Belgium vs. Iran World Cup prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for Group G match on Sunday

Group G is perfectly poised as we head into the second part of the round robin.Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand are all on a level playing field with one point and an even goal difference, but the two teams that will be most disappointed with their first World Cup match are undoubtedly Belgium and Iran.The Belgians were -170 favorites to defeat Egypt, but needed a second-half equalizer to earn a 1-1 draw.

Iran was odds-on against New Zealand but fell behind twice before walking off the pitch with a 2-2 tie.And it wasn’t just the result that would have left both Belgium and Iran with bitter tastes in their mouth after their first match.

Neither side played particularly well, either.Like a handful of favorites during their first match, Belgium looked out of answers for much of their tilt with Egypt.The Belgians were pretty toothless in the first 60 minutes, and it wasn’t until 33-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku came off the bench that they started to make sense on the field.Lukaku didn’t get credit for Belgium’s lone goal, but it was all his doing.

The problem is that it’s hard to trust that Lukaku could be impactful for a full 90 minutes.Perhaps manager Rudi Garcia elects to start his country’s all-time leading scorer, but that could backfire if Iran holds the Red Devils off the board in the first hour.

Then, who would Garcia turn to to change the tempo?Regardless of who Garcia taps up front, it would behoove Belgium to be on the front foot from the opening whistle.Although Iran came into the tournament with a reputation of being a rugged, defensively sound opponent, the Lions of Persia looked out of their depth at times against a New Zealand side that was full of pluck but would never be confused with France or Spain in terms of talent.

If Iran couldn’t keep the Kiwis quiet, then what happens if Belgium decides to go for it?Perhaps that’s playing into Iran’s strength as a defend-and-counter team, but Belgium really has no other option.The...