Group G Odds, Picks & Best Bets for 2026 FIFA World Cup

Belgium must be one of the seeded teams with the easiest draw in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. The Red Devils are the headliners in Group G, a zone that also features Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.

The Pharaohs might look like the toughest opponent for a Belgian side that no longer has its Golden Generation leading the way, but even in that scenario, Rudi Garcia’s men should cruise their way to a first-place finish. Neither Iran nor New Zealand should pose a significant threat to Belgium — or even to Egypt, for that matter.

Odds to Win World Cup Group G

Belgium (-212) are one of the heaviest favorites in any of the 12 groups. That shouldn’t be surprising. Even if they don’t have the elite squad they had in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, they’re still head and shoulders above their competitors in a weak Group G. The fact that the team with the second-best odds, Egypt, is listed as +456 backs that up.

As for Iran (+669) and New Zealand (+2400), they don’t have a realistic chance of topping the group. Even bettors wondering how to pick World Cup underdogs should stay away from these two teams.

Odds and prices as of June 5 at Kalshi. If you don’t live in a Kalshi region, check out SBD’s list of top World Cup betting sites.

Belgium Have No Real Competition in Race for First Place

There’s a gulf of difference in terms of talent between Belgium and the rest of the teams in Group G. The Red Devils feature one of the best goalkeepers in the world in Thibaut Courtois, who plays for Real Madrid, a dynamic playmaking duo in Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) and Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), and several potent attackers, including Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), and Jeremy Doku (Manchester City). 

Lukaku is one player to watch when it comes to the World Cup Golden Boot odds, particularly if the Red Devils make a deep run in the knockout stages; the 33-year-old is the team’s all-time leading scorer with 90 goals in 125 international appearances.

The defensive line is a cause for concern for the Red Devils, but it’s not as if they’ve been struggling to get positive results. They cruised through the UEFA World Cup Qualifiers with an undefeated record in eight matches (W5, D3) while averaging 3.62 goals scored per game. They only conceded seven in eight contests, though their opponents were Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein.

As good as Belgium have been of late while riding an undefeated streak that dates back to March 2025 in all competitions (W8, D4), the World Cup betting data shows there isn’t a lot of support for a deep run. They aren’t listed in the top ten of either bet% or handle%. The books don’t have them as a favorite in the odds to win World Cup, either. However, when it comes to topping Group G, they’re simply not going to have a lot of competition.

Can Egypt Challenge Belgium’s in Group G?

Let’s face it, neither Iran nor New Zealand have a real chance of competing against Belgium or Egypt, so they’re non-factors in this scenario. Bettors who are trying to understand how to bet on the World Cup should follow the advice and not treat them as viable underdogs, because the difference in talent, experience, and pedigree is just too big to even think about a scenario in which either team is competitive.

Egypt doesn’t fall in that category, though. Led by former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, they’re the lone team that can make things difficult for Belgium.

But after a disappointing fourth-place finish in the 2025 AFCON, it’s hard to trust the Pharaohs to pull the upset here, even if they’ve shown progress in recent friendlies (W2, D1). They should still deliver excellent value in the World Cup game odds and as a team likely to progress into the knockout rounds, but their upside is limited in the race for first place.

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