Africa’s biggest tournament is here and we’re covering AFCON picks, parlays and best bets all tournament long. Read on for our Matchday 1 Africa Cup of Nations predictions for the following games.
AFCON Schedule: Tuesday, December 23
- DR Congo vs Benin
- Senegal vs Botswana
- Nigeria vs Tanzania
- Tunisia vs Uganda
AFCON Picks
Here are today’s best bets for the Africa Cup of Nations in Groups C and D.
| Match | Pick | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| DR Congo vs Benin | DR Congo double chance & under 2.5 | (-143) |
| Senegal vs Botswana | Senegal win to nil | (-150) |
| Nigeria vs Tanzania | Nigeria to win & Osimhen 1+ shot on target | (-150) |
| Tunisia vs Uganda | Tunisia to win | (-150) |
| Parlay Pick | Senegal win / Nigeria win / Tunisia double chance | (-106) |
DR Congo vs Benin Preview
DR Congo (Les Leopards)
56th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Topped their group at 4-0-2 in low-scoring games scoring 7 and allowing just 3.
In World Cup Qualifying: They were one of the top 2nd place teams which sent them to a semifinal with Cameroon where they pulled off a 1-0 upset to then face Nigeria in the final, where they upset the cards again winning 2-1. They await an inter-continental playoff in March. in their group stage games, strong defense was again a theme, giving up just 6 goals in 10 games.
In 2024 AFCON: They drew all 3 group stage games scoring and allowing 2 goals, then beat Guinea in the knockouts, before losing 1-0 to Ivory Coast 1-0 in the semis to finish 4th.
Current form: Played a warmup friendly vs Zambia last week and won 2-0 which extends their winning streak in all matches to 5 games. Previous scores were 1-1 (PK win), 1-0, 1-0 and 1-0.
It wouldn’t be AFCON without drama and currently DR Congo is being investigated by FIFA for several players being accused of switching nationalities without fully meeting eligibility requirements.
Unrelated, but a player to watch is West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Benin (Les Guepards / The Cheetahs)
92nd in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Were just 2nd in their group at 2-2-2, scoring and allowing 7 goals.
In World Cup Qualifying: Won’t be in the tournament as they finished 3rd in their group at 5-2-3. Steve Mounie had 5G/1A.
In 2024 AFCON: DNQ
Current form: Been off since a 3-0 friendly loss to Burkina Faso in November and before that they lost 4-0 to Nigeria. But before that had won 3 straight, 1-0, 4-0 and 1-0, but … to the likes of Rwanda, Lesotho and Zimbabwe. The Under 2.5 has cashed in 5/7 recent Benin games.
Pick
They’ve only ever met twice in 2021 WCQ, a 2-0 DRC win and a 1-1 draw. DRC are considered a bit of a dark horse in the AFCON odds, despite being 50-1. But we have two pretty strong defensive teams and this, like many games could be close.
- AFCON Picks: DR Congo double chance & under 2.5 (-143)
Senegal vs Botswana Preview
Senegal (The Lions of Teranga)
19th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Went undefeated at 5-1-0, scoring 10 goals and only giving up 1.
In World Cup Qualifying: Again went undefeated at 7-3-0, scoring 22 goals and only giving up 3.
In 2024 AFCON: It was similar story going 3-0-0 in the group stage and only giving up 1 goal, but came up short in the Round of 16, drawing Ivory Coast 1-1 and losing in PKs. They did win the 2021/22 tournament though.
Current form: They’ll be one of the form teams to start the tournament. They blew away Kenya 8-0 in a friendly and have won 4 in a row by shut out, 6 in a row by a combined 24-2. They’ve also not lost in regulation in 36 overall matches going all the way back to September 2023 which was a friendly. In that time only 3 games ended drawn, with 1 PK win and 2 PK losses. It’s been 46 games since their last competitive loss, 1-0 to Uganda in January 2023 in the group stage of the African Nations Championship. With big names like Mane, Koulibaly, Jackson and Sarr, they’ll be expected to go far again.
Botswana (The Zebras)
138th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Were 2nd in their group at 2-2-2 and only scored 4 times, while conceding 7.
In World Cup Qualifying: Were 5th in their group at 3-1-6 and outscored 16-12.
In 2024 AFCON: DNQ
Current form: In all comps Botswana has only 1 win 10 games and it was versus Somalia.
Pick
They last met in 2014, both won by Senegal 3-0 and 2-0. There’s little reason to not expect another Senegal win, likely by 2-3 goals and likely in shutout fashion.
