Belgium vs Slovakia Prediction, Betting Tips, Odds - UEFA Euro 2024
| Timetable | 18:00 GMT 17th June 2024 |
| Prediction | Belgium to Win! |
| Odds | @1.50 |
| Bookmaker | DirectionBet Sport |
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Although Belgium’s so-called “golden generation” may have failed to win a major international tournament, the current team (which features seasoned veterans and talented youngsters) is still ranked as the second best in the world by FIFA. So, they’ll be confident of kicking off their 2024 UEFA European Championship campaign with a win over Slovakia, when the two sides battle at the Frankfurt Arena on June 17th. However, Slovakia qualified impressively for the finals, placing second behind Portugal in Group J and winning seven of their 10 matches. But which side will prevail here, and what odds are being offered by Ireland’s best betting sites?
🏆 Belgium vs Slovakia Prediction
Belgium’s successful qualification campaign was led by talisman and record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku, who struck an incredible 14 goals in just 549 minutes of playing time at a rate of 1.75 per 90. This was a record number of goals for a single UEFA qualifying campaign, while Lukaku scored an incredible 64% of his team’s goals in Group F.
Conversely, Lukas Haraslin top scored for Slovakia with just three goals, with the nation’s success based on a solid defence that kept five clean sheets (in 10 matches) and conceded just eight times at a rate of 0.80 per 90 minutes. Slovakia also recovered 383 balls during qualifying, which is the second highest among the teams that have reached the Euro 2024 finals.
Belgium averaged 58.1% possession per 90 minutes during qualifying, compared to just 52.7% for Slovakia. So, I expect the Red Devils to dominate the ball at the Frankfurt Arena, while Slovakia sit in a low block and look to hit their opponents on the counterattack. This will create a classic game of cat and mouse, although having possession high up the park will suit players like Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard and Jérémy Doku.
Doku was certainly an effective creative force for the Belgians during qualifying, with his pace and direct running contributing a total of four assists for his teammates. I expect him to star against Slovakia in this Group E opener, too, as Belgium record a comfortable win to get their 2024 campaign underway!
My Prediction: Belgium 3 – 0 Slovakia⚽
💯 Belgium vs Slovakia Match Odds
When you wager on the Group E match between Belgium and Slovakia, you’ll be able to access a diverse range of betting lines and markets. In addition to the win market, for example, you can bet on both teams to score (or not) and the over/under on the total number of goals that will be scored in the 90 minutes. Here’s my analysis of the very latest odds.
🏅Belgium vs Slovakia: Match Winner
The Belgian are the heavy betting favourites to beat Slovakia in Frankfurt, with their average odds of 1.48 implying a 67.56% probability of a win for the Red Devils. Conversely, Slovakia are priced as high as 6.50 to record their first ever win against the Belgians, suggesting that they have just a 15.38% chance of achieving this objective. Interestingly, the draw is considered to be more statistically likely than a Slovakia win, with odds of 4.33 implying a 23.09% probability of the match ending in a tie.
| Team to win |  |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium to Win | 1.50 | 1.48 | 1.48 | 1.48 | 1.48 |
| Slovakia to Win | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.50 | 6.20 |
| Draw to Win | 4.50 | 4.33 | 4.33 | 4.33 | 4.30 |
⚽ Belgium vs Slovakia: Both Teams To Score
Both teams scored in just three of Belgium’s eight qualification matches (37.5%), with Domenico Tedesco’s charges keeping an impressive five clean sheets (including three on the road) and finding the net in every single game. As for Slovakia, both sides found the net in four of their 10 qualification contests (40%). The ‘Slovak Falcons’ kept five clean sheets in total and drew just two blanks, while they found the net in all five of their away matches.
| Yes/No | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 1.90 | 1.87 | 1.82 | 1.87 | 1.91 |
| No | 1.90 | 1.86 | 1.82 | 1.86 | 1.90 |
🥅 Belgium vs Slovakia: Over/Under Goals
Belgium’s eight Euro 2024 qualification matches yielded 26 goals in total, at a rate of 3.25 per game. Incredibly, Belgium scored 22 of these goals at a rate of 2.75 per 90 minutes while conceding just four times in total. Slovakia contested 10 matches in qualifying, with these encounters producing 25 goals at the much lower rate of 2.50 per 90. Slovakia scored 17 times at an average of 1.70 per game.
| Under/Over | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2.5 Goals | 1.73 | 1.71 | 1.71 | 1.71 | 1.73 |
| Under 2.5 Goals | 2.00 | 2.05 | 2.07 | 2.05 | 2.08 |
✔️ Belgium vs Slovakia Betting Tips
It’s hard to find value in the win market here, with Belgium the heavy betting favourites and the odds implying just a 15.38% probability of a Slovakian victory. However, there’s superior value to be found in alternative betting lines and combination wagers, and I’ve prepared some expert tips to help you build the ideal bet slip.
- Tip 1: Back Belgium to Win and Both Teams Not to Score: Belgium are the deserved favourites to defeat Slovakia in their Group E opener. However, the bookies are split when it comes to the BTTS market, with the odds implying just a 52.6% probability of both teams scoring at the Frankfurt Arena. Ultimately, Belgium kept five clean sheets during qualifying and conceded just four goals (only France and Portugal shipped less), while Slovakia lacked a proven goalscorer at the international level. The current Slovak squad has scored a cumulative total of just 77 international goals, so get on Belgium to win and both teams not to score at the enhanced price of 2.36 with Sportaza Sports.
