The 2022 FIFA World Cup completed its round of 16 Tuesday, as eight teams advanced through the initial knockout round of the tournament and on to the quarterfinals. Now the quarterfinal pairings are set, and there are a couple surprise entries to go along with the usual World Cup powerhouses. Here are the betting odds for the quarterfinal matches set to begin on Thursday.
World Cup Quarterfinal Odds 2022
[metabet_core_odds_board league=”world_cup” site_id=”legalsportsreport” market=”moneyline” hide_consensus=”yes” rows=”12″]
(Important note: For betting purposes in all the elimination rounds of the World Cup, results are considered “final” at the end of regulation time. If a match is tied at full time and an extra period or penalty kicks are required to choose a winner, that result technically qualifies as a draw with most sportsbooks. To cash a bet on a team that wins in the extra period or penalty kicks, you would need to bet on that team to move on to the next round.)
World Cup Quarterfinal Schedule and Betting Insights
Croatia ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”528734″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Brazil ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”528734″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]), Friday, 10 a.m. ET
While Brazil has a group-play loss, this team has been the most dominant squad of the tournament so far, justifying Brazil’s status as the favorite to win it all. The round of 16 match against a plucky South Korean side turned out to be mostly a showcase for Brazil’s explosive offense in a 4-1 win. Star player Neymar is back and at least reasonably healthy.
Croatia, meanwhile, is a bit lucky to have made it this far. It fell behind early to Japan, but managed to equalize and got a great performance out of goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who stopped three of four penalty kicks to win it. The big problem for Croatia is goals, namely the inability to score them. The team has thus far scored just five goals in four World Cup games – and four of those came against Canada, a longshot swiftly eliminated from the tournament. Brazil nearly matched that total in one half against South Korea. Croatia will need a lot more offense to have a chance.
Other betting options: Neymar is currently at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_game_player_score_goal/528734″ query=”soccer/neymar_/player_22543″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to score at least one goal against Croatia. Brazil is at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_winner” query=”sow/brazil” site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to win the whole tournament.
Netherlands ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”528687″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. Argentina ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”528687″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]), Friday, 2 p.m. ET
The Netherlands looked solid for a full 90 minutes for the first time in this tournament when it eliminated the U.S. in the round of 16. What the Netherlands team doesn’t excel at is taking over a game and controlling the pace. It could be a difficult stylistic matchup for Argentina, though the Netherlands probably fares better in a low-scoring contest.
This is among the toughest of all possible quarterfinal draws for Argentina. It’s been relying on Lionel Messi to make magic when it finds itself in close matches, and so far he’s been up to the challenge. But Argentina isn’t known for its offensive pressure, which has been one of the Netherlands’ weaknesses. Argentina is still the favorite here, but oddsmakers aren’t expecting this to be a high-scoring shootout. If Messi can get one early, he might force the Dutch to press harder for the equalizer, which is not necessarily how the Netherlands likes to play.
Other betting options: Messi is at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_game_player_score_goal_first” query=”soccer/lionel_messi/player_22314″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to score the first goal here. He’s also at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_game_player_score_goal_last/528687″ query=”soccer/lionel_messi/player_22314″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to score the last goal.
Morocco (+475) vs. Portugal (-155), Saturday, 10 a.m. ET
The Moroccan side could be the biggest surprise of the tournament so far. It won Group F, which included Belgium and Croatia, then beat Spain in penalty kicks to advance from the round of 16. Against Portugal, it faces a team with more star power and some major offensive threats, which could be a problem for a team that’s only scored four goals total so far in this World Cup.
Portugal kept Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for most of its round of 16 match with Switzerland, and still it ran up the score. Gonçalo Matias Ramos had three goals in that match, three other players got in on the scoring, plus Ronaldo came on late and was an instant threat. There are questions about team cohesion and whether this side is capable of battling to a win in a close match, but there’s no question that there’s a ton of talent on the roster.
Other betting options: Morocco is at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_finish_top_4″ query=”sow/morocco” site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to finish somewhere in the top four at this World Cup. Portugal’s Ronaldo is at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_game_player_score_goal_first” query=”soccer/cristiano_ronaldo/player_22567″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to score the first goal.
England ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-home” query=”528732″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]) vs. France ([metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”moneyLine-away” query=”528732″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”]), Saturday, 2 p.m. ET
Of all the pairings in the quarterfinal round, this is the one that feels the most like two heavyweights being thrown into the ring together. Both of these teams have looked great so far in this tournament, but for England the question is whether it can match France’s offensive output. Against lesser competition, like Iran and Wales, the English squad had no problem running up the score. But it was shut down by the U.S., and didn’t manage to get top scorers like Harry Kane into the action until the 3-0 win over Senegal in the round of 16. England probably can’t rely on completely stifling France’s goalscorers, so it might have to take some chances on the attack.
France has been as good as advertised so far in this tournament. Kylian Mbappe leads all goalscorers in this tournament so far, Olivier Giroud is also a potent scoring threat, and aside from a meaningless loss to Tunisia after it already secured the win in its group, the French side hasn’t shown any real vulnerabilities. The key will be continuing to make the most of its offensive opportunities.
Other betting options: France is now at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_winner” query=”sow/france” site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to win this World Cup. Current scoring leader Mbappe is at [metabet_core_dynamic_odds market=”sow/soccer_most_goals” query=”soccer/kylian_mbappe/player_24371″ site_id=”legalsportsreport”] to end this tournament with the most goals.