Croatia vs. France Prediction
France is the big favorite to hoist the World Cup trophy as it takes on surprise finalist Croatia in today’s championship match. Will the talent of France overwhelm the Croatians or is one final upset in the cards in what has been an unpredictable tournament?
Game Snapshot
97887 Croatia vs. 97888 France
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Luzhniki Stadium at 11AM ET
TV: FOX
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers, France is a -115 favorite to win on on the moneyline. Croatia is a +375 underdog, while a draw bet is set at +220. The total sits at 2 goals.
Modric providing sparkplug for Croatia
Veteran midfielder Luka Modric has been a mainstay for Croatia during the World Cup, providing a key leg for free kicks and penalty kicks plus everything in between. As a key player for powerful Real Madrid as well as the captain for Croatia, he was easily the most recognizable name for his squad entering the World Cup. He showed up in a big way in the comeback 2-1 win over England on Wednesday in the World Cup semifinals. Modric turned his game up a notch in the second half and then in extra time, his assist on the go-ahead goal by Mario Mandzukic in the 108th minute to break a 1-1 tie in the semifinals with England. After England grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the fifth minute, Croatia did not fold and eventually evened the score on a goal courtesy of Ivan Perisic in the 68th minute. This is Croatia’s first trip to the World Cup final, with the only other time it advanced past the group stage being in 1998 when it made the semifinals.
Mbappe shining on world stage
France forward Kylian Mbappe does not turn 20 years old until December 20, but you wouldn’t know his youth by watching him play during the World Cup as he has played with poise and precision. He has tallied six goals in 11 international appearances for France in 2018 and has made his mark as a constant scoring threat throughout the tournament. If he scores a goal in today’s final, Mbappe would be only the second player after Brazil’s Pele to score in the World Cup as a teenager. France is full of younger players and the timeline was thought to maybe be four years away from being a serious threat to win a World Cup, but prognosticators were proven wrong by a team that proved to be efficient in all areas. France is led in part by midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been a steady two-way contributor during the tournament and is nearly always in the right position. France downed Belgium by a count of 1-0 to reach today’s final with the only goal being scored by Samuel Umtiti in the 51st minute.
Prediction:
As magical as Croatia’s run in the World Cup has been, France is on another level right now and looks nearly unbeatable. If a team doesn’t capitalize on its one or two serious chances against France in any given match, it’s going to backfire. France has shown it can win a 1-0 game and a 4-3 contest. Pick your poison. France is the right bet here and while a lot of money will be flying in on the favorites, it looks to be the right play.
WORLD CUP DAILY PREDICTION: FRANCE -115