Steve Davies
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Canada had 22 shots against Belgium and nothing to show for it but a 1-0 loss. It means the second game in World Cup Group F against Croatia (11:00am ET, FOX, Peacock, Telemundo) becomes a colossal one, although John Herdman will surely think he’s nothing to fear after watching Luka Modric and his Croatia teammates struggle against Morocco.
So what happens next? Well, we’ve thought it through and come up with a Croatia vs Canada Same Game Parlay, which is available at +1038 odds with FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Be sure to check out the rest of our World Cup soccer predictions and remember to gamble responsibly.
Under 2.5 goals (-144)
Canada +1 spread (-175)
Cyle Larin anytime goalscorer (+300)
Same Game Parlay odds: +1038
Let’s check out the reasoning behind each of our selections:
Under 2.5 goals (-144)
The teams on the field on Sunday don’t have a goal between them to show for their opening efforts and no obvious grounds for thinking the script is going to read much different this time. Croatia was awful against Morocco, devoid of any creativity and limited to a couple of barely noteworthy efforts. Luka Modric, the talisman, looked old and a second game in 4 days won’t make the 37-year-old feel any younger.
Canada was able to cut Belgium open, although the Belgian defence always looked old and sub-standard. The Red Devils have is a top-10 keeper in Thibaut Courtois, though, as Alphonso Davies will testify after having his penalty kick saved. A tie wouldn’t be the worst result for either team, with the Canadians fancying their chances against Morocco, and would leave the Croats on 2 points and with their destiny in their own hands. This could be tight game.
Don’t miss our full Croatia vs Canada predictions
Canada +1 goal spread (-144)
The world rankings say Croatia (12th) has got plenty in hand on Canada (41st) but we’ve already seen at this World Cup that it pays to ignore most of those numbers. After all, Belgium is ranked 2nd in the world, which would make Canada the best based on what we saw on Wednesday.
One-game form is always a dangerous guide but this is not one-game form is it? Canada, the team that never qualifies for a World Cup, didn’t just qualify for this one but did it in some style. If this really is 12th v 41st then the gaps must be tiny and Canada has a great chance to get something from this game.
Cyle Larin anytime goalscorer (+300)
If one player deserves to be promoted off the Canadian bench to start in this game it’s Cyle Larin, who looked a clear and present danger when he replaced Junior Hoilett just before the hour mark against Belgium. He may not be getting much game time for Club Brugge this season and he hasn’t scored a goal for 2 months.
However, Larin created 3 chances in the half-hour he played on Wednesday and that should not have been a surprise. He is his club’s top scorer, and fires in goals at a rate not far off one every other game for the national team. He will be itching to start and could have a major impact.
Make sure you check out the rest of our World Cup predictions for the upcoming games
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