Free World Cup Pick Croatia vs Nigeria
Looking for Croatia vs. Nigeria free picks? 2018 Russia World Cup betting sees Croatia taking on Nigeria on Saturday, June 16th, at Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia. Cappers Picks provides complimentary expert handicapping picks on all 2018 World Cup soccer matchups all season long so stay tuned for more FREE daily soccer predictions.
Weekly World Cup Handicapping
Croatia vs. Nigeria
Date: Saturday, June 16th
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Venue: Kaliningrad Stadium in Kaliningrad, Russia
World Cup Moneyline Odds: Croatia -115, Nigeria +355, Draw +250
World Cup Spread Betting Odds: Croation -1/2
World Cup Betting Total: 2
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This is an important game because in all likelihood the winner finishes second in the Group behind Argentina. Croatia has a burgeoning program but not the long tradition given they have not even been a country for that long. Nigeria is one of the more established African nations on the world soccer scene.
Croatia
Croatia may never rise to the true elite of the game but they are somewhat a threat to the status quo. They come into the World Cup ranked 18th in the FIFA rankings and have recognizable players like Luka Modric who has been a part of recently completes three-peat by Real Madrid in the Champions League. The Croatians even finished third at the 1998 World Cup. There are a lot of more established nations that don’t have a finish that high very recently.
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Croatia usually plays a 4-2-3-1 designed to take advantage of their talent in the midfield. The key name to know there is Ivan Rakitic who plays for Barcelona. It may or may not be an indicators for the Wold Cup but this season has he not been as prolific for his club as he has been in the past. They might not need a superlative effort against Nigeria but if they are going to really challenge Argentina he is going to have to be one of the better players on the pitch.
Nigeria
The Super Eagles seem to always be a factor in the World Cup, usually advancing past the Group Stage – they did in Brazil in 2014. To do so hey probably have to get a win in this game to feel secure in their prospects. That means they will probably take some chances so this could be a very entertaining game.
This is a young Nigeria team, which could be an advantage as maybe they don’t know that they are not supposed to win. They are likely to play a 4-3-3 which is a more defensive style. Their hope is to create just enough chances for Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho to net a goal and then salt away the game. Both a Premiership calibre talents but neither had great seasons for their clubs, Arsenal and Leicester respectively.
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John Obi Mikel never lived up to expectations with Chelsea and now is kind of in soccer exile in China (though the money is good, right?). He will be an important player for the Super Eagles though as they try and sneak into the knockout stage of the tournament. If Nigeria is going to win outright then somebody has to step up and make some plays. It could be Mikel who is one of the more experienced players on the squad.
Free Croatia vs. Nigeria World Cup Prediction:
The odds are creating lots of viable options for this match. Croatia is the solid favourite but the price on them winning is hardly prohibitive, which is kind of nice as there are a lot of games in the Group Stage where taking the favourite is really not an option. The draw is tempting too as I can see this one taking a while to find its rhythm, which favours Nigeria I suppose.
It might be cliche but the first goal is going to be huge in this one. Croatia probably views this as a can’t lose while Nigeria might be more satisfied with a draw. If Croatia gets that first goal I can see things opening up but if they don’t they may be chasing the game the rest of the way. In game wagering might be interesting in this one, especially if the Super Eagles get a lead.
4* Free World Cup Betting Pick: Draw
I can see a situation where this one is goal less but really a 1-1 result feels right. I think Nigeria actually strikes first and even though they try and lock it down Croatia gets a tying goal in the second half. Obviously you would have to sacrifice some value but maybe even a wager on Nigeria not to lose could be interesting….and if you are wagering in game you might want to even take them on the ML. You would still be able to get some plus value if they score early in the first half.
World Cup Free Score Prediction: Draw 1-1
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