After defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday night, the United States Men’s National Team will look to continue its run in the 2026 World Cup when it hosts Belgium in a Round of 16 contest on Monday, July 6. Kickoff from Seattle is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
The Americans will have their top scorer, Folarin Balogun (three goals), available for this contest, after the striker’s one-match ban for a straight red card in the 64th minute of the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina was controversially suspended by FIFA.
That decision solves a selection headache for USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino, who can now start his star man in Monday’s match against a Belgium side that overturned a late two-goal deficit against Senegal in the Round of 32, coming back to win 3-2 in extra time thanks to a brace from midfielder Youri Tielemans.
To prepare for this World Cup Round of 16 matchup, let’s examine the latest odds and make some USA vs Belgium predictions.
USA vs Belgium Odds
All soccer odds used for these USA vs Belgium predictions are current as of Monday, July 6, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: USA (+145) / Draw (+240) / Belgium (+185)
- Spread: USA -0.5 (+140) / Belgium +0.5 (-175)
- Over/Under: Over 3.5 Goals (+135) / Under 3.5 Goals (-170)
- To Advance: USA (-130) / Belgium (+105)
USA vs Belgium Predictions
Score Prediction: USA 2, Belgium 1
I think the Americans would’ve had a decent shot to win this game without Balogun, but his controversial availability is a massive boost for the USMNT.
The 25-year-old is in great goal-scoring form, and the U.S. can’t directly replace his pace and willingness to run down the channels. Those physical attributes should come in handy against an aging Belgium team that played extra time in its previous matchup against Senegal.
The Americans should also have plenty of confidence coming into this match after grinding out the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina with 10 men. They kept their second clean sheet of the tournament after failing to keep opponents out in eight consecutive games ahead of the World Cup, including a 5-2 friendly defeat to Belgium in March.
While that setback looks ominous, both squads will line up pretty differently on Monday night. Also, Belgium hasn’t been particularly impressive in this tournament, drawing with Iran and Egypt in the group stage and barely squeaking past Senegal in the Round of 32.
USA vs Belgium Best Bets
USA to Advance (-130) vs Belgium
While the buildup to this match has mostly centered on Balogun, it’s fair to say that the U.S. has been the better team at this World Cup.
The Americans have won three of their four matches, with the only setback coming in a 3-2 loss to Turkiye, when Pochettino made nine changes to his starting lineup.
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On the other side, Belgium is pretty lucky to be here after trailing Senegal 2-0 in the 85th minute. The Red Devils were let off the hook in the Round of 32, as Senegal created 3.58 expected goals to their 1.74, but the Lions of Teranga hit the woodwork twice and made some costly mistakes.
The U.S. will have a massive home-field advantage in Seattle, where it beat Australia 2-0 during the group stage, so I’m backing the Americans to advance.
Folarin Balogun: Anytime Goal (+130) vs Belgium
Given the circumstances, it feels like a Balogun goal is written in the stars.
The Monaco man has scored three times in three appearances at the World Cup, including netting what proved to be the game-winner against Bosnia and Herzegovina before receiving his controversial red card.
If the March friendly tells us anything, it’s that this game could very well be high-scoring, as both teams have plenty of attacking firepower and are a little weaker at the back.
In a match with an over/under of 3.5 goals, I’ll back Balogun to find the back of the net on Monday night as my soccer bet of the day.
