Croatia vs Morocco prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for World Cup 2022 third-place match

The third-place match at the FIFA World Cup is a relatively pointless one, but it's also one that can be exciting because of exactly that.

Croatia and Morocco know they will have nothing to lose Saturday in Qatar, and therefore will look to play with vigor and spunk as they take the field one more time hoping to earn a just reward for a fabulous tournament by both.

Croatia vs Morocco LIVE: World Cup score, highlights, result from 2022 third place match

Luka Modric will almost surely be playing in his final World Cup match, and fans will look for one more starring performance from the 37-year-old midfield maestro. Likewise, many of the core Croatian players like Marcelo Brozovic and Andrej Kramaric also could be in their final World Cup rodeo.

For Morocco, they have already thrown everything they have onto the field in Qatar. They're sporting a number of injuries at key positions but will still hope they can produce one more 90-minute show for their fans who have flooded Qatar stadiums for every match in full support.

MORE: How to watch Croatia vs Morocco in World Cup third place match

Croatia vs Morocco odds

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 thought 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.

Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Ladbrokes (Australia).

Croatia vs Morocco: 3 things to know

Croatia vs Morocco team news

Croatia will likely see their aging 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 Midfielder Marcelo Brozovic was withdrawn in the 50th minute of the semifinal defeat to Argentina and appeared to be struggling with an injury, so the Inter man too could be left to the bench.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.

MORE: Full injury tracker for all 32 teams at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Croatia vs Morocco key stats

• A European team has won the third-place match for the last 10 World Cups, dating back to 1978 when Brazil topped Italy.
• Croatia is looking to become the sixth team to finish third at a World Cup at least twice after doing so in 1998. Germany has finished third a record four times, while Poland, France, Sweden, and Brazil have all done so twice.
• These two teams played to a scoreless draw just weeks ago in Group F play, with neither side generating over 0.50 xG.

Croatia vs Morocco match facts

• Date: Saturday, December 17
• Kickoff Time: 10:00 am ET / 3:00 pm GMT / 2:00 am AEDT (Sun, Dec. 18)
• Location: Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar
• Referee: Abdulrahman Al-Jassim, Qatar

Croatia vs Morocco prediction

• Moneyline lean: Croatia (+138)
• Against the spread lean: Croatia -0.5 (+125)
• Score prediction: Croatia 2-0 Morocco

Morocco have had a great tournament, but their injuries have caught up with them, as has fatigue. They put in a great performance against France given the circumstances, but the gas tank is almost empty.

This is also a bad matchup for Morocco, as Croatia play an extremely similar style of football. The two sides both like to play defense with possession, dominating the midfield and not allowing the opposition to have many attacking moves. Both midfields have been sensational this tournament, but the Croatian trio of Modric, Brozovic, and Mateo Kovacic will take over this match.

Croatia vs Morocco: best bet

• Pick: Both teams to score — No
• Odds: +100 (BetMGM)

These two teams played to a scoreless draw to open group stage play, and there's a reason why a low-scoring affair will again take place. The tactical clash of similar styles will grind this game to a halt, as both teams like to take the air out of the ball for long stretches of possession.

Morocco will play a more uptempo style, but Croatia will look to keep them off the ball. It's hard to see more than one team scoring in this match. The under has good value as well at -120, but at even money we'll take this one instead.

Croatia vs Morocco prop bet

• Pick: Half with most goals — 1H
• Odds: +225 (BetMGM)

We've hammered the second half all World Cup to a profitable effect, but in the third-place match, both teams will come out guns blazing in the opening 45 minutes. As the game wanes, star players will turn their eyes back toward their club prospects and look to shut things down, and substitutions will be more about giving star players one last chance to be appreciated by the fans.

The first half in this third-place match should be the far more valuable stanza, while the second half reminds players and fans of the low stakes in this game. International friendlies are always more open in the first half, and this meaningless game should be no different.

Croatia vs Morocco flier bet

• Pick: Mateo Kovacic to assist a goal
• Odds: +700 (FanDuel)

The creativity of Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann has been the talk of this World Cup, but one player who hasn't received nearly the plaudits his creative abilities have deserved is Mateo Kovacic. He's a distant third in heralded Croatian midfielders, but he's been maybe the best of the trio.

Kovacic has created eight chances for a 1.18 expected assists, more than either Modric or Brozovic. He hasn't logged an assist yet this tournament, so for 7/1 odds, he is great value to come good on that expected assists number with one more match to go.

Croatia vs Morocco live stream, TV channel

MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)

The 2022 FIFA World Cup third-place match will be played at the Khalifa International Stadium in Qatar, as a warmup to the final 24 hours later.

Here's how you can watch all the action in some of the major global territories.