The 2026 World Cup is now in the round of 16, and the United States is still alive and kicking. The Americans defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the round of 32 in a match where a red card to Folarin Balogun in the 64th minute forced the team to play down one man the rest of the way. Next up is Belgium, who came back from a 2-0 deficit after 85 minutes to defeat Senegal 3-2 in extra time.
Balogun’s red card was supposed to come with a one-game suspension, but FIFA has now ruled that he can play on Monday, moving the needle on a lot of the odds for this game.
With so many potential bets that can be made, it might be a bit overwhelming to know where to begin. Fear not! Victoria Matiash and Liz Loza have looked over the options and selected their favorite bets from among those you can make for this game.
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*Odds as of time of publication.For the most updated odds, visit DK Sports
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Lumen Field, Seattle, 8 p.m. ET on Fox
USA +150 | Draw +240 | Belgium +180
USA (-0.5) +140 | Belgium (+0.5) -180
2.5 (-155 O, +125 U)
Best bets for this game
The Red Devils have advanced by regularly digging deep, creating chaos and finding late-game momentum, as evidenced by the team’s dramatic comeback victory against Senegal last Wednesday. Interestingly, six of Belgium’s nine total goals have been scored during the second half of regulation. The Americans, on the other hand, have found the back of the net early, recording six of their 10 goals in the first half of regulation. I originally selected this bet based on the assumption that Folarin Balogun would not be in the U.S. lineup, but his presence doesn’t figure to alter Belgium’s slow-burn approach. — Loza
Read more:Belgium want FIFA to explain Balogun reversal, challenge USMNT striker’s eligibility
Surprisingly and controversially, Balogun has been declared available to play in the USMNT’s group-of-16 match, after FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee suspended the striker’s one-match suspension for a year. Unless the Royal Belgian Football Association is successful in its appeal (which is rather unlikely to happen), the red card Balogun received against Bosnia-Herzegovina won’t mean a thing as the host nation endeavors to advance to the quarters.
There’s good reason the Americans’ odds to advance became more favorable following FIFA’s decision. Leading his squad with three goals, Balogun is Mauricio Pochettino‘s most dangerous scoring threat. If the 25-year-old finds the net once more, the U.S. stands a great chance of moving forward. — Matiash
