Croatia vs Brazil Prediction, Best Bets and Top Odds | Massive Quarterfinal, Bold Prop Picks
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction & Betting Preview
Jump straight to the two betting picks.
Crafty old guys vs dynamic attacking flair and… Neymar. Croatia vs Brazil should be one of the highlights of the World Cup quarterfinals.
The first impression I get from looking at the odds – Croatia at +800 and a draw at +400 is… wow those odds are way too long. Yes, I suspect Brazil is going to win, but telling me a draw is +400 is a little tough to swallow. If I weren’t sticking to prop bets, I’d probably take a small bet on that draw.
Brazil looked phenomenal against South Korea, but I won’t discount the possibility that South Korea is just bad. Brazil didn’t steamroll their way through the group stage and I absolutely see overconfidence oozing from the Brazilian camp.
That said, an attack of Neymar, Richarlison, Raphinha, Vinicius… that’s scary. I’m not as sold on Brazil’s defense.
Croatia, on the other hand, eked out a shootout win against Japan in their last match, and managed two reputable draws and a win in the group stage. Croatia has an inferior attack to Brazil (although Modric, Perisic, Petkovic.. that’s not shabby), but a stouter defense.
I expect to see odds on a draw to shorten before game time. I think we’re in for a pretty exciting match.
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Croatia vs Brazil Best Betting Odds
| Friday, December 9 | Croatia vs Brazil Betting Odds |
|---|---|
| Brazil: | -275 |
| Croatia: | +800 |
| Draw: | +400 |
| Total: | 2.5 Goals -125 (Odds Above Courtesy of DraftKings) |
| Game Time: | 10:00am ET / 7:00am PT |
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction: How’s The World Cup Going For Both?
Well, pretty good as they’re both in the quarterfinals!
Brazil looked good, but not great in the group stage, beating Serbia and Switzerland, and dropping their last game 1-0 to Cameroon. Then came Brazil vs South Korea, where Brazil put an absolute shellacking on their opponent.
Flawless attack, amazing movement, and truly beautiful soccer all happened – Brazil could have easily scored 8 goals. The attack clicked and the game FLOWED. However, one amazing game does not a World Cup Champion (or even favorite) make.
Croatia, as usual, simply found a way to make it to the quarterfinals. They neither looked inspiring (except against Canada) or bad. Modric and Perisic have been outstanding. In the first knockout game against Japa, Croatia was absolutely pushed to their limits, but as usual… they found a way to win.
Perseverance, occasional lovely passing, and organization define Croatia. Don’t be shocked if they give Brazil a much sterner test than pundits or the odds expect!
Can Croatia Stop Brazil’s Attack?
The answer to that question is probably: not completely. Neymar is flying high and seems to be totally recovered from his injury.
Brazil has taken an absurd 74 shots and 29 shots on goal so far this World Cup. That’s a lot. Richarlison is leading the way with 3 goals, while Raphinha and Vinicius Jr. have both created 6 opportunities.
The problem for any defense is how to deal with the wealth of attacking riches Brazil has. There’s no drop-off between Richarlison, Raphinha, Vinicius and Neymar. Taking one or two of them out of the game is plausible.
Taking all four of them out of the game, particularly with the darting runs they all make and the dribbling and quick passing abilities they possess… nearly impossible.
Croatia does have a stout defense. They’re organized, and all 11 players are involved defensively. Will it be good enough? Probably not for any dreams of a clean sheet, but if everything clicks defensively, limiting Brazil to two or fewer goals is possible.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction : Brazil Can’t Underestimate Croatia
Recently, Casemiro said something to the effect that Brazil’s training features the two best teams in the world, their first and second 11. That’s first, ridiculous, and second, reeks of overconfidence. I remember similar overconfidence leading up to a certain game against Germany in 2014.
Which Brazil lost 7-1. Now, Croatia is no Germany from 2014, but they’re a damned good team. They’re organized, gritty, play surprisingly attractive soccer, and have Modric and Perisic.
Croatia’s also a team that defends brilliantly and simply finds a way to reach next rounds. They haven’t looked great so far, but they also haven’t looked bad by any means – drawing Belgium isn’t bad, and drawing Morocco in an even game looks better and better. Further, they’ve conceded 2 goals in 4 games.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction: Goals or No Goals?
Yes, goals. How many, I have no idea. That all depends on how well Livakovic and Alisson play.
I do think the first half might be a little cagey, with not too many clear-cut opportunities. I expect Croatia to be prudent and pragmatic with the ball. That said, as soon as someone scores the first goal – which I also think will happen in the first half, this game is going to break loose.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see as few as 2 goals or as many as 6 goals – it’s entirely possible this game will be underrated going in, in terms of viewing pleasure, but will end up being a gem.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction: The Betting Picks
So, I’ve been faring extraordinarily well in my prop betting on the World Cup, but not so well on moneyline, total goals, spread bets.
With that in mind, I’m going to stick with what’s working – prop bets.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction #1:
I expect to see both goalkeepers in good form and defenses clearing crosses out. That says ‘corner kicks’. Brazil along should get 7+ corners, and Croatia will be more dangerous than the current feeling on them is and will have a few as well.
Croatia vs Brazil Betting Pick: I like the Over 9.5 corners combined at +125 at DraftKings.
Croatia vs Brazil Prediction #2:
These two teams will shoot. They don’t wait for the perfect opportunity to pull the trigger. They both took 17+ shots in their first knockout match. If Brazil surprises me and does dominate, they’ll take huge numbers of shots – but Croatia won’t shy away from attempts. If the game is more even, as I suspect, Croatia AND Brazil will take shots and lots of them.
I was tempted to go with the Brazil 18+ total shots at +135 at DraftKings, but I prefer the Croatia total shot line..
For the 2nd Croatia vs Brazil Betting Pick, I love the Croatia 9+ total shots at +125 at DraftKings.
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Stoppage Time | 2022 World Cup Betting Preview
The 2022 World Cup carries on, after some fascinating games. Going forwards, Which favorites will endure some trouble? Which darkhorses are ready to emerge? Join Carmine Bianco, Kevin Dolan, Pavlos Laguretos and Nick Borrman for Stoppage Time as we look at the World Cup from a variety of handicapping angles.
2022 World Cup Group Predictions
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