Morocco vs. Portugal Prediction
Cristiano Ronaldo compiled another signature performance in the first Portugal match of the World Cup, earning a draw as a dog against Spain. Now a heavy favorite today versus Morocco, can Ronaldo and the Portuguese pick up a crucial group stage win?
Game Snapshot
97851 Morocco vs. 97852 Portugal
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Luzhniki Stadium at 8AM ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, Portugal is a -164 favorite to win on the moneyline. Morocco is a +500 underdog, while a bet on a draw is +280. The total is set at 2.5 goals.
Bouhaddouz makes crucial mistake
Morocco forward Aziz Bouhaddouz is used to being on the other side of the field, putting the ball in the back of the net for his team. But in the team’s first group stage game against Iran last week, Bouhaddouz attempted to head the ball out for another corner and instead it went in the back of the net for a heartbreaking own goal in the 95th minute as Morroco lost 1-0. Bouhaddouz plays his club football for FC St. Pauli and during the 2017-18 campaign, he tallied four goals in 31 appeareances. He’ll now have two more group play games to attempt to atone for his mistake as Morocco is now in must-win mode.
Ronaldo has another special game
Portugal superstar Ronaldo has made a career out of excelling in big moments and he put together a master class of a performance against Spain in the group play opener as his hat trick guided his squad to a 3-3 draw against the World Cup favorites. Ronaldo scored quickly in the fourth minute on a penalty kick to give Portugal a 1-0 lead, while his second goal in the 44th minute made it a 2-1 contest. After Portugal fell behind 3-2 in the second half, Ronaldo saved the day as he scored his third goal in the 88th minute to secure the tie. Ronaldo had a gigantic year with Real Madrid this past season, scoring 49 goals in 47 appearances.
Prediction:
Some people might think Portugal will have a letdown after showing plenty of heart in tying Spain. But I’m of the camp that believes Portugal is going to gain a lot of confidence from that performance and rally around its key component in Ronaldo. Bet on Portugal to take this one.
WORLD CUP DAILY PREDICTION: PORTUGAL -164