Croatia and Canada face each other at Khalifa International Stadium in what will be their first meeting at the World Cup finals. Visit our sportsbook to get the best World Cup markets and bonuses.
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports, and World Cup lines for Croatia vs Canada. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Over 2½ and Both Teams To Score – Yes (+150)
Both teams won their respective qualifying groups. Croatia looked impressive when it topped European Group H, which included Russia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, conceding just four goals and scoring 21 in the process.
Croatia had a stunning World Cup back in 2018, beating England in the semis before losing to France in the final. Canada stunned the world of soccer by topping the CONCACAF section and qualifying for their second World Cup.
The 2018 World Cup finalists have lost only once in the previous seven months; a performance hailed as good preparation for the event in Qatar. Canada has never picked up a point or even scored a goal at the World Cup, but their first appearance in the competition since 1986 saw them put in a fantastic display against European heavyweights Belgium.
Given the upsets we have already seen and the general World Cup soccer betting trends, backing Canada to take a shock three points is appealing. However, the Canadian defense was undone by a relatively simple long ball and with Croatia’s passing quality they should be able to carve out a few openings.
Croatia will now feel that a win is a must against Canada if they want to progress out of the group stage, as so many expect of them. On the other side, Canada really took the game to an aging Belgium side, and if it hadn’t been for some poor finishing, the North Americans would have won. They have quality and pace, and we expect them to find the back of the net.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Canada Team Total 1st Half Over ½ (+170)
Canada played so well against Belgium, surprising them with a high line and great fighting spirit. They used the five-second rule skillfully, winning back the ball fast and creating many scoring opportunities. They recorded eight scoring chances in the first ten minutes of the game. They must be clinical against Croatia because they probably won’t have 22 goal attempts.
John Herdman’s men were very active in the final third, constantly searching for the holes in the rivaling defense. We expect them to have a similar approach on Sunday and score in the first half of the game. This is a must-win for them, so they will be forced to attack from the first whistle of the match.
Jonathan David Anytime Goalscorer (+240)
Jonathan David makes for a tasty anytime goalscorer option. The Canada striker had a bad day in front of goal against Belgium but he had seven shots on goal and was getting into all the right positions. That poor finishing will not repeat, with the Lille forward scoring nine goals in 15 Ligue 1 appearances this season.
David’s game goes beyond finishing, something which has never been more crucial to a striker at the top level. He runs hard and in doing so takes defenders with him, so we will include him in our soccer picks and parlays.