The World Cup third place match is mostly useless, little more than an exhibition for two teams already officially "eliminated" from the competition.
Yet for Croatia and Morocco, there is plenty on the line despite the lack of a true competitive environment.
For Morocco, their fans have flooded the stadiums in Qatar to support their Atlas Lions en masse as they pushed much further into the World Cup knockout stage than anyone expected. It will behoove the Morocco squad to put on one more positive performance to see their fans out with a boom.
Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup score, highlights, result from 2022 third place match
Croatia, meanwhile, will be gearing up for one last rodeo for their ageing stars. Important players such as Ivan Perisic, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Marcelo Brozovic, and Andrej Kramaric are all over 30 years old and could be playing in their final World Cup. For 37-year-old superstar Luka Modric, who is considered one of the greatest midfielders to ever live, it is almost surely a final dance in the sport's biggest environment.
The Sporting News brings you a detailed look at the odds for the 2022 World Cup third place match, a game which will have plenty of meaning for these two nations.
MORE: When is Croatia vs Morocco? Date, time, history, and TV info for World Cup third place match
Pre-match odds via BetMGM, Caesars, and FanDuel (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Ladbrokes (Australia).
Croatia vs Morocco odds, lines, handicaps to win
Croatia are the slight favourite in this third place match, but Morocco are thought very likely to give their European foes a challenge. And why not? Morocco have already taken down fellow European giants Spain and Portugal, and could be out to secure another UEFA scalp before their tournament concludes.
Interestingly, despite each side's defensive nature throughout the World Cup, the over is a decent favourite, while both teams are though likely to avoid being shut out.
The team profiles seem to be outweighed by the aura of the third place match, which can often be slightly more wide open with teams knowing they have little to lose overall.
MORE: Full betting preview for Croatia vs Morocco with picks, best bets, props, and fliers
Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Ladbrokes (Australia).
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croatia win | +138 | 2.22 | 13/10 | 13/10 |
| Draw | +240 | 3.32 | 5/2 | 12/5 |
| Morocco win | +195 | 3.02 | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -145 / +105 | 1.60 / 2.06 | 4/6, 11/10 | 8/13, 23/20 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -120 / -115 | 1.81 / 1.93 | 5/6, 5/6 | 4/5, 19/20 |
| Croatia -0.5 | +125 | 2.29 | — | — |
| Morocco +0.5 | -185 | 1.61 | — | — |
| Croatia advance | -145 | 1.68 | 4/6 | 4/6 |
| Morocco advance | +105 | 2.06 | 11/10 | 21/20 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation except "to advance.”
Croatia vs Morocco team news, injuries
Croatia will likely see their ageing stars given one more chance to proudly wear the checkered shirt at a World Cup.
However, those with aches and pains could prioritise their club careers first, meaning Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic may not be locks to start. Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was withdrawn in the 50th minute of the semifinal defeat to Argentina and appeared to be struggling with an injury, so the Inter man too could be left to the bench.
Mateo Kovacic, who figures to remain in the mix for Croatia moving forward at 27 years old, also has seen minutes wear him down in the past and may wish to concede time in this game before heading back to Chelsea. Look for critical locker room presence Domagoj Vida to get his first minutes of this tournament along the defensive line in what is likely his final World Cup match.
For Morocco, there are a host of injury issues for head coach Walid Regragui to work around. Captain Romain Saiss, midfielder Nayif Aguerd, and full-back Noussair Mazraoui were all injury doubts ahead of the semifinal against France, but the boss took a risk and included all three in the starting lineup. It backfired horribly, as Aguerd was withdrawn at the last minute before kickoff, Saiss was yanked after 21 minutes, and Mazraoui came off at halftime. All three will struggle to prove fit for the third place game.
Substitute striker Walid Cheddira will return from his red card suspension he served in the semifinal defeat.
They've done a continent proud 🇲🇦❤️ pic.twitter.com/4inOVLn7nz
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 14, 2022
Croatia vs Morocco goalscorer odds
Croatia striker Andrej Kramaric is considered the most likely to score a goal in this match, although he has teammates Marko Livaja, Ante Budimir, and Bruno Petkovic hot on his tails. Rounding out the top five for Croatia is their all-time leading World Cup goalscorer Ivan Perisic.
For Morocco, their striker Youssef En-Nesyri is the most likely to find the back of the net, but surprisingly, bench options Abderrazak Hamdallah and Walid Cheddira are given very similar odds despite their unlikeliness to start. Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech has had a quiet tournament playing in Morocco's defensive system, but is thought to have around a 3/1 chance of finding the back of the net.
