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 Nigeria on Saturday, January 17, 2026 at 11am EST.
AFCON Odds and Picks
Here are today’s odds for the Africa Cup of Nations 3rd Place Game.
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Egypt | +270 |
| Draw | +210 |
| Nigeria | +120 |
| Egypt to advance | +120 |
| Nigeria to advance | -163 |
| BTTS Yes / No | -125 / -110 |
| Over 2.5 / Under 2.5 | +107 / -138 |
Egypt Nigeria Preview
Egypt (The Pharaohs)
34th in FIFA Rankings and AFCON’s winningest team with 7 titles. They won Group B at 2-1-0, scoring 3, allowing 1.
That came from a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe, 1-0 win over South Africa and 0-0 draw with Angola.
The Round of 16 was again close for much of the game until Egypt opened the scoring in the 69′. It stayed 1-0 until Benin tied it in the 83′ and sent the game to extra-time. With goals in each half of extra-time, Egypt eventually won 3-1.
The Quarterfinals vs Ivory Coast were interesting. Egypt went up 2-0 early, and Ivory Coast staged a comeback in an eventual 3-2 Egypt win.
Egypt were second-best for most of their semifinal vs Senegal, only having 35% possession, and being outshot 11-4 and 4-1 in shots on target. When Senegal’s Mane broke the deadlock in the 78′ it proved to be the game winner (1-0).
In Egypt’s last 28 games in all comps, they have only 3 losses. Only 5 times in 44 games have they not scored. But, they’ve only scored multiple goals 3 times in 13 games in regulation. They’ve also only kept 2 clean sheets in their past 12.
Nigeria (Super Eagles)
38th in FIFA Rankings. They won Group C at 3-0-0, scoring 8, allowing 4.
First it was a 2-1 win over Tanzania, then a 3-2 win over Tunisia and a 3-1 win over Uganda.
In one of the most lopsided matches of the tournament, the Super Eagles ran rampant over Mozambique in the Round of 16 winning 4-0.
Versus another undefeated team in Algeria in the Quarterfinals, it was all Nigeria, winning 2-0 and holding Algeria to just 2 shot attempts and none on target.
In a matchup that could’ve been worth of the final, they met Morocco in the semifinals and finally met an opponent who could contain their offense. Nigeria only had 2 shot attempts and 1 on target. Morocco created more but couldn’t score and it ended 0-0 after regulation and extra-time, sending the match to PKs where Morocco won 4-2.
Nigeria have now scored in 13/14 after scoring in 13 straight, and in 21/23. BTTS bets are 6-3 and 8-4 as they’ve also conceded in 8/12.
Egypt vs Nigeria Head-to-Head
Nigeria leads this matchup all-time at 9-5-6 and have won the last 2 meetings in 2019 and 2022 by 1-0 scores. Recent scores have all been tight with the two previous being 1-0 Egypt and 1-1.
AFCON Prediction
I think Nigeria have been too good to come away from this tournament with nothing. And Egypt, while generally solid, have shown way more frailties, and have needed some PKs, extra-time and late goals to get by. Their defense has been exposed to far weaker teams than what they’ll see in Nigeria. Nigeria to win in regulation at +120 or a safer same-game parlay.
- AFCON Picks: Nigeria to score and to win 3rd (-143)
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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.
