This opening match of the World Cup group stage has seen odds movement that reveals signals that should not be ignored, and Egypt is worth paying attention to. Let’s first break down the handicap trend. In the opening stage, several bookmakers made Belgium a half-goal to one-goal favorite, with the home side’s price concentrated in the low range of 0.78 to 0.87, while the away side was priced in the higher range of 0.95 to 1.05. But as kickoff approached, the line began to split clearly. Some bookmakers moved from a half-goal to a one-goal handicap, while the home side’s price surged from 0.78 to 0.84 at the opening to an extremely high 1.05 to 1.10. At the same time as the line was raised, the home side’s price did not fall; instead, it climbed sharply. This kind of move is by no means a sign that the bookmakers are more confident in a big Belgium win. On the contrary, it is a way of using a deep handicap and high price to lure money toward the favorite, with the real intention being to reduce pressure on the underdog. Other bookmakers held firm at the half-goal to one-goal line, lowering the home side’s price further from 0.80 to 0.87 at the opening to 0.77 to 0.82, while the away side’s price was also raised from 1.03 to 1.05 to 1.07 to 1.13. These two approaches may seem contradictory, but they actually point to the same conclusion: the market is doubtful about Belgium’s ability to cover the handicap. The fundamentals also provide support for Egypt. Belgium are unbeaten in their last 10 matches with 7 wins and 3 draws, and their attack has been scoring an average of 3.7 goals per game, so their firepower is indeed frightening. But a closer look at the opponents shows that teams such as Liechtenstein and Kazakhstan were relatively weak, so the quality of those numbers needs to be discounted. More importantly, key defender Zeno Debast is out with a hamstring injury, leaving a potential weakness in the back line. In the first match of the World Cup proper, facing an experienced Egypt side, Belgium are unlikely to break through a deep handicap with ease. Egypt, meanwhile, have only 4 wins, 4 draws and 2 defeats in their last 10 matches, but their unbeaten rate stands at 80 percent. They have been able to hold top teams such as Spain and Brazil to draws, showing excellent resilience and defensive organization. In their last match, they lost narrowly 2-1 to Brazil, and they also drew 0-0 with Spain. Taking into account the misleading signals from the handicap upgrade and price rise, as well as Egypt’s stubborn performances against stronger sides, Belgium will find it extremely difficult to cover a one-goal handicap. Predicted score: Belgium 1-0 or 1-1 Egypt. The away side to cover looks like the direction worth following.