Argentina disappointed with a 1-1 draw against Iceland in the opening game of the Group D, so Lionel Messi and co. cannot afford a loss against Croatia in a pure derby of the 2018 World Cup Matchday 2 set for this Thursday, June 21st, 2018, at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. The bettors can expect a quality game between two strong sides, while the things are becoming quite intriguing in the Group D.
Argentina vs. Croatia
3-Way: 1: Argentina +105; X: +240 Draw; 2: Croatia +320 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -0.5: Argentina +105; Croatia -108
Total +2.5: Over +120; Under -156
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: -105/-125
ARGENTINA
The defending vice-champions had the ball on their feet for 78% of the time against Iceland, taking 26 shots toward rival’s goalkeeper, seven of them on target, but all that wasn’t enough to beat Our Boys. Likewise, Lionel Messi failed to score from the penalty spot to earn three points for his team. With one point on the account, Argentina just cannot afford a loss against Croatia if they want to stay in the race for the second round, while there are some big issues in their play along with the obvious poor atmosphere among the squad.
When you have Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain in the squad, but you left them both on the bench, fielding some pretty mediocre players such as Maximiliano Meza and Lucas Biglia, apparently you have some kind of problem. The manager Jorge Sampaoli can talk about the system, and how he needs particular players to fit in, but the team’s displays talk a lot more. After a draw with Iceland, the bookies favor Argentina at +1200 to beat the 2018 World Cup, whilst the odds were set at +900 prior the tournament.
CROATIA
The Blazers made a perfect start of their World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory against Nigeria to top the Group D table. Croatia certainly hasn’t impressed in the opener, but their defensive job was excellent, allowing just a couple of opportunities to Super Eagles, while at the offensive end, the Blazers have done enough to earn three points and get a strong position ahead of the derby match with Argentina.
The key axle in the middle of the park Luka Modric – Ivan Rakitic had a nice game, proving that their impact should be crucial in Croatia’s eventual drive to the success. The experienced striker Mario Mandzukic was a constant threat in the final third, while he exacted the penalty kick in the second half, as he was simply too much for Nigeria’s defenders on last Saturday. The Blazers are now +2800 favorites to win the 2018 World Cup title, according to BetDSI Sportsbook. The odds on Croatia to reach the Quarter-Finals are set at +187.
Argentina vs. Croatia – Match and Odds Breakdown
The bookies expect to see a cautious approach on both sides, setting the wages on the Over/Under 2.5 Goals at +120/-156, as they look for a tight game with no more than a couple of goals in the total. Argentina will have to be patient, as the potential opening goal in their net could be a massive stepping stone, but after a poor result against Iceland, the bookies expect Argentina to bounce back on this one, setting La Albiceleste as a +105 favorite to beat the Blazers.
Even without Dybala and Higuain in the team, Argentina possesses the quality to endanger Croatia’s back line, and I think we could see Lionel Messi finding the net here, so the bettors should lay some bets on the little magician to score in this game. On the other side, Argentina’s defense doesn’t look sturdy enough to keep the clean sheet, so my first pick will be some goals on both sides of the pitch at -105. However, this could be a pitfall, as we could easily see a patient approach without any risks from both teams that could lead to a boring goalless draw.
If Argentina breaks the deadlock first, they will have a huge advantage on the counter, so the bettors who fancy Lionel Messi and co. should try with a spread at -1.5 as it could bring some nice wages at +255. On the other hand, the price on Blazers to avoid the loss is -125, so I’m not suggesting this even if you like this Croatia team.
The Pick: Both Teams to Score YES (-105)
