Media by Associated Press – France’s Kylian Mbappe in action during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between France and Poland, at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)
After two games without games, the 2022 FIFA World Cup resumes on Friday as the quarterfinals get underway. There will be two games on Friday and two on Saturday, with the winners advancing to next week’s semifinals. Of the eight teams remaining, five have won the World Cup before, while Croatia lost in the 2018 final, Portugal finished third in 1966, and Morocco is the first-time quarterfinalist.
Friday’s games are five-time winners Brazil against Croatia and Netherlands against Argentina. On Saturday, the defending champions from France take on rivals England and Portugal face the Cinderella story in Morocco. Let’s take a look at three of the best bets to make in the quarterfinals round of the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe AGS +150
France won the title in 2018, and they are the second-best favorites behind Brazil to win it all this time around. No team has repeated at the World Cup since Brazil 1958-1962, but the French team is playing with a ton of confidence and scoring scores almost at will. They have scored nine goals so far in the tournament, with three in the round of 16 win over Poland.
Mbappe, the PSG star, leads all players in the World Cup so far with five goals, two more than any other scorer. He has scored in every game he’s started thus far, with two against Denmark in the group stage and two against Poland in the round of 16. The only game in which Mbappe didn’t score was when he came off the bench in the 63rd minute against Tunisia in the meaningless group stage finale.
England will be a tough matchup for France, and the winner of this game will be heavily favored in the semifinals. These teams haven’t met since a 2017 friendly and haven’t played a competitive game since a 1-1 draw in the 2012 Euro. If France is going to break down a tough England defense and win this game, they need Mbappe to be at his best and lead the attack with a goal.
Brazil/Croatia Over 2.5 Goals (-120)
Brazil are on a mission to end their 20-year drought for a sixth World Cup trophy. This game won’t be easy for them as Croatia made it to the final four years ago before losing to France.
The Croatians went to penalties twice before winning in 2018, then beat England in extra time and won in penalties again last week. If they play for penalties on Friday, they could find themselves in trouble as Brazil will attack all game long. Brazil put four past South Korea in the round of 16 after scoring three times in the group stage.
Brazil have had trouble with teams from Europe in recent World Cups. They were eliminated at this stage by Belgium in 2018, got blown out by Germany in the 2014 semifinals, lost to Netherlands in the 2010 quarters and France in the 2006 quarters. But this Brazilian team is more balanced, led in scoring by Richarlison with three goals, and Neymar is back healthy.
The game should lend itself to multiple goals. Croatia have talented scorers as well, and they will need to be aggressive to take out Brazil. That will open up the game and lead to goals in Friday in Qatar.
Netherlands/Argentina Both Teams to Score (+105)
The second game on Friday features a pair of top-10 teams, and group winners as Netherlands face Argentina. Both teams scored five goals in the group stage, and neither team has been shutout yet in Qatar. Netherlands scored three more goals in the round of 16 win over the USA, and Argentina beat Australia 2-1.
Both teams are full of playmakers and goal-scorers. The Netherlands showed against the USA they are comfortable off the ball and scoring on quick counterattacks through the midfield. Cody Gakpo has three goals in Qatar, and five other players have found the back of the net as well.
Messi leads Argentina with three goals in the tournament, including one against Australia in the round of 16 win. Youngster Julian Alvarez has a pair of goals, while two others have scored as well.
Both teams have two clean sheets in four games. The defenses have been strong, but neither have faced an attack like they will on Friday. Look for the offenses to get going early, and both teams score in this one.
Stay tuned for more WC 2022 Qatar betting picks and previews!