World Cup Recap

After a two day break, the World Cup resumes today with two must-see matchups. Croatia will take on Brazil in the early game, while Netherlands will try to topple Argentina later on in the afternoon. Before we preview those games though, here's a quick check-in on some of the tournaments' top scorers and potential future bets 👇

• Once again Kylian Mbappe is having an incredible World Cup and currently has put in five goals, bringing his career total to nine — he leads all players in the chase for the Golden Boot by two goals

• A glut of players are tied for second with three goals in the tournament thus far, including names like Lionel Messi, Bukayo Saka and Olivier Giroud

• Last year's Golden Boot winner was Harry Kane, and while his chances to repeat are very slim (an accolade that has never been achieved) considering he's only notched one goal so far, he could end Mbappe's total with a win against France on Saturday

Among the top teams remaining in Qatar, Brazil has looked unstoppable and are the favorites to hoist the trophy when it's all said and done. After a dominant performance against South Korea on Monday, a game they won 4-1, it's clear the Brazilians can live up to their lofty expectations and bring home their first cup since 2002 🇧🇷

World Cup 2022 Winner Betting Preview (subject to change)

• Brazil: +175

• France: +450

• Portugal & Argentina: +550

• England: +600

• Netherlands: +1500

• Morocco: +3800

• Croatia: +3800

Personally I like the juice for Portugal and Argentina, especially considering both teams have slightly easier paths to the final (full bracket)

FIFA Golden Boot Betting Preview

• Kylian Mbappe (France): -195

• Richarlison (Brazil): +800

• Lionel Messi (Argentina):+1400

• Olivier Giroud (France) & Goncalo Ramos (Portugal): +2300

• Marcus Rashford (England): +3400

It's hard to go against Mbappe, but if Argentina is going to make some noise, Messi might have a chance 🤷‍♂️

Game Previews

Now it's time to break down today's slate of games — can the 2018 runner-up take out a Brazilian squad that seems to be playing on a different level? Will Messi be able to lead Argentina to the promised land? Both of these questions will be answered (the latter to some degree) by the late-afternoon ⚽️

📍 Croatia vs. Brazil

In 1998, Croatia managed to finish third in the World Cup, but outside of their Cinderella run in 2018, the decade in between was filled with disappointment, having never made it out of the group stages during this period. Croatia boasts a strong midfield in the ageless Luka Modric, Marcelo Brozovich, and Mateo Kovacic — those three players will have to be able to capitalize on counter attacks to have a chance against a Brazilian team that tends to control possession

• Keep an eye on Neymar, who needs just one more goal to tie Pele as the country's highest-scoring player (77 goals) on the international stage

• I think Brazil's top-end talent, combined with their depth will be a bridge too far for Croatia

• Odds: Brazil -850, Croatia +560

📍 Netherlands vs. Argentina 

The Dutch defensive trio of Noppert, Timber and Van Dijk will be crucial to slowing an Argentinian attack headlined by Messi — if those three can limit chances, expect the Netherlands to be able to capitalize on the other side of the ball

• Look for Denzel Dumfries to wreak havoc in the box as well for the team in orange

• All eyes will be on Messi who leads an offense that is not as aggressive as some of the other teams left in the tournament, which bodes well for a stout Dutch backline

• Odds: Argentina -160, Netherlands +130

Both these matches should be extremely high quality soccer, but to be honest all I can think about is that France vs. England matchup tomorrow afternoon 👀

For My Parlay Gurus

I have a feeling Netherlands and Argentina will be a slow-burn game, with the first half ending in a draw before a tension-filled second half. The hero in that second half? I'm assuming Messi is able to make something happen. Check out my parlay 👇

• Netherlands vs. Argentina First Half Draw: -110

• Lionel Messi Anytime Goal Scorer: +175

$100 on this bet would win you $425 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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