Daniel Coyle
November 10, 2022

Canada vs. Bahrain: International Friendly Odds, Prediction

The Canadians have been idle since dropping a 2-0 decision to Uruguay in friendly competition in late September, which also marked their fourth defeat in seven outings across all competitions. Bahrain returns to action looking to snap a two-match slide after being blanked 2-0 in a September friendly with Panama. The current swoon comes on the heels of a five-match win streak across all competitions.

Canada looks to Friday’s clash perched as heavy -135 favourites while Bahrain lag as +342 underdogs. The total is pegged at 2.5, with the UNDER favoured with short -145 odds.

Make sure to check out complete World Cup betting odds for every match and all Canada World Cup odds.

Canada -181
Draw +297
Bahrain +444

Canada vs. Bahrain Soccer Odds

Friday morning’s matchup at Al-Khalifa Stadium in Qatar marks the first ever meeting between these two sides. While Bahrain has lost two straight and have failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, they have produced largely steady results when playing as the home squad, winning 15 of their past 21 across all competitions.

While Canada emerged as a dominant force in World Cup qualifying, they have won just one of their past three friendlies, but have claimed victory by multi-goal margins in three of their past four friendlies on the road.

Canada

Injuries have emerged as a massive concern for Canada as the countdown towards Qatar 2022 continues. The club will be missing Alphonso Davies, who suffered a hamstring injury while playing for Bayern Munich, but who should be fit in time for the start of World Cup action. The prospects are not so bright for goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, who suffered a broken leg that required surgery while playing for Los Angeles FC in last Saturday’s MLS Cup final. Those injuries further diminish a Canadian lineup that will heavily rely on domestic players for Friday’s contest.

Among the other notable players who will not arrive in the Middle East in time for Friday’s match are Jonathan David and Cyle Larin, both of whom are expected to appear in upcoming matches with their respective European clubs. That leaves the offence in the hands of Vancouver Whitecaps forward Lucas Cavallini and Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio. Cavallini potted five goals for Canada during their successful World Cup qualifying run, while Osorio is coming off a steady MLS campaign with the Reds, scoring nine goals in 23 outings.

Bahrain

Friday’s clash will serve as a valuable learning experience for the Bahrain national team. While the Pearl Divers have won nine of 12 overall contests so far in 2022, they have enjoyed few opportunities to face top flight squads, with their recent date with Panama serving as the lone exception. While the squad has mustered just one total goal during their current two-match slide, they have continued to play steady defence, allowing just nine total goals over this year’s 12 outings.

Up front, the Bahrain attack is led by forward Abdulla Yusuf Helal, who is travelling from his club team in Indonesia to participate in Friday’s contest. The 29-year-old has been steady in his first campaign with Persija Jakarta, scoring three times in eight outings, and has bulged the twine in two of his past three appearances with the national team, scoring match winners in victories over Turkmenistan and Malaysia during Asian Cup qualifying, back in June.