Croatia goalscorer odds vs Morocco
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Kramaric | First: +450 Any: +170 | First: 7.20 Any: 2.90 | First: 11/2 Any: 15/8 | First: 9/2 Any: 17/10 |
| M. Livaja | First: +500 Any: +188 | First: 7.60 Any: 3.05 | First: 6/1 Any: 2/1 | First: 5/1 Any: 15/8 |
| A. Budimir | First: +500 Any: +188 | First: 7.80 Any: 3.10 | First: 6/1 Any: 2/1 | First: 5/1 Any: 15/8 |
| B. Petkovic | First: +500 Any: +200 | First: 8.40 Any: 3.25 | First: 6/1 Any: 9/4 | First: 5/1 Any: 2/1 |
| I. Perisic | First: +600 Any: +230 | First: 9.60 Any: 3.70 | First: 7/1 Any: 5/2 | First: 6/1 Any: 23/10 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Morocco goalscorer odds vs. Croatia
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y. En-Nesyri | First: +500 Any: +200 | First: 8.00 Any: 3.20 | First: 6/1 Any: 9/4 | First: 5/1 Any: 2/1 |
| A. Hamdallah | First: +550 Any: +220 | First: 8.40 Any: 3.30 | First: 13/2 Any: 9/4 | First: 11/2 Any: 11/5 |
| W. Cheddira | First: +650 Any: +240 | First: 9.20 Any: 3.55 | First: 7/1 Any: 5/2 | First: 13/2 Any: 12/5 |
| H. Ziyech | First: +750 Any: +280 | First: 11.00 Any: 4.10 | First: 17/2 Any: 3/1 | First: 15/2 Any: 14/5 |
| S. Boufal | First: +900 Any: +333 | First: 12.00 Any: 4.60 | First: 10/1 Any: 7/2 | First: 9/1 Any: 10/3 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Croatia vs Morocco half odds
Croatia are thought the far more likely side to score goals in this match, and therefore they are minus-odd favourites to win either half against their banged-up African opponents.
Morocco, meanwhile, are massive 11/1 underdogs to win both halves, a result which would see them secure third place and make the numerous traveling fans extremely happy.
| Caesars | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win either half | CRO: -135 MAR: +105 | CRO: TBD MAR: TBD | CRO: 4/6 MAR: 1/1 |
| Win both halves | CRO: +600 MAR: +900 | CRO: TBD MAR: TBD | CRO: 13/2 MAR: 11/1 |
| Half most goals | 1H: +215 Draw: +245 2H: -106 | 1H: TBD Draw: TBD 2H: TBD | 1H: 23/10 Draw: 5/2 2H: 10/11 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Croatia vs Morocco cards & corners odds
While card and corner odds have been released for the 2022 World Cup final given the massive betting interest in that match, there is very little currently available for the third place match in that regard.
We do know that the total on cards to be shown is somewhere around 4.0, slightly skewed towards 4.5, while the total of 8.5 corners is close to proving accurate.
The rest of the odds will likely be released following the referee assignment for the match. The Sporting News will update this section when those have been published.
| FanDuel | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRO O/U 2.5 cards | TBD | — | — |
| MAR O/U 2.5 cards | TBD | — | — |
| CRO 30+ book pts | — | — | TBD |
| MAR 30+ book pts | — | — | TBD |
| O/U 4.5 total cards | TBD | 2.25 / 1.57 | — |
| 70+ total book pts | — | — | TBD |
| CRO player booked | TBD | — | TBD |
| MAR player booked | TBD | — | TBD |
| CRO red card | TBD | — | TBD |
| MAR red card | TBD | — | TBD |
| Either/Both red card | TBD | — | TBD |
| Over 8.5 total corners | TBD | 1.74 | TBD |
| CRO over 3.5 corners | TBD | — | TBD |
| MAR over 4.5 corners | TBD | — | TBD |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Note: Cards totals count a straight red card as two cards, while a second yellow to a red counts as three total cards (one for initial yellow, two for red).
How do booking points work?
Instead of counting total cards in a match, "booking points" are utilized in Europe to summarize the disciplinary record of a team or match.
Here is how booking points are calculated:
- One yellow card = 10 booking points
- One red card = 25 booking points
- Second yellow card = 35 total booking points (10 for initial yellow, 25 for red — 2nd yellow does not contribute)
