France vs. Croatia Betting Odds Preview, World Cup 2018 Prediction, Analysis
July 12, 2018
Croatia will be aiming to claim its first-ever title at a major international tournament when it takes on France on Sunday in the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
The Blazers denied England's bid to reach the final for the first time since 1966, knocking off the Three Lions 2-1 in extra time during semifinal action on Wednesday to remain perfect at this year's tournament. France earned its third berth in a World Cup final by grinding out a 1-0 win over Belgium as +155 favorites.
World Cup betting line: France opened as a -113 favorite (wager $113 to win $100); the total is at two goals, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)
World Cup betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 2.0-1.0, France (2018 World Cup picks on every game)
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France vs. Croatia World Cup matchup analysis
Croatia has advanced to the World Cup final on the strength of some character performances. The Blazers exceeded expectations with clean-sheet victories over Nigeria and Argentina in the group stage, but three straight 120-minute contests in the knockout stage leave doubt as to whether they have the energy to endure another marathon matchup.
The Blazers have received goal-scoring contributions from eight different players, but now they face a French squad coming off an impressive defensive performance in its win over Belgium, which marked its third clean-sheet victory of the tournament.
Tournament finals are familiar ground for Les Bleus, who came within a goal in added time of a tournament victory at Euro 2016. However, the French attack has sputtered at times at Russia 2018, scoring one or fewer goals in three of its six outings.
Aside from their 4-3 round-of-16 win over Argentina as +140 chalk, Les Bleus have tallied just nine goals in their past nine competitive outings, and they have been forced to settle for draws in each of their past two meetings with the Blazers.
All 2018 World Cup odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.