World Cup Betting Breakdown (Saturday 12/17)

We have made it to the final weekend of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Saturday will be the third-place game between Morocco and Croatia, who were both denied opportunities to play in the Final by their semifinal opponent.

Morocco was the first-ever African nation to make it to the semifinals, and therefore is the first team from Africa to play for the bronze medal. This game will be much more meaningful for the Moroccans especially with the significant difference in prize money between the winner and loser of this game. Historically, teams have stayed with normal starters for this game, but it will be interesting to see if they do again this year with players returning to their clubs very soon.

Third-Place Game: Croatia vs. Morocco

In past editions of the World Cup, the third-place game has generally been a high-scoring affair. However, there is reason to think that this game will not follow suit. Croatia has only found the back of the net six times in their six World Cup games, with four of those coming in one game against Canada. They have been shut out three times. Now they’ll match up with one of the best defenses in Qatar in a game where low motivation and tired legs might come into play for the Croatians.

Morocco is not known for their attack either. They had just five goals in their previous six games in Qatar and struggled to convert their chances into goals against France during the week. These two teams came out of the same group and played to a 0-0 draw just a few weeks ago. Croatia controlled the possession, and there were a total of only four shots on goal. I think Morocco will be a little more aggressive going forward in this game with not as much on the line. Still, I think this is a cagey game played mostly in the midfield.

This game also needs a winner, so we could see ET and PKs if needed. Croatia is -136 to finish third with Morocco at +102. On the moneyline, Croatia is +135, Morocco is +200, and the draw is +240. The goal total over/under is 2.5.

Croatia vs. Morocco Bets

Total goals under 2.5

(-110, FanDuel Sportsbook)

I understand that historically there are lots of goals in this game, but I don’t see that happening this year with the current state of these two teams.