- Tip 2: Back Belgium with a Handicap of -1.75 Goals: A whopping 49 places separate these two teams in the FIFA world rankings, and while Slovakia have now qualified for their third consecutive European Championship finals, they failed in their first five attempts as an independent nation. Interestingly, four of Belgium’s six qualifying victories produced a winning margin of three goals or more, with the Red Devils keeping a clean sheet in each of these fixtures. So, consider backing Belgium to win with a handicap of -1.75 goals at a price of 2.75 with Royalist Play Sports.
- Tip 3: Back the Second Half to be the Highest Scoring: Belgium scored 10 of their 22 qualifying goals in the second half of matches (45%), while Slovakia struck eight of their 17 goals (47%) during the same period. The Slovaks also boast exceptional defensive organisation and will look to frustrate the Belgians with a low, compact block, so Tedesco’s side may need to be patient as they look to break their opponents down. Because of this, I’d recommend backing the second half to be the highest scoring at a price of 2.06 with 20BET Sports. This is an excellent use of any free bets that you may have!
1️⃣ Belgium Euro Update
Not only did Belgium remain unbeaten during their eight-match qualification campaign, but they haven’t lost in 12 games overall since Morocco defeated them during the group stage of the 2022 World Cup. They’ve kept eight clean sheets in total and scored 27 goals during this sequence, affirming the Red Devils as one of the best and most balanced teams in the Euro 2024 finals. In addition to the prolific Lukaku, Leandro Trossard scored twice during qualifying and now has seven international goals in just 32 caps. The 2023/24 campaign saw him hit 17 goals in 46 matches for Arsenal as the Gunners finished second in the Premier League.
| Last 5 Games | |
|---|---|
| England 2 Belgium 2 | 26.03.24 International Friendly |
| Ireland 0 Belgium 0 | 23.03.24 International Friendly |
| Belgium 5 Azerbaijan 0 | 19.11.23 UEFA Euro Qualifiers – Group F |
| Belgium 1 Serbia 0 | 15.11.23 International Friendly |
| Belgium 1 Sweden 1 | 16.10.23 UEFA Euro Qualifiers – Group F |
Despite recently recovering from an ACL injury and playing for Real Madrid in their 2023/24 Champions League final win over Dortmund, keeper Thibaut Courtois has been left out of the Belgian squad. Although both Aster Vranckx and Jan Vertonghen have made the 25-man party, they’re currently recovering from a torn muscle fibre and groin injury, respectively. Chelsea’s Romeo Lavia misses out on selection as he continues his recovery from a troublesome ankle injury.
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| Aster Vranckx | Torn Muscle Fibre |
| Jan Vertonghen | Groin Injury |
| Romeo Lavia | Ankle Injury |
2️⃣ Slovakia Euro Update
Slovakia won seven and lost just two of their qualifying matches in UEFA Group J, with Portugal the only side to defeat Francesco Calzona’s side. Since a surprise a 2-1 reversal against Azerbaijan in a Nations League clash in Trnava on September 22nd, 2022, Slovakia have only lost three of the 15 matches they’ve contested in total, with Austria the only other team to defeat them during this sequence. However, Slovakia have only won seven games during this run, while scoring just 22 goals at a rate of 1.46 per 90 minutes. Once again, this highlights the teams’ lack of a proven goal scorer at international level.
| Last 5 Games | |
|---|---|
| Norway 1 Slovakia 1 | 26.03.24 International Friendly |
| Austria 0 Slovakia 2 | 23.03.24 International Friendly |
| Bosnia 1 Slovakia 2 | 19.11.23 UEFA Euro Qualifiers – Group J |
| Slovakia 4 Iceland 2 | 16.11.23 UEFA Euro Qualifiers – Group J |
| Luxembourg 0 Slovakia 1 | 16.10.23 UEFA Euro Qualifiers – Group J |
Although Calzona has named 25-year-old Slavia Prague right back Michal Tomic in his provisional Euro 2024 squad, this player has only recently recovered from a knock and remains a doubt for the finals. Otherwise, the Slovakian team is largely at full strength and will be raring to go against the Red Devils in Frankfurt.
| Player | Reason |
|---|---|
| Michal Tomic | Knock |
👕 Belgium vs Slovakia Potential Lineups
| Pos. | Belgium 4-3-3 | Slovakia 4-3-3 | Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | M. Sels | M. Dubravka | Goalkeeper |
| Right Back | T. Castagne | P. Pekarík | Right Back |
| Centre Back | W. Faes | D. Vavro | Centre Back |
| Centre Back | J. Vertonghen | M. Skriniar | Centre Back |
| Left Back | A. Theate | D. Hancko | Left Back |
| Midfielder | A. Vermeeren | J. Kucka | Midfielder |
| Midfielder | A. Onana | S. Lobotka | Midfielder |
| Midfielder | Y. Tielemans | O. Duda | Midfielder |
| Wide Forward | L. Trossard | R. Polievka | Wide Forward |
| Striker | R. Lukaku | R. Boženík | Striker |
| Wide Forward | J. Doku | R. Mak | Wide Forward |
✒️ Lewis Humphries – Expert Tipster
Lewis Humphries is an experienced football writer and tipster from the UK. He writes regularly about the Champions League, Premier League, Serie A and other competitions, regularly delivering expert match predictions and betting insights. He also successfully predicted the winner of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, while accurately forecasting the outcome of several group stage and knockout games.
Lewis doesn't just stick to sports; you can also find plenty of casino gaming content. He's reviewed some of the world's leading online casino platforms, while creating blog posts and landing page content for various sports betting brands. His content has also been featured on a number of Irish betting sites, including Life Hack, Investopedia, Yahoo Finance and Business Insider. He also pens regular sports features for sites including 90 Minutes, Think Football Ideas and Sportsblog.
