Football

Brazil vs Croatia: Betting odds and tips

Brazil vs Croatia: Betting odds and tips
Brazil's Neymar during a training session at the Al Arabi SC Stadium in Doha, Qatar. Picture date: Thursday December 8, 2022. - Photo by Icon sport

On Friday afternoon, Brazil take on Croatia at the Education Stadium in Doha in what will be the first World Cup quarter-final of 2022. The game sees the likes of Neymar, Casemiro and Richarlison take on the Croatian old guard of Luka Modric, Dejan Lovren and Ivan Perisic. While Brazil go into the game as favourites, Croatia have made a name for themselves in recent years by knowing how to win knockout football matches. 

To qualify 

The most important thing for both sets of players is qualification. Whether they do it in 90 minutes, in extra time or via a penalty shootout won’t matter to either team as long as they progress through to the semi-finals. Unsurprisingly Brazil are massive favourites in this market, coming in at 1/7 with Ladbrokes. Meanwhile, Croatia are 21/5. 

If you want to widen those odds on Brazil then you might be tempted by the match result market instead.  If you think Brazil will get the business done in 90 minutes then you Ladbrokes are offering 4/11.

First goalscorer

The first goalscorer markets are always interesting and with this Brazil side, you could legitimately pick just about any of them and feel like you’ve got a chance. In their 4-1 victory over South Korea, La Seleçao had four different scorers in Vinicius Jr, Neymar, Richarlison and Paqueta. 

Out of Brazil’s expected front four, only Raphinha is yet to find the back of the net during the tournament so far. With Ladbrokes, he is priced at 6/1 to be the first goalscorer and could be worth a shout. If you want to go rogue, then Thiago Silva, who is always a threat from set pieces, at 25/1 to score the first goal of the game might tempt you. 

From a Croatian point of view, Kramaric at 9/1 seems decent value considering he has looked like their most dangerous player throughout the tournament. 

kramaric

#GetAPrice – Neymar

Ladbrokes are offering special markets on certain players throughout the World Cup and for this quarter-final, they are focusing on Neymar. Some of the most intriguing Neymar-related markets are as follows:

  • Neymar to score outside of the box – 12/1
  • Neymar to score in both halves – 12/1
  • Neymar to score anytime, to have 5 or more shots, and to make 70 or more passes – 16/1

The best value within this section on Ladbrokes, in our minds at least, is 10/1 on Neymar to score anytime and to be shown a card. You can just picture the PSG man scoring a late winner and celebrating by removing his shirt. Two birds, one stone. 

To win on penalties

If Croatia are to spring an upset tomorrow afternoon then you would be foolish to back against it happening in a penalty shootout. In their run to the World Cup final in 2018, each of their knockout games went into extra time and two of them went the distance to a penalty shootout. They continued this trend just a few days ago when they toppled Japan in a shootout. 

Despite that, Ladbrokes aren’t favouring Croatia over Brazil should the game to penalties. Either side to win the tie on a penalty shootout is 12/1.


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