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With its 2-0 loss to Nigeria last week, Iceland extended its current winless streak to six games with two draws and four losses over that stretch. That streak must come to an end against Croatia on Tuesday for Iceland to have any chance of avoiding elimination in the group stage.
Iceland is a +245 underdog to win this game outright at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Croatia is a +120 favorite to secure a perfect 3-0 record in Group D while odds on a draw are going off at +230.
Group D: Croatia vs. Iceland
When: Tuesday, June 26, 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Rostov Arena, Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Betting Line / Total: Croatia +120 / 2 Goals
Croatia vs. Iceland OddsShark Matchup Report
Entering Tuesday’s action, Iceland and Argentina both sit at the bottom of the group with one point each, with Iceland currently holding the goal differential tiebreaker over Argentina at -2 to -3. Nigeria has three points in the group and a goal differential of zero.
Iceland’s best chance at advancing is with a win over Croatia and an Argentina win over Nigeria, with Iceland retaining its goal differential advantage over Argentina. A far less likely path would be a win over Croatia by three goals or more and a draw in the Argentina vs. Nigeria game, giving Iceland the goal differential advantage over Nigeria to advance.
If Croatia were in need of points in this game, Iceland’s likelihood of earning three points with a win would be quite far-fetched. But with six points in the group and a commanding +5 goal differential, Croatia has essentially already locked up the top spot in Group D. As a result, the team has earned the right to potentially rest some players or try some new formations out, leaving them more vulnerable to an upset.
Still, regardless of what style Croatia plays or what players are in, the ones on the pitch will be playing for the win representing their country on the World Cup stage.
Tuesday’s total is set at two goals. Five of Croatia’s last six games have had two total goals or more.
Games in which one team has everything on the line and the other has nothing on the line are tough to predict. Iceland will certainly want this game more than Croatia does, but that could work as a deterrent if the team tries to force things against an opponent that can play loose. It will be interesting to see how Group D unfolds on Tuesday.
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top World Cup betting news check out the OddsShark FC podcast with Andrew Avery, Rob Trites, and Craig Cormier. Subscribe on iTunes or listen to it at OddsSharkFC.libsyn.com.