Morocco vs Iran Free World Cup Picks and Group B Odds

by Guy Bruhn - 6/6/2018

World Cup Group B

Friday, June 15, 2018

Saint Petersburg Stadium

Morocco will take on Iran at Saint Petersburg Stadium in a Group B matchup on Friday, June 15, 2018. The opening line for this World Cup matchup has Morocco at -106 and Iran at +320. The total opened at 2.25. Morocco and Iran are in a very tough group this year, so these fixtures are vital to both teams. They'll have a tough time against the favorites in the group, Spain and Portugal, but this fixture is one either team can win. Both teams had excellent qualifying rounds, though they deployed very different tactics in those games.

Morocco

Morocco had one of the most impressive qualifying rounds in the world, going through all of their fixtures without conceding a single goal. Their defense is very solid and they have a nice mix of youth and veteran players to reply on up front. They may not be the most talented team, but they really don't have any major weaknesses, either. Coming into this World Cup, Morocco is ranked 42nd in the world. They are coached by Herve Renard, who took over in early 2016 and was able to get them to the group stage of the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Mehdi Benatia

With over 55 caps to his name, Benatia has been a key player for Morocco for a while now. He is a big defender with plenty of athleticism and he is just as good at getting counterattacks started as he is at shutting down opposing forwards.

Hakim Ziyech

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder is the player Morocco will count on to both score and create goals. He has eight goals in just 15 games for his national side and he is also a major threat on set pieces.

Iran

While Morocco has more of a direct style of play, Iran takes a more conservative approach. This style has definitely worked for them, too, as they very rarely give up more than a goal in a game, giving them a chance even against tougher competition. This also means that they might struggle to get back into games once they do concede a goal or two. Their 4-2-3-1 setup worked brilliantly in the Asian qualifying round, and it'll be interesting to see how the teams in Group B deal with it. FIFA did move Iran up a few spots in recent months, giving them the 36th spot. Perhaps Iran's most prized asset is their coach Carlos Queiroz, who has been with the team since 2011 and once managed both Portugal and Real Madrid.

Sardar Azmoun

Azmoun may not be a well-known name, but he has certainly proven himself at the international level. He's only 23 going into the World Cup, yet he has already scored 23 goals in just 32 games for Iran. If they are going to pull off a minor miracle and make it through the group stage, he will need to continue hitting the back of the net.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh

With great pace and well above-average passing abilities, Jahanbakhsh is a fan favorite in Iran. He is a player that a lot of top clubs have looked at over the last couple of years, and for good reason.

Key Morocco Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Iran Injuries

No key injuries to report

Who will win tonight's Morocco/Iran World Cup game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Iran +320

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Morocco vs Iran Group B World Cup Picks & Predictions 6/15/2018

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