Croatia vs Denmark World Cup Picks and Predictions 7/1/2018
World Cup Round of 16
Sunday, July 1, 2018
Nizhny Novgorod Stadium
Croatia will take on Denmark at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in a Round of 16 matchup on Sunday, July 1, 2018. The opening line for this World Cup matchup has Croatia at -123 and Denmark at +300. The total opened at 2.
Croatia looked like one of the top teams in the world during group stage play and will be looking to keep that momentum going when they face Group C runner-up Denmark in the round of 16. Both teams only gave up one goal in three games during group stage play, so expect to see a lot of possession-style football and for this one to end in a low-scoring win for one of these two sides. Croatia are the favorites, but this is a pretty even matchup on paper.
Croatia
The main reason why Croatia looked so good during their group stage matches is because they have excellent chemistry. They take care of the ball and they are patient when waiting for holes to open up. They also have some excellent creative midfielders, who could be too much for Denmark to handle in this game. If Croatia can win the possession battle and keep playing great team defense, they should be able to get to the next round.
Luka Modric
Modric showed once again during group play that he is one of the best central midfielders in the game today. He not only had excellent passing accuracy during those three games, he was also fantastic at clogging up the middle and helping his team win the ball back in the middle of the pitch. He looks like he's at his best right now, which is a scary prospect for Denmark's midfielders and defense.
Mario Mandzukic
The big striker will be facing a strong defense in this one, so he will need to find a way to get open in front of goal. Chances are he will get his heading opportunities against Denmark, and his team will be relying on him to put at least one of them away.
Denmark
Denmark will be happy to make it to this stage in the tournament, but they will also know that they need to play better offensively against Croatia to have any chance of making it through to the round of 16. They aren't filled with attacking talent, but they definitely would have expected to score more than just one goal in their three group stage games. Head coach Age Hareide will need to come up with a way to put his top attacker sin good positions to score.
Christian Eriksen
Eriksen is a fantastic creative midfielder who can score from pretty much anywhere around the box. He's also an excellent passer, so if Denmark's forwards can get into good positions against Croatia, expect Eriksen to find them. The 26-year-old will also be tasked with tracking back and keeping Croatia's midfielders from having an easy time moving the ball around.
Kasper Schmeichel
The 31-year-old keeper shouldn't have to worry about too many one-on-one situations in this game, but he will need to be on his toes when Croatia sends its crosses in. They have great height and will try to force Schmeichel and his defenders into making mistakes in front of goal.
Key Croatia Injuries
No key injuries to report
Key Denmark Injuries
No key injuries to report
Who will win tonight's Croatia/Denmark World Cup game against the spread?
Guy's Pick: Take Denmark +300
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