Africa’s biggest tournament is here and we’re covering AFCON picks, parlays and best bets all tournament long. Read on for our Round of 16 Africa Cup of Nations predictions for today’s game between Egypt vs Benin at 11am EST, Monday, January 5, 2026.
Egypt won Group B at 2-1-0, scoring just 3, but allowing just 1.
Benin were one of the best third place teams, being 3rd in Group D at 1-0-2 and being outscored 4-1.
AFCON Odds and Picks
Here are today’s odds for the Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16.
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Egypt | -225 |
| Draw | +300 |
| Benin | +800 |
| Egypt to advance | -500 |
| Benin to advance | +333 |
| BTTS Yes / No | +162 / -225 |
| Over 2.5 / Under 2.5 | +135 / -175 |
Egypt vs Benin Preview
Egypt (The Pharaohs)
34th in FIFA Rankings and AFCON’s winningest team with 7 titles.
On Matchday 1 they were put to the brink, down 1-0 to Zimbabwe until they levelled in the 64′ and then scored the winner in the 91′.
Then on Matchday 2 they took the lead with a Salah PK, but then took a red (Mohamed Hany) right after and had to play the whole second half down a man, but still came out with a 1-0 win over South Africa.
Versus Angola on MD3, there was little between the teams and Angola actually had the edge in shots 15-4 and shots on target 5-2, but no one could score and it ended 0-0.
Prior to AFCON, they weren’t good in the Arab Cup with a 1-1 draw, 1-1 draw and 3-0 loss, not advancing out of the groups.
But in their last 25 games in all comps, they have only 2 losses. Only 4 times in 41 games have they not scored. But, they’ve only scored multiple goals twice in 10 games.
Benin Preview
Benin (Les Guepards / The Cheetahs)
92nd in FIFA Rankings.
On Matchday 1 they conceded early to DR Congo in the 16′ minute and that ended up being the only goal of the game and Benin managed just 1 shot on target on 11 shot attempts.
Then in Game 2, it was another tight came, but this time they came out on top of a 1-0 result, beating Botswana with Yohan Roche scoring in the 28′ minute. That was Benin’s first-ever win in 90 minutes at AFCON in their history.
It was always going to be tough vs Senegal on MD3, and while they had 5 shots on target and almost made it to halftime scoreless, Senegal scored in the 38′, 62′ and 97′. No even a Senegal red card in the 71′ helped in any comeback attempts and Benin lost 3-0.
The Under 2.5 has cashed in 6/10 recent Benin games. Record-wise, in their last 12 they are 4-7-3. More recently, they’re 3-0-4 and 4-0-5. The BTTS NO is also 10-0. Obviously with lower-scoring games, they usually haven’t won or lost big. But … this does include heavy losses to Burkina Faso (3-0), Nigeria (4-0) and then Senegal (3-0).
Egypt vs Benin Head-to-Head
In the minimal meeting between these nations Egypt is 3-1-0. They’ve all been high-scoring games at 3-3, 4-1, 5-1 and 2-0, but those games were in 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010.
AFCON Prediction
While on paper Benin’s overall record is ok, if we look at their recent wins, they’ve come vs Botswana, Rwanda and Lesotho, not exactly top teams. Versus some bigger opponents, they’ve come out on the losing end and by multiple goals. In fact, upsetting Egypt is considered such a feat, that players are to get a €300,000 bonus if they get into the quarterfinals.
Egypt should get the win, but they rarely blow anyone away. And there’s not been more 3 goals in a Egypt game since September 2024 (21 games).
- AFCON Picks: Egypt to win and under 3.5 (-125)
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Ryan Métivier 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.
