Portugal vs. Uruguay Prediction
Cristiano Ronaldo played a major role in sending Portugal on to the knockout stage as he scored four goals in group play. Will Ronaldo continue to guide his national team onward today as Portugal plays slight favorite Uruguay in the round of 16?
Game Snapshot
97848 Portugal vs. 97849 Uruguay
Saturday, June 30, 2018
Fisht Stadium at 2PM ET
TV: FOX
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, Uruguay is a +170 favorite to win on the moneyline. Portugal is a +190 underdog, while a bet on a draw is listed at +185. The total is set at 2 goals.
Ronaldo receives help in draw
After scoring all four goals in Portugal’s first two games, Ronaldo took a backseat in his squad’s 1-1 draw with Iran which was good enough to qualify for the knockout stage. Ricardo Quaresma gave Portugal a 1-0 advantage in the 45th minute, but it would not quite hold up as Iran scored on a penalty kick in the 93rd minute after a controversial call in the box. Portugal dominated much of the action as it held 67 percent of the possession and recorded 14 shots, four of which were on goal. Iran was held to eight shots (two on goal). Portugal only committed 10 fouls, but four were yellow cards. Portugal secured a 3-3 draw against Spain in its first group play match, while it also defeated Morocco 1-0.
Uruguay rolls through group play
Three wins in Group A – 1-0 over Egypt, 1-0 against Saudi Arabia and 3-0 versus Russia – propels Uruguay into the knockout stage with plenty of momentum. Goals in the match against Russia were scored by Luis Suarez (10th minute) and Edinson Cavani (90th), while in between Russia’s Denis Cheryshev provided an own goal in the 23rd minute. Uruguay was almost flawless in the match as it had 56 percent of the possession and recorded 17 shots (seven on goal), while holding Russia to three shots (one on goal). Uruguay manufactured four corner kicks, while being called for 17 fouls incuding one yellow card.
Prediction:
Uruguay turned it up considerably in its final group play match, but it did come against a Russian squad that is not nearly as good as it looked through the first two legs of Group A. Portugal has Ronaldo, the best player in the world. In a game where one goal will probably decide it, I’ll take my chances on Ronaldo’s right foot.
WORLD CUP DAILY PREDICTION: PORTUGAL +190