Liam Flin
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Argentina and Croatia had to battle through overtime and penalty shootouts to reach the last 4 of the World Cup and a close match is expected in their semifinal in Lusail. Croatia sent shockwaves through the tournament with a shootout triumph over tournament favorite Brazil before Argentina got the better of the Netherlands in the same way.
The teams now find themselves just one more win away from the final, with Argentina’s Lionel Messi eyeing the trophy in his last World Cup and Croatia looking to make amends for its defeat to France in the final of the 2018 World Cup.
Be sure to check out the rest of our World Cup soccer predictions and remember to gamble responsibly. But now, here is the parlay we have prepared for Tuesday’s game, which pays +1524 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Under 2.5 goals (-178)
Halftime result – Draw (-110)
Lionel Messi anytime assist (+220)
Same Game Parlay odds: +1524
Let’s check out the reasoning behind each of our selections:
Under 2.5 goals (-178)
Both of Croatia’s knockout games in Qatar have gone the distance, with Zlatko Dalic’s team prevailing on penalties each time. It was a similar story in Russia 4 years ago as the Croats won their first 2 elimination games on penalties before edging out England in extra-time in the semifinals to set up a final with France.
Dalic has set uphis side to be difficult to break down with its strength being the midfield trio of Marcelo Brozovic, Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic and a resolute defense. Defender Josko Gvardiol has been one of the best players of the tournament and Croatia will once again look to limit opportunities and potentially make this game go the distance. Four of Croatia’s 5 games at the World Cup have ended with under 2.5 goals.
Don’t miss our full Argentina vs Croatia predictions
Halftime result – Draw (-110)
In a likely tight game, fans may have to wait a while for the first goal. With that in mind, a draw at halftime looks a good wager to add to our parlay. Two of Argentina’s 3 group games – against Poland and Mexico – were goalless at the interval, while 4 of Croatia’s 5 games in Qatar have been level at halftime.
Dalic’s side will look to limit the space that Argentina’s creative talents have available to them and there is enough evidence to suggest they can keep them out at least until the interval.
Lionel Messi anytime assist (+220)
If Argentina does manage to find a way past Croatia, Lionel Messi is likely to play a part in it. Against the Netherlands, the Paris Saint-Germain star once again stole the show, setting up his team’s first goal with a killer pass that split the Dutch defense and finding Nahuel Molina, who put Argentina 1-0 up.
Messi also kept his cool from the penalty spot to double Argentina’s lead during regulation time, and converted again in the shootout. The 35-year-old is ensuring he goes out with a bang rather than a whimper in his final World Cup and has scored or assisted 6 goals in the tournament. He is a good bet to make an assist in the game.
Make sure you check out the rest of our World Cup predictions for the upcoming games
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