The biggest underdog left in the World Cup field will look to upset another European power in the 2022 quarterfinals on Saturday as Morocco take on Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.
Morocco are looking to become the first African side to advance to a World Cup semifinal, and they have been deserving of their success so far in the tournament.
With their game plan anchored in a compact, orderly defensive structure, the hard-working Atlas Lions have been able to neutralize opponents and create chances with their talented forwards. It's only helped they've arguably had the largest and loudest fan support throughout the tournament in Qatar.
Portugal are the heavy favorites with a star-studded starting lineup and squad list. Portugal fans will believe their talented players like Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Felix, can solve the Morocco backline.
We run through all the odds and projections for the match below.
Reminder: All bets in football/soccer are for regulation only, regardless of competition, unless explicitly specified. If the match requires a winner and goes to extratime or penalties, the draw is the winning moneyline bet since extra time and penalties do not factor in.
MORE: All about the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals
Morocco vs. Portugal odds
Portugal winning in a low-scoring affair is the story the pre-match odds are telling. If you feel strongly about Portugal advancing, then a parlay with total goals is likely the way to go.
However, if you think Morocco will keep Portugal in front of them and defend as orderly as they did against Spain, then there are a few ways to play it. Morocco to advance to the semis (+225), Morocco draw no bet in 90 minutes (+290), or even Morocco double chance (+115) — win or draw in the 90 minutes — are all options.
MORE: When is Morocco vs Portugal? Details of World Cup quarterfinal
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAR to win | +450 | 5.41 | 9/2 | 5.60 |
| Draw | +270 | 3.75 | 11/4 | 3.50 |
| POR to win | -150 | 1.60 | 8/13 | 1.68 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | +105 / -150 | 1.99 / 1.64 | 1/1, 8/11 | 2.10 / 1.67 |
| Over / Under 2.5 total goals | +105 / -145 | 2.10 / 1.68 | 11/10, 4/6 | 2.15 / 1.62 |
| MAR +0.5 handicap | +115 | 2.18 | — | — |
| POR -0.5 handicap | -165 | 1.67 | — | — |
| MAR to advance | +225 | 3.71 | 12/5 | 3.35 |
| POR to advance | -350 | 1.23 | 3/10 | 1.32 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation except "to advance."
Morocco vs. Portugal team news, injuries
Morocco, who are already sweating the health of midfield engine Sofyan Amrabat (back injury), could be looking at a significant change in the heart of its defense with West Ham's Nayef Aguerd not expected to recover in time for the match against Portugal with an injury (reports conflict between knee and hamstring) that forced him out early against Spain. Real Valladolid's Jawad El Yamiq would replace him if he can't go.
The big question for Portugal is what happens at center forward. But it shouldn't even be much of a question. Goncalo Ramos scored a hat trick in his debut and should be expected to lead the Portugal attack once more, as long as manager Fernando Santos can manage Cristiano Ronaldo, who according to reports, didn't take so well to the new sub role. But the superstar is sending a different message on social media.
MORE: Best bets for Morocco vs Portugal
Morocco vs. Portugal goalscorer odds
It's clear that Portugal is the team expected to do much of the scoring. There's a full list of players who have better odds to score (first or anytime) than anyone on Morocco. At this point given Cristiano Ronaldo's status, goal-scoring bets are risky ones.
But it's interesting to see Abderrazak Hamdallah with the best (or near-best) odds to get the first goal for Morocco when it's clearly Youssef En-Nesyri who's the preferred starting center-forward. And given how influential the wingers are, the Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal numbers catch the eye.
