it downed the No. 2 team in the FIFA world rankings during group play, eliminated the No. 7 team in the opening match of the knockout round, and then continued its stunning run in this World Cup by bouncing the No. 9 team in the quarterfinals. After successfully running the gauntlet of Belgium, Spain and Portugal, how much further can Morocco go? Use BetMGM Bonus Code USBETTING when you weigh in.
Once again the 22nd-ranked Atlas Lions are a major underdog in Qatar, with +300 odds at BetMGM of winning their World Cup semifinal set for Wednesday against -500 favorite and world No. 4 France. The semifinals open Tuesday with another David-versus-Goliath matchup, with world No. 3 Argentina a -125 favorite over +380 Croatia, ranked 12th. No question, the odds point toward a potential Argentina-France final – but in a tournament that has seen world No. 1 Brazil ousted in the quarterfinals and Morocco’s unprecedented run to the semis, clearly anything can happen. (Get some sports betting tips here.)
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Of the remaining teams, France is the +110 favorite to hoist the World Cup, according to BetMGM. it is followed by Argentina at +165, Croatia at +700 and Morocco at +900. New users at BetMGM can take advantage of a risk-free first bet up to $1,000 with the code USBETTING. Customers must make a minimum deposit of $10 to receive the welcome bonus. That promo reimburses a losing initial wager in the form of free bets up to $1,000.
On to the matches. Here’s a betting breakdown of each semifinal.
Use BetMGM Bonus Code USBETTING: Argentina Vs. Croatia
While Croatia may seem like a surprise, it has been here before. Those red-and-white checkerboard jerseys reached the final of the 2018 World Cup in Russia before falling to France. The Blazers have a lot of players returning from that 2018 squad, most notably star midfielders Luka Modrić and Mateo Kovačić of Premier League side Chelsea. They certainly showed their mettle in their most recent match, where they eliminated tournament odds favorite Brazil on penalty kicks.
Croatia hasn’t allowed an opponent more than one goal since June. That span has reached 10 games and includes a 1-0 victory over France in the UEFA Nations League. This is a team specializing in possession and defense, with only one player in this World Cup (Andrej Kramaric) with more than one goal to this point. And now immovable object meets irresistible force in the form of Argentina and star Lionel Messi, whose four goals are tied for second-most in the tournament to date.
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There will be immense pressure Tuesday on La Albiceleste, which hasn’t advanced this deep in World Cup since a runner-up appearance in 1990, and hasn’t hoisted the golden trophy since 1986. For all the prestige that comes with those two stars above its jersey badge, it’s Argentina, and not Croatia, that’s the relative newcomer to this stage. While Croatia was making its run to the 2018 final, Argentina was bounced in the Round of 16. The teams were even in the same group in Russia, where Croatia dominated Argentina 3-0.
Croatia has also been the more consistent team in this World Cup. It beat Belgium and tied Morocco before ousting Brazil in the quarterfinals. That came while Argentina was losing to Saudi Arabia to open group play and literally battling its way past the Netherlands in the quarters. The deeper you dig, the better and better those +380 odds on the Blazers appear.
Morocco Vs. France
Then there are the Atlas Lions. They have captured the attention of this World Cup by becoming the first African nation to reach the semifinals. And they’ve gotten here thanks to a grindingly effective defensive style that hasn’t allowed a goal to an opposing player since a 3-0 loss to the United States in a June friendly. The only goal given up by Morocco to this point in the World Cup was an own goal in a group victory over Canada.
That tenacious Morocco defense will face its stiffest test yet against France. The defending champions aim to become the tournament’s first repeat winners since Brazil in 1958 and 1962. Arguably no team has looked better in this World Cup than the Roosters. They have outscored opponents 11-4, and defeated a loaded England team 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Kylian Mbappe has been the top goal-scorer of the tournament with five. Teammate Olivier Giroud is tied for second with four.
Can Morocco contain that degree of firepower? The Atlas Lions’ renowned defense is so good that it even shut out Spain in a penalty shootout, with goalkeeper Bono saving two shots, while the other was wide. The concern is that Morocco has the second-lowest possession rate of any team in this World Cup. It is content to defend and launch occasional, well-timed counterattacks. Will that stand up against a France side that’s excellent in possession and loaded with potential goal scorers?
In that respect, it’s easy to see why the Roosters are such a heavy favorite in this match. And while France’s odds aren’t exactly favorable to bettors, a wager on a Croatia-France final carries odds of +250 at BetMGM. After what we’ve witnessed so far, you have to believe this World Cup has one more upset left in it.