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Croatia knocked off the tournament favorite Brazil on Friday, and now they face another huge challenge on Tuesday when they take on Argentina in a 2022 FIFA World Cup semifinal. The Croatians were runners-up in 2018, losing 4-2 to France in the final. They defeated Brazil on penalties in Friday’s quarterfinals after the teams played to a 1-1 draw, with both goals coming in extra time. Argentina are two-time champions and were 2014 runners-up, and they are trying to earn the ultimate prize for Lionel Messi in what is likely his final World Cup appearance. La Albiceleste allowed an equalizer to the Netherlands deep into injury time in their quarterfinal. That made it 2-2, but Argentina prevailed in the shootout.
Kickoff Tuesday at Lusail Stadium is set for 2 p.m. ET. Argentina are -125 favorites (risk $125 to win $100) on the 90-minute money line in the latest Argentina vs. Croatia odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Croatia are +370 underdogs, a draw is priced at +240 and the over/under for total goals is set at 2.5. Before locking in any Croatia vs. Argentina picks, you need to see the World Cup predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven soccer model.
The SportsLine soccer simulation model evaluates a team’s offensive and defensive capabilities based on the game situation. Then, it assigns a grade using an expected payout-to-probability ratio. The model was accurate on 56% of all picks during the Champions League group stage and returned more than $1,000 to $100 bettors on its A+ picks. It also enters the World Cup semifinals on a 33-15-4 run on spread picks, returning more than $1,400 for $100 bettors. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now the model has dialed in on Argentina vs. Croatia and just revealed its 2022 World Cup picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see all of the model’s soccer picks. Here are the World Cup 2022 odds and trends for Croatia vs. Argentina:
Argentina vs. Croatia spread: Argentina -0.5 (-125)Argentina vs. Croatia over/under: 2.5 goalsArgentina vs. Croatia money line: Argentina -125, Croatia +370, Draw +240Argentina: They have a 9-4 edge in goals in the five matchesCroatia: They have outscored their opponents 6-3 in QatarArgentina vs. Croatia picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back Argentina
La Albiceleste have scored two goals in all four games since their stunning 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia to open the World Cup. They looked set to beat the Dutch in regulation before yielding a goal on a free kick in the 101st minute. Argentina had a 14-6 edge in shots, 6-2 on net. Messi has scored in four of the five games, including a penalty on Friday, and he has 14 goals in the team’s past nine in all competitions. The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner is second all-time in goals behind Cristiano Ronaldo and is the top scorer in Argentina’s history with 95 goals.
Messi also has made more appearances than any other Argentine player (170), and he has plenty of young talent surrounding him. Midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, 23, has emerged as a force in midfield, and Julian Alvarez, 22, has scored two goals alongside Messi. Argentina have put 32 shots on target in their five matches in Qatar, and Croatia have allowed 18 on net over their past three games while putting just nine on frame.
Why you should back Croatia
The Checkered Ones have experience at this level that few can match, with talisman Luka Modric among the many who starred for the 2018 squad. The Croatians routed Argentina 3-0 in group play in that tournament, with Modric scoring one of the goals. The 37-year-old Real Madrid star plays alongside Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic and Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic in a crafty veteran midfield. They are among six Croatia players with at least 75 caps, led by Modric with a record 160. He also ranks fifth in goals with 23 and is the key to the Croatia attack.
Modric is the World Cup leader in progressive passes (46) and is third in both passes into the final third (23) and into the penalty area (10). Ivan Perisic is tied for second all-time for Croatia with 33 goals, and Andrej Kramaric is tied for sixth with 22. Kramaric scored twice in a 4-1 victory against Canada, and Perisic had the equalizer to force the shootout against Japan. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic allowed three goals on eight penalties in the shootouts with Japan and Brazil, and he has eight clean sheets in 17 competitive matches for Croatia in 2022.
How to make Croatia vs. Argentina picks
The model has broken down Tuesday’s Croatia vs. Argentina semifinal match from every angle, and it is leaning Over on the goal total. It also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can only see those picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Argentina vs. Croatia on Tuesday? And which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Croatia vs. Argentina money line to back, all from the model up more than $1,400 on its World Cup spread picks, and find out.