Egypt vs. New Zealand
BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver, Canada
Sunday, June 21st, 9 p.m. ET
Both sides opened their World Cup campaigns with draws, as New Zealand played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with Iran, while Egypt earned a hard-fought 1-1 result against Belgium in what was one of the most impressive performances of Matchday 1. With Belgium expected to take control of the group, this feels like a huge game for both nations, and three points here could go a long way towards securing a place in the knockout stages.
Egypt was the side that caught my eye most from this group in the opening round. Their game plan against Belgium was executed brilliantly, limiting one of the tournament’s stronger teams to very few clear opportunities. Coming into the tournament, I viewed Belgium as comfortably the best team in this group and New Zealand as the weakest, which makes Egypt’s performance all the more encouraging.
The Pharaohs also possess far more attacking quality than most teams at this level. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush headline a dangerous front line, and this looks like a favorable matchup against a New Zealand defense that can struggle when opponents attack with pace and movement.
While New Zealand impressed going forward against Iran, I still have concerns about them defensively. Conceding twice in a match they were expected to compete strongly in is not ideal, and they have shown throughout 2026 that they can be vulnerable at the back, with goals being scored against them by Haiti, Iran, and Finland.
Rather than backing the full-game total, I prefer focusing on Egypt’s team total. Egypt was excellent defensively against Belgium and only conceded through an own goal, which makes me question how much success New Zealand will have creating chances here. On the other hand, I expect Egypt’s attacking talent to generate opportunities throughout the match.
The bet for me is Egypt Over 1.5 Team Goals at -110. With the confidence gained from their opening performance and a favorable matchup against a defense that has shown signs of vulnerability, I expect the Pharaohs to find the net at least twice.
World Cup Best Bet: New Zealand vs Egypt – Egypt Over 1.5 Team Goals -110
