking up multiple fouls over the 90 minutes.
France v Belgium Player Prop Bet
Best Bet: Mika Godts - Over 0.5 Shots On Target
Best odds: 5/4 (bet365)
Stake: 1pt
Mika Godts is Belgium's primary attacking outlet heading into tonight's game, and his underlying shooting numbers make him a strong angle even with France expected to dominate large parts of the match. He averages 0.7 shots on target per game this season, and memorably scored from his only two shots on target in Belgium's win over Italy.
His more recent form backs the bet up further, with Godts averaging 1.01 shots on target across his last 10 starts. As the focal point of Belgium's attack against a France side that has shown some defensive vulnerability of late, backing Godts to test the goalkeeper at least once looks a sound way to finish the card.
