Panama vs. Croatia
Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Tuesday, June 23rd, 7 p.m. ET
My intention was to post my best bet from the game I have traveled to Boston to watch my nation play in, but the odds on England to win and Over 2.5 goals have been hit hard. However, if you can get -125 or better, then get on. I also like a Declan Rice assist at around +300, but I will be waiting for team news there in case Bukayo Saka starts. If he doesn’t, it’s a great bet.
So instead, I am switching to the other game in Group L and what is a must-win for both nations after they suffered opening-fixture defeats. Croatia was thumped 4-2 by England, with Panama conceding in the 95th minute to lose 1-0 to Ghana.
The Croatians were indebted to goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who made several excellent saves to keep the scoreline semi-respectable. They did score twice against one of the tournament favorites and a side that didn’t concede a single goal in eight qualifiers to highlight their attacking threat.
Panama’s defeat was far more competitive than the scoreline suggests, with Thomas Christiansen’s side having 11 shots, four of which were on target, and missing two big chances. Between the two teams, a combined 10 of their last 13 internationals have cashed on Over 2.5 goals, and I am taking this one to be another.
When looking to bet Over goals, game state plays a massive part. With both sides’ World Cup hopes hanging in the balance, this one looks set up perfectly. Expect an attack-minded approach from Croatia built around their creative talisman Luka Modric and attackers capable of exploiting what can be a vulnerable Panamanian backline, especially against superior opponents.
Despite being solid in qualifying, Panama shipped six against Brazil last month and the same number against Chile last year. While seeing how exposed Croatia left themselves against the Three Lions, they will have hope to get similar joy by being aggressive in possession and committing numbers forward.
A tie does little to improve qualification prospects for either nation, and Croatia knows that result will likely mean England would guarantee topping the group before playing Panama, so they could rotate heavily. Once the first goal arrives, this game will really open up and makes the -110 for Over 2.5 goals a really attractive price.
World Cup Best Bet: Panama vs. Croatia – Over 2.5 goals -110
