2022 World Cup Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (12/6)
The Round of 16 concludes on Tuesday as four nations battle it out for two final spots in the quarterfinal round of the World Cup. Spain (-320) and Portugal (-220) are sizable favorites to go through while the oddsmakers see Morocco (+255) and Switzerland (+175) as underdogs. Let’s dive into each match and get a couple of bets locked in.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
2022 World Cup Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions: Tuesday (12/6)
Morocco vs. Spain (Education City Stadium, Al Rayyan; 6 p.m.)
Morocco won Group F after going 2-1-0 and posting a +3 goal differential. Spain enters the knockout stage coming off a 2-1 loss to Japan, but their 1-1-1 record and +6 goal differential was enough to push them through. Now, these two countries, separated by just eight nautical miles through the Strait of Gibraltar, will square off for a spot in the quarterfinals. The European side is currently a -165 favorite to win while Morocco comes back at +550 and the draw sits at +275.
Great defense has been the key to Morocco’s World Cup run as they’ve kept two clean sheets and limited their opponents to just five shots on target. However, they’ll have a tall task on Tuesday as they take on a stacked Spanish team that’s scored nine goals through the first three matches. Spain dominated the possession in the group stage and I expect that to carry over in the Round of 16. Their midfield features two veteran stars with Sergio Busquets (Barcelona) and Koke (Atlético Madrid) directing traffic. I like for the duo to control the center of the field and give Ãlvaro Morata (Atlético Madrid) plenty of opportunities to score. The 30-year-old forward has scored in the first three World Cup games and seems to be in excellent form. Spain will ultimately prove to be too much for Morocco and I expect them to collect the win in the first 90 minutes.
Bet: Spain Moneyline (-165 via DraftKings)
Portugal vs. Switzerland (Lusail Iconic Stadium, Lusail; 10 p.m.)
Switzerland notched a 3-2 victory over Serbia on Friday to punch their ticket to the Round of 16. As for Portugal, a 2-0-1 effort was good enough for them to win Group H and keep their ambitions of World Cup glory alive. The sportsbooks see Portugal as a -110 favorite while Switzerland is +330 and the draw is +245.
You’d have to go back to 2006 to find the last time Portugal found itself advancing through the Round of 16 – a fourth-place finish in Germany. I think they get the monkey off their back this time around and push through to the next round. They have two of the most talented forwards in the world with Cristiano Ronaldo (free agent) and João Félix (Atlético Madrid), and I expect them to keep a steady attack on Switzerland for a full 90 minutes. If Portugal can get out to a lead, I don’t know that the Swiss have enough offensive talent to stay in this game. Let’s ride with Portugal to take care of business in regular time.
Bet: Portugal Moneyline (-110 via DraftKings)
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