The Round of 16 is where the contenders separate from the pretenders in the 2022 FIFA World Cup — and the same goes for bettors. If you need expert betting advice on this round of World Cup knockout games, then read this! We’re giving out winning picks for Morocco-Spain and Portugal-Switzerland right here!
Handicap: Spain vs. Morocco
Betting the Morocco-Spain handicap is much richer in value than the three-way moneyline. That’s because the Spaniards are very comfortable -170 favorites to win in regulation across top-used World Cup sportsbooks. Those odds drop significantly on the handicap wager, as seen below:
Morocco was a surprise group winner. They drew against Croatia but used wins over once-mighty Belgium and Canada to earn first place. The African team has now gone eight games without being beaten. More impressive, they’ve only conceded two goals during that span.
La Roja is a step up in competition for Morocco, however. True to form, Spain are still possession machines like teams of old, including the 2010 world champions. Get this, Spain completed 2,489 passes in their group-stage campaign, the most at a single tournament on record since 1966. Morocco is a team built on counter-attacking but even seizing control won’t be easy.
We think Morocco will go the route of other underdog teams in this round — a blowout exit. It happened to the likes of Australia, Poland, and Senegal, and Morocco will also face the wrath of a far superior team. The Spaniards will surely dominate possession, but now it’s a matter if they can actually finish near the net. They did versus Costa Rica (seven goals), but hardly did with Germany and Japan (one goal each game). We’re betting this game goes more like the Costa Rica one than the others, which means Spain covers the handicap in the process.
Over/Under 2.5 Goals: Portugal vs. Switzerland
We’re very interested in betting the Portugal-Switzerland over/under. That’s because up to this point, both sides have shown a penchant for scoring and allowing goals at the tournament.
Let’s begin with the group winner, Portugal. Its six goals for were tied for third-most among all 32 teams in the group stage. Much has been made about Cristiano Ronaldo’s current form, but the aging superstar hasn’t slowed down the country’s attack — not yet at least (more on this soon). Though, Portugal did have a habit of allowing opponents to stick around by the way of surrendering four goals.
Switzerland finished runner-up in its group (losing out to almighty Brazil). The Swiss bagged four goals but allowed three on the other side.
Our money says this game ends up being high-scoring once more. Both sides are quite familiar with one another (more on that next), which should only help them get into scoring positions plenty and often. With the caliber of finishers in each country, goals will follow.
3-Way Moneyline: Portugal vs. Switzerland
Before we give you our Portugal-Switzerland moneyline pick, we have to discuss two earlier meetings at the UEFA Nations League this year. The results were polar opposites. The game in Lisbon ended in a home victory for Portugal at 4-0. Ronaldo scored twice in the matchup. But the next game in Geneva ended in a 1-0 victory for the Swiss.
We think this might be the closest matchup of the round of 16. Portugal is more talented, hence why they’re betting favorites to win this matchup. However, much of the talent still takes a back seat to striker Ronaldo. We’re of the belief this side would fare better with Ronaldo coming in as a substitute. That option doesn’t appear to be on the table for manager Fernando Santos due to Ronaldo’s larger-than-life presence.
Switzerland, on the other hand, is sneaky good. They don’t have a rich World Cup reputation — they’ve only advanced to the last eight once— which helps explain their underdog status. But we like how they stack up here against Portugal. They’re a more physical team, which could create some mismatches to exploit.
Given the competitiveness of the match, we’re of the belief that extra time will be needed to determine a winner. In that event, a draw is the outcome to bet on in regulation. That +235 line looks good to us, and we’re jumping right on it.
How To Bet On 2022 World Cup Knockout Games?
We’re less than two weeks away from deciding a World Cup champion once more. If you want to seize the remaining betting opportunities (until you have to wait another four years for another World Cup), then swing by one of the betting sites listed below. These sites are the best of the best — as suggested in our latest sportsbook reviews. Any and all 2022 World Cup bets can be found at these sites, whether it’s the round of 16 or the Final match.
Even better, all these sites are currently offering lucrative sign-up bonuses to first-time players. By lucrative, we’re talking about deals that range from $500 to $2500 in free play — a massive sum to bet on the World Cup for free. See the underneath table to get an idea of what deal is available at what site. Find a deal that suits your interest and hit the corresponding “play now” button to redeem it!
