Portugal vs Croatia Predictions – Round Of 32, Match 12

Portugal move into the knockouts unbeaten, although their Group Stage campaign was hardly all smooth sailing. 

Roberto Martinez’s side finished second in Group K after two draws and a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, and while the talent is obvious, there’s still a feeling this side has another level to reach. 

Croatia come in with some momentum after bouncing back from a 4-2 defeat to England with wins over Panama and Ghana. That is pretty standard tournament Croatia, really — hang around, find a way, and make themselves a nightmare to put away. 

With Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic still capable of slowing the game down and controlling the middle, Croatia are more than capable of making this uncomfortable. They’ve also scored in every Group Stage game, so Portugal’s backline won’t get a quiet night. 

The worry is whether Croatia can deal with Portugal’s attacking depth for the full 90 minutes. Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leão, Vitinha, and Cristiano Ronaldo all have the quality to hurt you if given time and space. 

Portugal have also had the wood over Croatia historically, losing just one of their last 10 meetings across all competitions. Even so, Croatia look live enough to keep this close and potentially land a punch along the way. 

Prediction: Croatia to Cover +1 Goal @ $2.05 

Value: Croatia to Lead at Anytime @ $2.50 

Player Pick: Rafael Leão Anytime Goalscorer @ $3.30