Croatia vs. Canada Prediction: 2022 World Cup Betting Odds
The Reds went unrewarded for their valiant effort in a 1-0 loss to Belgium in Wednesday’s tournament opener, and remains both winless and goalless in four all-time World Cup matches. Runners up at the 2018 World Cup, Croatia return to action desperate for points after playing Morocco to a scoreless draw to open their schedule, but remain undefeated in seven outings across all competitions.
After earning respect with their performance against Belgium, Canada have improved to +240 underdogs, while Croatia lead the way as +109 favourites. A bet on Sunday’s contest ending in a draw pay out on +225 odds, and the total going UNDER 2.5 is pegged as -140 chalk.
RELATED: How to Watch Croatia vs. Canada: World Cup Live Streams and TV Channels
Croatia vs. Canada Betting Analysis
Sunday morning’s matchup at Khalifa International Stadium marks the first ever meeting between these nations in international play. The Croatians have enjoyed two deep runs at the World Cup including their march to the final four years ago, but have also failed to advance past the group stage in three of their five appearances. With the failure to earn three points against Morocco, the Blazers now lag as distant +277 second favourites to finish atop the Group F table. Overall, Canada has now been outscored by a 6-0 margin in their four all-time dates at the World Cup. And while their impressive play against Belgium has not hurt their odds in Sunday’s date with Croatia, the Reds now lag as distant +1007 longshots on the Group F odds.
Croatia
The hero of Croatia’s impressive drive at Russia 2018, Luka Modric made his presence felt in Wednesday’s draw with Morocco. The 2018 World Cup Golden Ball winner roamed freely early in the contest, causing havoc well beyond midfield, but was unable to generate any scoring or provide a spark. Limited by a hamstring injury early in the La Liga season, Modric has been steady in his return, scoring twice over his four most recent outings with Real Madrid, and has opened the scoring for Croatia in two of his past five appearances. Accordingly, he sports intriguing value as a +1000 bet to open the scoring on Sunday.
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Canada
Canada have been expected to look like they belong in their return to the World Cup, but few could have predicted they would play with such confidence in their 1-0 loss to Belgium. The Reds kept pace with Belgium in the first half, and were denied an early lead when Alphonso Davies was stopped on a penalty kick. The Canadians were arguably owed more than one opportunity from the spot, but received no further chances despite coming out on the wrong end of some rough play by the Red Devils. Davies also picked up a yellow card in the second half, which will force him to keep his emotions in check on Sunday morning. However, with it looking like his recent hamstring injury is now behind him, Davies looks poised to lead a Reds attack that tallied 23 shots in Wednesday’s defeat, and should not be overlooked as a +400 bet to get Canada on the board anytime in Sunday’s clash.
Croatia vs. Canada World Cup Prediction
Croatia 1, Canada 1
Predicted Team Canada Lineup vs Croatia
| Player | Position | No. | Predicted Lineup | Club | Age | Caps | 2022 World Cup Qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan Borjan | GK | 18 | Starting | Red Star Belgrade (SRB) | 35 | 68 | 10 |
| James Pantemis | GK | 16 | Bench | CF Montreal (CAN) | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Dayne St. Clair | GK | 1 | Bench | Minnesota United (USA) | 25 | 2 | 0 |
| Sam Adekugbe | DEF | 3 | Bench | Hatayspor (TUR) | 27 | 34 | 12 |
| Derek Cornelius | DEF | 25 | Bench | Panetolikos (GRE) | 24 | 14 | 1 |
| Alistair Johnston | DEF | 2 | Starting | CF Montreal (CAN) | 24 | 30 | 14 |
| Richie Laryea | DEF | 22 | Starting | Toronto FC (CAN) | 27 | 34 | 13 |
| Kamal Miller | DEF | 4 | Starting | CF Montreal (CAN) | 25 | 29 | 12 |
| Steven Vitoria | DEF | 5 | Starting | GD Chaves (POR) | 35 | 35 | 8 |
| Joel Waterman | DEF | 26 | Bench | CF Montreal (CAN) | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| Stephen Eustaquio | MID | 7 | Starting | FC Porto (POR) | 25 | 22 | 12 |
| Liam Fraser | MID | 8 | Bench | KMSK Deinze (BEL) | 24 | 15 | 5 |
| Atiba Hutchinson | MID | 13 | Starting | Besiktas (TUR) | 39 | 98 | 10 |
| Mark-Anthony Kaye | MID | 14 | Bench | Toronto FC (CAN) | 27 | 38 | 10 |
| Ismael Kone | MID | 15 | Bench | CF Montreal (CAN) | 20 | 6 | 0 |
| Jonathan Osorio | MID | 21 | Bench | Toronto FC (CAN) | 30 | 57 | 13 |
| Liam Millar | MID | 23 | Bench | FC Basel (SWZ) | 23 | 16 | 4 |
| Samuel Piette | MID | 6 | Bench | CF Montreal (CAN) | 28 | 66 | 4 |
| David Wotherspoon | MID | 24 | Bench | St. Johnstone (SCO) | 32 | 10 | 3 |
| Junior Hoilett | MID | 10 | Starting | Reading FC (ENG) | 32 | 50 | 9 |
| Tajon Buchanan | FWD | 11 | Starting | Club Brugge (BEL) | 23 | 26 | 13 |
| Lucas Cavallini | FWD | 9 | Bench | Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN) | 29 | 34 | 5 |
| Jonathan David | FWD | 20 | Starting | LOSC Lille (FRA) | 22 | 35 | 14 |
| Alphonso Davies | FWD | 19 | Starting | Bayern Munich (GER) | 22 | 34 | 7 |
| Cyle Larin | FWD | 17 | Bench | Club Brugge (BEL) | 27 | 55 | 10 |
| Ike Ugbo | FWD | 12 | Bench | Troyes (FRA) | 24 | 8 | 4 |