Two of the top stars at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations will be on opposite sides on Sunday when Egypt faces Senegal in the final. Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane of Senegal are the faces of their national teams, but they are more often a dynamic duo with Liverpool in the English Premier League. The Egyptians have won a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, while Senegal lost in the 2019 final and has yet to win a title. Egypt knocked off host Cameroon on penalty kicks Thursday after the teams played to a scoreless draw, a day after Senegal surged to a 3-1 victory against Burkina Faso. Egypt has a 6-2-4 edge in all-time meetings, but these teams haven’t faced off since 2014.
Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. ET at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon. Caesars Sportsbook lists Senegal as the +127 favorite (risk $100 to win $127) on the 90-minute money line in its latest Senegal vs. Egypt odds, with Egypt the +275 underdog. A draw is priced at +180 and the over-under for total goals scored is set at 1.5. Before locking in any Egypt vs. Senegal picks or any Africa Cup of Nations 2021 predictions, you have to see what red-hot soccer insider Jon Eimer has to say.
Eimer is a high-volume bettor who has vast knowledge of leagues and players across the globe. Since joining SportsLine, Eimer has covered the English Premier League, Serie A, the FA Cup and much more. The Indiana-based handicapper compiled a winning record of 260-133-1 with over 90 units of profit for his community on various platforms over a recent two-month stretch.
Now, Eimer has broken down the Senegal vs. Egypt Africa Cup of Nations final from all sides and just released his coveted picks and AFCON predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the AFCON final betting lines and trends for the Egypt vs. Senegal match:
- Senegal vs. Egypt spread: Senegal -0.5
- Senegal vs. Egypt over-under: 1.5 goals
- Senegal vs. Egypt money line: Senegal +115, Egypt +305, Draw +180
- SEN: Sadio Mane has 10 goals and seven assists in 19 matches in 2021
- EGY: Mohamed Salah has scored four and set up three in 2021 (12 games)
Why you should back Senegal
Senegal came in among the favorites because it has talented players at every level. It starts in the net, where Chelsea star Edouard Mendy is hard to beat. The 2021 FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year is second in the Premier League in save percentage (81) and has 24 clean sheets in his 51 starts for the Blues the past two seasons. It has allowed just two goals in the six games while scoring nine. Three of those came in a flurry Thursday, with Abdou Diallo opening the scoring on a scrappy goal off a corner in the 70th minute. Mane set up a Bamba Dieng goal six minutes later.
Sane, the on-field leader for Senegal, put the game away after Burkina Faso pulled within a goal. He broke free on the counter-attack and chipped the ball over the goalkeeper to seal it in the 87th minute. The star midfielder has three goals and seven shots on target in Senegal’s six Cup of Nations games. Turkish league star Famara Diedhio is second on the team with eight goals and Watford’s Ismaila Sarr has five, with both playing in 13 games in 2021. Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli) and Abdou Diallo (Paris Saint-Germain) form a formidable duo in the back.
Why you should back Egypt
Egypt can always count on moments of brilliance from Salah, who had several near-misses against Cameroon on Thursday. The 29-year-old can score from any angle, and the Pharaohs lead the Cup of Nations in shots on target, putting half of their shots on net (30 of 60). Salah leads the English Premier League in goals (16) and is second in assists (nine). Senegal yielded 10 shots (three on net) against an inferior Burkina Faso team in the semifinals, and it could have some jitters with the pressure of another final. Egypt is clearly comfortable on the main stage.
The Pharaohs will be fired up to close out this tournament with a title after knocking off the hosts. Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy has put up a 93.8 save percentage at AFCON, best at the tournament among full-time starters. He is at 85 percent for his career with Egypt, posting 18 clean sheets in 32 games. The back line has held opponents to 33 percent of shots on target (23 of 69). Mostafa Mohamed, 24, has scored 13 goals in his 33 matches with Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Ligue and can cause problems for defenses alongside Salah.
How to make Africa Cup of Nations Final Egypt vs. Senegal picks
Eimer has scrutinized Sunday’s Senegal vs. Egypt final from all angles, and he is leaning under on the goal total. He has two confident best bets, including one on the side, and a full breakdown of the match. He’s only sharing his AFCON final picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Senegal vs. Egypt in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for the Egypt vs. Senegal Africa Cup of Nations match, all from the soccer expert who has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the world, and find out.