After an unfortunate 1-0 defeat against Iran in the first game, Morocco is already in dire straits, so their clash against Portugal at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow set for this Wednesday, June 20th, 2018, should bring plenty of excitements. On the other side, Portugal started with a 3-3 draw against heavyweight Spain, as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a tremendous hat-trick, so the stake is huge for Portuguese, too.
Portugal vs. Morocco
3-Way: 1: Portugal -165; X: +280 Draw; 2: Morocco +600 at BetDSI Sportsbook
Spread -1: Portugal +102; Morocco -130
Total +2.5: Over +102; Under -137
Both Teams to Score Yes/No: +110/-152
PORTUGAL
On the back of Cristiano Ronaldo’s hat-trick, Portugal managed to resist mighty Spain in their first game at the 2018 World Cup, and a 3-3 stalemate is surely satisfying for both Portugal’s fans and players. Fernando Santos battled bravely against obviously stronger Spain team, and with a bit of David De Gea’s help, they managed to earn an important draw. Portugal’s defense had plenty of troubles to cope with a pacey rival, but hitting on the counter was their plan from the start, and the penalty on Ronaldo in the fourth minute of the match was a pure bliss.
Cristiano Ronaldo was always a leader of this Portugal team, but his performance from last Friday was tremendous, as he was a constant danger for Spain’s defense, while his third goal from a free-kick was a real masterpiece. Ronaldo was pretty lucky with his second goal, as David De Gea made an awful mistake, but the third one was magic. Portugal had a 2-1 lead at the halftime, losing this advantage and trailing 3-2 with just 13 minutes into the second 45 minutes, but Cristiano Ronaldo and co. just didn’t want to go away. This sturdy character could be their main force in the upcoming games.
MOROCCO
The Atlas Lions were shocked in the dying seconds of their first game against Iran when Aziz Bouhaddouz scored the own goal with the strong header, leaving his goalkeeper helpless at the line. Morocco didn’t deserve to lose this game, as they were arguably a better rival than Iran, especially in the first half. However, they’ve missed some good scoring opportunities, while in the second half they’ve looked satisfied with a draw, so the late own goal should be some kind of punishment. In the end, Morocco couldn’t keep the clean sheet, despite a solid performance at the back.
Now, the Atlas Lions have a mountain to climb in the Group B, as a victory over Portugal looks like a must for Herve Renard boys if they want to stay in the competition for the Round of 16. A draw would leave them alive, but in that case, they’ll need them a win against Spain in the ultimate game of the group stage which seems like an impossible mission. Renard will need more from his best players Hakim Ziyech and Younes Belhanda, while the striker Ayoub El Kaabi also has to improve in further matches. Another big question for Renard is how to recover his guys from a certain trauma.
Portugal vs. Morocco – Match and Odds Breakdown
A potential defeat would be the end of the journey for Atlas Lions, so they need to be patient against strong Portugal side. On the other side, Portugal doesn’t need to necessarily push forward, as even with a draw here, they will probably need a victory over Iran in the final match to proceed to the second round. Hereof, the bettors could easily see a cautious approach on both sides at the start of the clash.
On a paper, Portugal is undoubtedly a better team than Morocco, but they could seriously struggle in the middle of the park against pacey Morocco’s players. If Portugal manages to retain the possession, they could fag the rivals and use Cristiano Ronaldo in the final third, so it could be a decisive aspect in their play. Keeping the clean sheet is another goal for Portuguese, but also for the bettors who would like to wager on the spread at -1.5 with the odds at +170.
Betting on the totals should be a tricky job, as the opening goal, whoever scores it, would be a huge gamechanger. If Portugal takes the lead, then wagering on the over could be a winning selection, but if Morocco scores first, the bettors can expect to see all ten Atlas Lions defending inside their box.
Picking Portugal at -165 is arguably the most reasonable choice here, but I’ll go with both teams to score, as Morocco just have to try to win this game. After missing plenty of chances against Iran, they could find the net here, while Cristiano Ronaldo should continue his strong Golden Boot campaign with the odds at +200 at the moment, according to BetDSI Sportsbook.
The Pick: Both Teams to Score YES (+110)
