Euro 2016: Will Wales make history vs. Belgium?

Belgium vs. Wales

Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, Fri., 3 p.m. ET

Belgium -135
Wales +470
Draw +245
Total 2 (Over -135)

How they got here

Belgium has looked like a different side since dropping their tournament opener to Italy. Over their last three matches they've kept three clean sheets and outscored their opposition 8-0, highlighted by a 4-0 thrashing of Hungary in the round of 16.

Wales didn't put together an overwhelming performance against Northern Ireland, needing an own goal in the 71st minute to win. Wales put just a single shot on target in the match, appearing frustrated at times by their opponent's compact defense.

This fixture should take on a more familiar feel for Wales; they will allow Belgium to maintain possession and hope for one brilliant moment on the counter attack.

These nations met twice in qualification, Wales nipping Belgium 1-0 once and the other match ending in a 0-0 draw.

Who to watch

Gareth Bale continues to rewrite Welsh soccer history with each match. A win for the Dragons means a national milestone -- reaching the semifinals of an international tournament for the first time. Bale's individual brilliance led directly to the Northern Ireland own goal responsible for Wales' passage to the quarters.

The biggest issue facing Chris Coleman's side against Belgium is the availability of Ashley Williams. He suffered a shoulder injury in the last match but appears to have recovered nicely, meaning he should be a go Friday.

It took a long time, yet the talented Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard finally looks like himself again. Every member of Marc Wilmots' Red Devils side has raised his game since an ugly 2-0 loss to Italy (a result that doesn't look so bad now). There's class at nearly every position, from Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel in the midfield to players like Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku up front.

Thibaut Courtois had to work for his clean sheet against Hungary, turning aside six shots in a game where the teams combined for 20 attempts on target.

What will happen

Cinderella won't go down easy against an opponent they secured results against in the last two meetings. Belgium's offense feasted on porous Irish and Hungarian defenses, tallying seven goals in those matches. Against Sweden and Italy, they struggled to find consistency and showed very little ingenuity up front.

The injury to Williams is a concern for Wales since his presence in the defensive midfield is essential.

This line is borderline laughable; seeing Belgium -135 against a Wales side where a fraudulent England team was priced up to -200? Something inside me, however, says laying the 3-way could be treacherous. Look for a defensive-minded affair where a win to nil for either side would not shock me.

The Play: Both teams to score -- "No" (-140)

Note: All bets for the knockout phase are regulation only unless otherwise stated.