Belarus vs Bulgaria Prediction: Under 2.5 goals could be a smart play

Belarus take on Bulgaria in their League C Group 3 opener of the Uefa Nations League on Thursday (19:45), and both sides will be looking for a fast start.

The hosts' last two matches ended in 4-0 defeats to Israel and Russia respectively, and you have to go back to November for their last victory. Bulgaria have drawn their last three matches, and wins for them have also been hard to come by. Read on for my Belarus vs Bulgaria prediction, accompanied by match odds and team news.

Belarus vs Bulgaria Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Belarus vs Bulgaria page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Belarus are 16/5 to take the victory, giving them a 23.8% chance. Bulgaria are priced at 4/5 to claim the three points, which gives them an implied probability of 55.6%. The draw is available at 23/10 (30.3%).

Both teams to score is valued at 1/1 and over 2.5 goals is marketed at 5/4.

Ahmed Ahmedov was handed his first call up to the Bulgarian national team after an excellent start to the season with Spartak Varna, netting six goals in seven league appearances. He is 21/10 to score on his international debut, and 5/1 to score the first goal of the match.

Football Odds

Team News

Belarus have had a few injuries to contend with when naming their squad for this camp, however their star man, Max Ebong, looks set to start in midfield despite not being at full fitness. The supporters will not care because the player is vital to the team both defensively and offensively.

He will be looked to by his team-mates for inspiration on Thursday, and he is the danger man Bulgaria need to be wary of.

Bulgaria themselves appear to have a clean bill of health heading into this clash which could have a huge impact on the outcome of the match. PAOK striker Kiril Despodov is a key figure for Ilian Iliev's side and he will hope to have a huge part to play here.

Bulgaria to win @ 4/5

This match is a tough one to call because neither team has been outstanding in recent international breaks, and the first game of the Nations League can always be unpredictable.

However, you're here for my thoughts on the game and so I am sticking my neck out and backing Bulgaria to take the win. Iliev's side may not be winning as many games as they would like but they are in a habit of avoiding defeat, and I think this could be key against Belarus.

I think their squad has a little bit more quality too, which we should see out on the pitch on Thursday and I think both Despodov and Ahmedov will be pivotal for Bulgaria to start their campaign off with a win.

Belarus will still be reeling from their recent heavy defeats, in my opinion, and I predict that they will start this match a little bit shaky, If Bulgaria can come out the traps quickly and take the lead, I think that might just settle the result because I'm unconvinced Belarus would have what it takes to respond.

Under 2.5 goals @ 4/7

You may think this bold considering Belarus have conceded eight goals in their last two matches, but it is because of Bulgaria that I have gone for this market. Iliev's side are not the most prolific, with the last match in which they scored more than two goals coming back in 2022 when they defeated Gibraltar 5-1.

They certainly have the attacking players to score goals, with two that I have already spoken about above, but their recent record suggests they will score no more than two.

Additionally, I like this selection because I think they can keep Belarus at bay on Thursday. Belarus have failed to score in any of their last four fixtures, and like I have already mentioned, I think they will still shaken up by their latest heavy defeats, which Bulgaria can capitalise on.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

Thursday: Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any Nations League game on Thursday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on any Nations League game on Friday.