2018 World Cup Quarterfinals Betting Preview: Russia vs Croatia

A World Cup quarterfinals that lacks Argentina, Spain, Portugal and Germany might well have been unthinkable when this tournament began. However, Germany finished dead last in their group, and Argentina, Portugal and Spain all fell in the round of 16, with Spain losing in penalty kicks to host nation Russia, who showed a steady hand on defense to frustrate a Spain team that had shown difficulty communicating from the very beginning of the tournament. Croatia dominated their group, taking all nine points, and then held off a grinding, physical Denmark team in penalty kicks in their round of 16 matchup. Read on to see our insights as to your best World Cup betting choices for this quarterfinal match

2018 World Cup Quarterfinals Betting Preview: Russia vs Croatia

✅ Getting ready for #RUSCRO…#BeProud #WorldCup #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/vurwkkscu6

— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) July 3, 2018

When: Saturday, July 7, 2018, 2:00pm ET Where: Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia TV: FOX/FS1 Radio: None Live Stream: fuboTV 2018 World Cup Quarterfinals Odds: Russia +240 / Draw +205 / Croatia +123

Why should you bet on Russia?

When this tournament began, a lot of people thought that Egypt would take the second qualifying position out of Group A, behind Uruguay. However, Russia served notice in the opening game, with a 5-0 shellacking of Saudi Arabia, that they were here to play and play hard. They also defeated Egypt in convincing fashion, earning their way into the knockout rounds. They did take a 3-0 beating at the hands of Uruguay, but they still moved on. Against Spain, we got a better sign of what to expect from Russia against top competition. They play the sort of defense that sits back and absorbs attacks, waiting for opportunities to counter. Spain did not post a shot on target in the first half of that game, as their early score came on an own goal. Then when they were awarded a penalty in the second half, they took advantage and then kept up their steady defense and let penalty kicks determine the fate. Spain is ranked ahead of Croatia internationally, and if you like Russia here, you see them having the confidence to hold Croatia at bay as well.

Why should you bet on Croatia?

After sweeping the competition in group play, Croatia was only able to hang a single goal on Denmark through regulation and 30 minutes of extra time in their round of 16 matchup. Danijel Subasic was the hero of the day, making three saves on the five penalty attempts from Denmark and helping Croatia get through. The Croatian offense features a great deal of creativity and speed, but they had a hard time finding their way through the sizable, physical Danish defense. Russia’s defense does not have the size of Denmark’s, but they communicate well, and they don’t make a whole lot of mistakes that give the opposition an easy opening. However, Croatia has shown better communication on offense than Spain has, and they should be able to find openings in Russia’s defense. The quarterfinals are often the last stage in a World Cup where Cinderella stories say good-bye, and Croatia should be able to put the Russians to bed.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

Given that many people thought that Russia would become the second host nation (after South Africa in 2010) to fail to advance to the knockout round, Russia has surprised the opposition and then some, by eliminating one of the titans in the sport in the round of 16. However, Spain was already showing signs of trouble, not the least of which was firing their national coach on the eve of the tournament. The lack of cohesion was obvious on both ends for Spain, as they drew Portugal and Morocco in group play. Croatia has shown no such signs of difficulty working together, and that will give them the advantage in a 2-1 win over Russia, as Croatia will advance to the World Cup semifinals against the winner of England and Sweden.