Japan have been the surprise package of the 2022 World Cup and are hurtling toward a quarterfinal if they can defeat a experienced Croatia side. Here are the best options to bet Japan vs. Croatia with the moneyline, spread, and over/under odds.
Let’s check the latest World Cup odds, stats, injury reports and World Cup lines for Japan vs Croatia. We’ve plenty of World Cup betting odds for you to consider.
Japan vs Croatia Betting Lines
Japan: Surprise Package
Japan earned their ticket for the knockout stage of the tournament in the hardest way possible, as they entered the decider against Spain as complete underdogs, but never the less recorded an outstanding 2-1 win. Japan incredibly won their group with two crazy wins against two of the best teams in the world, Germany, and Spain.
Japan, who had never previously beaten a World Cup winner, had beaten two in the space of three days. Clearly, Japan prefer to be the underdog as they look to soak up pressure and break. Against Croatia, they will not likely see the majority of the ball so they will once again have to defend and do it well because they will go against one of the most organized teams in the tournament.
Hajime Moriyasu changed around the starting lineup throughout this tournament but will be forced to replace Gladbach’s defender Ko Itakura here after he picked up a second yellow card. Ritsu Doan may get a start against Croatia after impressing as a sub so far. Japan’s fighting spirit is amazing but we still can’t trust them enough to include them in our soccer picks and parlays.
Scoop on Free Play from the Locker Room
Croatia: Super Midfield
Croatia was involved in a game of nerves last time out in a decisive match against Belgium when they took a point in a goalless draw, which saw them taking the second spot in the overall standings. They were a bit lucky though, as the Belgians were closer to victory at some moments, but much thanks to Romelu Lukaku who missed some crazy sitters, the Croatian team managed to go through to the next round.
Croatia have an advantage in terms of experience as they were the runners-up in the last World Cup. Croatia boss Zlatko Dalić is unlikely to make any major changes in his starting line-up. However, he will have to be cautious as their opponents have scored all of their goals in the second half.
Croatia’s journey so far, on the other hand, has not been as smooth as desired. They were surprisingly dull in their draw against Morocco and they finished second in their group. The highest point of their campaign was the crucial 4-1 victory over Canada, where their gameplay, orchestrated by their midfield base, had a touch of liquidity about it while an inspired Andrej Kramaric scored a brace.
There could be a change up front. Bruno Petkovic looked better than Marko Livaja when he came on with half an hour to play against Belgium and could be rewarded with a start on Monday. If you’re betting online you should always check the official lineups before placing your bet.
Japan vs Croatia Match Information
- Match: Japan vs Croatia
- Day/Time: Monday, Dec. 5, 10:00 a.m. ET
- Location: Al Janoub Stadium (Al Wakrah)
- Japan vs Croatia Live stream: fubo.tv
Japan vs Croatia Predictions
- Worth Betting the Moneyline?
Croatia enter this clash as favorites being priced at +110 on the three-way moneyline according to the latest soccer odds while Japan are priced at +280. Since records began in 1966, only on two occasions has a team lost a game despite registering over 700 passes. One of them was Germany against Japan last Wednesday and the other was Spain against Japan on Thursday.
How many times to win the lottery? Maybe it’s written in the stars for Japan to go all the way and lift the trophy but we are playing with numbers here and we don’t expect another upset from them. That doesn’t mean we don’t respect them and consider them a decent side but Croatia will win this clash and qualify in the quarter-finals.
- Worth Betting ATS?
Nobody wants Japan’s fairytale to end just yet and the neutral fans will cheer for the Samurai Blue. With the experience and the know-how of handling tournament football of the highest degree, a super squad of Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, and Marcelo Brozovic, and the safety of an in-form Josko Gvardiol at central-back, Dalic’s side would fancy their chances to halt Japan’s dream run and cover the -½ spread.
- Worth Betting the Totals?
The goal line is set at two with the over being priced at -130. We expect an entertaining clash with at least three goals on the scoresheet. Japan scored four goals against Spain and Germany and we expect them to contribute to the scoresheet on Monday.
SCORE PREDICTION: Japan 1, Croatia 2
The odds in this chart are based on the time of publication. They are subject to change.
World Cup Standings