- AFCON Picks: Senegal win to nil (-150)
Nigeria vs Tanzania Preview
Nigeria (Super Eagles)
38th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Topped their group at 3-2-1, scoring 9 and allowing 3.
In World Cup Qualifying: Went 4-5-1, coming 2nd in their group which sent them to the playoff where they beat Gabon 4-1 but then lost to DRC 2-1 to miss out on the World Cup.
In 2024 AFCON: Were 2nd in their group at 2-1-0, scoring 3 and allowing 1 and went all the way to the final, losing 2-1 to Ivory Coast. That 2-1 final was their only Over 2.5 game.
Current form: Their current form has seen some higher scoring games. They lost to Egypt 2-1 in a friendly last week but before that it was 1-1, 4-1 win, 4-0 win, 2-1 win and 1-1. They’ve scored in 9 straight and in 16/17.
This team is filled with firepower in the likes of Osimhen, Chukwueze, Iwobi and Lookman.
Tanzania (Taifa Stars)
112th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: 2nd in their group at 3-1-2, scoring 5 and allowing 4.
In World Cup Qualifying: Missed out by being 3rd in the group stage, 3-1-4, scoring 6, allowing 7.
In 2024 AFCON: Came last in their group at 0-2-1, scoring just 1 goal and allowing 4.
Current form: Last month had a wild 4-3 loss to Kuwait in a friendly, but this team usually plays in low-scoring games with other scores being 1-0, 1-0, 1-1, 1-0 and 0-0. They’re also winless in those last 6 games., and have been shut out in 4/6.
Pick
Tanzania has never beaten Nigeria in 8 all-time meetings but they haven’t played since 2016. Still, given current form and the lack of much firepower, it will be hard for Tanzania to go blow-for-blow with Nigeria.
- AFCON Picks: Nigeria to win and Osimhen 1+ shot on target (-150) / If you want higher odds, you could ask Nigeria to score 2+ goals too (+115)
Tunisia vs Uganda Preview
Tunisia (Eagles of Carthage)
40th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: Were 2nd in their group at 3-1-2, scoring 7, allowing 6.
In World Cup Qualifying: Went almost perfect at 9-1-0, scoring 22 and being 1/2 African teams (Ivory Coast) to concede 0 goals.
In 2024 AFCON: Didn’t make it out of the groups at 0-2-1.
Current form: Went 1-1-1 in the group stage of the Arab Cup, last beating Qatar 3-0. The 1 loss (1-0 to Syria) is their only defeat across their last 8 matches, to go with only 3 losses in 11, the others both to Egypt. They’ve also scored in 7/8. The Over/Under has been mixed at 3-3 to 2.5 totals of late.
Uganda (The Cranes)
85th in FIFA Rankings.
In Qualifying: 2nd in qualifying at 4-1-1, scoring 8, conceding 5.
In World Cup Qualifying: Were also 2nd in their group at 6-0-4 scoring 14 and allowing 9.
In 2024 AFCON: DNQ. Last played in 2019.
Current form: Lost 4-0 to Morocco in a friendly last month but are in mixed form at 5-1-3 in their last 9. Losses to Morocco, Algeria and Senegal aren’t terrible defeats. Neither is getting wins in 5/9. But this team is a mess off the field right now. Due to unpaid bonuses, players have boycotted training and didn’t even show up on Saturday to practice. This happened in 2019 as well, and again the players sat out training before their Round of 16 game vs Egypt and they lost 1-0.
Pick
The teams haven’t met since 2017, but it’s historically been all Tunisia, winning all 5 matches by a combined 16-1 score. That should continue.
- AFCON Picks: Tunisia to win (-150)
AFCON Parlay Best Bet
And finally, I’ve looked for reasonable odds to wager on each of these games individually, but alternatively we could lump some favorites together for a safer approach.
- Picks: Senegal win / Nigeria win / Tunisia double chance (-106)
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Ryan Mรฉtivier is a seasoned editor, writer and communications professional with years of experience in all fields. When it comes to covering sports, he’s written for numerous outlets and organizations including the OHL, CHL, SportsXpress, Sports Betting Dime, Cleveland.com, MassLive, FanSided and others.
While he’ll always cheer for his hometown Toronto teams, when it comes to betting, his only allegiance is his bankroll. Ryan specializes in global soccer, the NFL and the NHL, but if there is a bet to be made, he’ll make it. As the founder of Shred The Spread, Ryan focuses on combining storylines, trends, analytics and good bankroll management to creating simple bets that make sense.
When not making a case for why both teams will score in an MLS soccer match, he can be found focusing his efforts on fitness, attempting to learn Spanish, cooking or planning his travel adventure.
