World Cup Betting Tips: Predictions & Best Odds On Tuesday's Games
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The World Cup Round of 16 concludes with two eagerly anticipated clashes featuring Iberian heavyweights on Tuesday.
Betting sites make Spain the odd-on favourites to beat Morocco in the early game, but they must find a way to keep Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri quiet.
The action then shifts to the Lusail Stadium, where Cristiano Ronaldo will bid to lead Portugal to victory against a well-drilled Switzerland side.
Leading UK bookmakers expect Fernando Santos’ men to set up an all-Iberian quarter-final showdown with Spain, but they cannot afford to take Switzerland lightly.
Both games promise to be intriguing affairs, and we have scoured the markets to find interesting angles on them.
Spain vs Morocco, Tuesday, 3pm
Spain will need to rediscover their best form if they are to beat a talented Morocco team in the Round of 16 on Tuesday.
Luis Enrique’s men began the tournament with a resounding 7-0 victory over Costa Rica, which marked them as major contenders for glory.
However, they could only draw 1-1 with Germany in their second group stage match, and they then slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat to Japan.
That saw Spain finish second in Group E, and they only scraped through to the knockout stage of the World Cup by virtue of a superior goal difference than the Germans.
Anyone that has watched Spain regularly under Enrique would not be the least bit surprised by their results thus far.
They occasionally wipe the floor with an unfortunate opponent - such as a 6-0 win against Germany in 2020 and the 5-0 victory over Slovakia the following year - but their games are normally tighter, more humdrum affairs.
Enrique’s men always have more than 67% of the possession, with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Pedri and Gavi knocking the ball backwards and sideways for mind-numbing periods.
When they come up against a team that play with a low block, the Spaniards struggle to turn their possession into chances, and that proved to be the case against Japan.
Morocco have already shown World Cup betting sites that they can thwart elite opposition at this tournament.
Very few fans expected them to finish top of a group featuring Belgium, Croatia and Canada, but they were totally undaunted by the prospect.
They stifled Croatia in a stalemate at the start of the tournament, before beating Belgium 2-0 and Canada 2-1 to surge through to the Round of 16 in first place.
Morocco are diligent in defence and incisive on the counter-attack, with Achraf Hakimi, Ziyech, En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal leading the charge.
Spain will dominate the ball in this game, but they may struggle to find too many openings, and they will need to beware the Moroccan counter after failing to keep a clean sheet in their last two matches.
Alvaro Morata – who is a contender in the World Cup Golden Boot odds - will be crucial to their chances of success, as he provides them with a much-needed focal point in attack.
He has scored in all three matches so far at this tournament, despite only starting one of them, and he looks well-priced to add to his tally on Tuesday.
Tip 1: Both Teams To Score – 13/10 with Paddy Power
Tip 2: Alvaro Morata To Score – 6/4 with Ladbrokes
Portugal vs Switzerland, Tuesday, 7pm
Football betting sites make Portugal the odds-on favourites to get the better of European rivals Switzerland in this Round of 16 clash.
It will be the third time that these teams have met so far this year, as they were drawn in the same UEFA Nations League group.
Portugal eased to a 4-0 victory over Switzerland in Lisbon back in June, courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo brace and additional goals from William Carvalho and João Cancelo.
However, Switzerland gained revenge a week later, when they battled to a 1-0 win against Portugal in Geneva, so that should give the players confidence ahead of this daunting task.
They will need to contain the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, João Felix, Rafael Leão and Cancelo, which will be difficult.
However, the Swiss have a strong recent record in the knockout stage of major tournaments.
They knocked reigning world champions France out of the Euros last summer following a 3-3 draw, and they then held Spain to a 1-1 draw in the quarter-finals before finally losing on penalties.
They were a little unfortunate to lose 1-0 to Brazil in the group stage, and they did well to beat Cameroon and Serbia en route to finishing second.
Midfielders Granit Xhaka and Remo Freuler are in fine form, while the defence is solid and Breel Embolo is a handful in attack.
They may be the underdogs with betting apps, but the Swiss look capable of giving Portugal a run for their money on Tuesday.
Tip 1: Both Teams To Score – Evens With William Hill
Tip 2: Draw – 12/5 With Betfair
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