Morocco goalscorer odds vs. Portugal
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Hamdallah | First: +900 Anytime: +350 | First: 11.00 Anytime: 4.61 | First: 9/1 Anytime: 7/2 | First: 9.50 Anytime: 4.50 |
| Y. En-Nesyri | First: +850 Anytime: +350 | First: 11.00 Anytime: 4.58 | First: 9/1 Anytime: 7/2 | First: 9.50 Anytime: 4.50 |
| W. Cheddira | First: +1000 Anytime: +400 | First: 14.00 Anytime: 5.61 | First: 11/1 Anytime: 4/1 | First: 11.00 Anytime: 5.00 |
| H. Ziyech | First: +1100 Anytime: +450 | First: 15.00 Anytime: 6.01 | First: 12/1 Anytime: 5/1 | First: 12.00 Anytime: 5.50 |
| S. Boufal | First: +1200 Anytime: +550 | First: 18.00 Anytime: 6.81 | First: 14/1 Anytime: 6/1 | First: 13.00 Anytime: 6.50 |
| A. Sabiri | First: +1400 Anytime: +600 | First: 21.00 Anytime: 8.21 | First: 16/1 Anytime: 13/2 | First: 15.00 Anytime: 7.00 |
| I. Chair | First: +1400 Anytime: +600 | First: 19.00 Anytime: 7.21 | First: 16/1 Anytime: 13/2 | First: 15.00 Anytime: 7.00 |
Portugal goalscorer odds vs. Morocco
| BetMGM | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C. Ronaldo | First: +300 Anytime: +130 | First: 5.40 Anytime: | First: 4/1 Anytime: 6/4 | First: 4.00 Anytime: 2.30 |
| G. Ramos | First: +350 Anytime: +160 | First: 6.60 Anytime: | First: 5/1 Anytime: 15/8 | First: 4.50 Anytime: 2.63 |
| A. Silva | First: +400 Anytime: +175 | First: 7.00 Anytime: | First: 11/2 Anytime: 2/1 | First: 5.00 Anytime: 2.75 |
| B. Fernandes | First: +500 Anytime: +210 | First: 8.20 Anytime: | First: 6/1 Anytime: 9/4 | First: 6.00 Anytime: 3.10 |
| J. Felix | First: +500 Anytime: +225 | First: 8.40 Anytime: | First: 13/2 Anytime: 5/2 | First: 6.00 Anytime: 3.25 |
| R. Leao | First: +550 Anytime: +230 | First: 8.20 Anytime: | First: 7/1 Anytime: 11/4 | First: 6.50 Anytime: 3.40 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Morocco vs. Portugal halves odds
No surprise that the betting market says it's essentially a given that Portugal will win at least one of the halves, and is the most likely to come out on top in both.
As in most single-elimination matches, the second half is expected to see the most goals.
| Caesars | SkyBet | Ladbrokes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win either half | MAR: +210 POR: -230 | MAR: 2/1 POR: 2/5 | MAR: 3.00 POR: 1.40 |
| Win both halves | MAR: +1900 POR: +360 | MAR: 28/1 POR: 4/1 | MAR: 29.00 POR: 4.80 |
| Half most goals | 1H: +205 Equal: +220 2H: +105 | 1H: 9/4 Equal: 9/4 2H: 11/10 | 1H: 3.40 Equal: 3.20 2H: 1.95 |
Note: Odds above for 90 minutes of regulation only.
Morocco vs Portugal cards, corners odds
Selim Amallah (13/8) and Romain Saiss (5/2) and they were tops as 1st player carded for SkyBet (at 13/2 and 9/1), while Joao Palhinha (9/4) and predictably Pepe (11/4) are the two players deemed most likely (SkyBet)
| FanDuel | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MAR Over/Under 2.5 cards | +158 / -205 | — | — |
| POR Over/Under 1.5 cards | -110 / -116 | — | — |
| MAR 20+ booking points | — | — | 4/7 |
| POR 20+ booking points | — | — | 10/11 |
| O/U 3.5 total cards | -128 / +100 | 1.95 / 1.77 | — |
| 40+ total booking points | — | — | 10/11 |
| R. Saiss (MAR) booked | +210 | — | 13/8 |
| D. Dalot (POR) booked | +230 | — | 9/4 |
| MAR to receive a red card | +580 | — | 15/2 |
| POR to receive a red card | +650 | — | 9/1 |
| Either/Both teams to receive red card | +370 / +3700 | — | 4/1 , 66/1 |
| Over 8.5 total corners | -130 | 1.62 | 8/11 (9+ corners) |
| MAR over 3.5 corners | +154 | — | 6/5 (4+ corners) |
| POR over 5.5 corners | -120 | — | 4/9 (5+ corners) |
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)
