Croatia World Cup Odds

Croatia head into the 2022 World Cup off the back of their best-ever performance in a World Cup last time out in 2018 and while they don’t appear to be as strong as they looked four years ago, they will certainly hold belief in their chances.

In the 2018 World Cup, they finished as very respectable runners-up to winners France when losing 4-2 in the final in Moscow.

However, in their last major tournament, they failed to make it out of the last 16 when losing to Spain at the European Championship last year.

Croatia gained independence in 1991, whereas before that they competed under the Yugoslavia name, which was a state that also included the republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Since gaining their independence Croatia has qualified for and appeared in five World Cups, starting in France in 1998 where they finished an impressive third on debut.

In the next three tournaments, however, they were unable to get out of the group stage.

Zlatko Dalic, though, will be hopeful of repeating his side’s heroics in Russia 2018 in what was a remarkable performance by a manager in their World Cup debut.

In what is likely to be national hero Luka Modric’s final World Cup, you can be sure that the team will be conscious of owing him a strong finish.

Croatia Team Odds To Win World Cup

As runners-up at the World Cup in 2018, you would expect Croatia to arrive at the 2022 Qatar World Cup close to favourites.

However, that is not the case and in fact, they are nowhere near the head of the betting market.

After a disappointing European Championship campaign last year they did seem to hit some form when stringing together some impressive performances during World Cup qualifying at the back end of 2021.

They even registered 16 goals in their last five World Cup qualifiers and if they bring that level of form to Qatar this year, then they will quickly look overpriced.

That price, of which they are capable of dwarfing, is currently 50/1 (+5000). Although that must come with the caveat that if they turn up in a similar fashion as they did to Euro 2020 then that price will look correct.

Croatia’s Group F draw does look to be relatively kind, consisting of Canada, Morocco, and Belgium. Their current odds to be the Group F winner are 11/5 (+220).

Belgium will clearly be the toughest opponent that Croatia will face in the group stage, and they are priced at 16/1 (+1600) to win the World Cup.

For that reason, Croatia is the second favourite to progress from their group and are priced at 4/9 (-225) to do so, while Belgium is the heavy 1/9 (-900) – original odds: 1/2 (-200) – favorites to achieve progression to the knockout stages.

If one were to fancy Croatia to make it as far as the quarter-finals, they can be backed at 11/4 (+275) – original odds: 3/1 (+300) – to do so, while to go one better and make the semi-finals they are 15/2 (+750).

It’s not outside the realms of possibility that Croatia could replicate their 2018 heroics and reach the final of the World Cup, and if that looks tempting then they are a 16/1 (+1600) chance.

How To Bet On Croatian Team In Qatar

When betting on Croatia at the World Cup, it’s crucial that you do your research and find the best suitable bet for whatever it is you fancy.

Above are just a few of the possible bets available when betting on Croatia at the World Cup.

However, there are a vast number of options when betting on a football match so it’s imperative that you understand how each bet works so as to maximise the chance of achieving a successful outcome.

There are several popular bets to keep in mind and the below options are just a few to consider when betting on Croatia in the World Cup this year.

Player Prop Bets

Player prop bets are bets based on an individual’s performance during the course of a game.

For example, for Croatia’s match against Belgium, you could bet on Luka Modric to be the first goal scorer or to score anytime during the match.

Team Prop Bets

Team prop bets are similar to player prop bets but are instead based on a team’s performance during a game.

However, this doesn’t necessarily include the final outcome of the match so regardless of the team’s final standing at full-time, you might have already won the bet.

For example, if during a Croatia game you expect them to score over 2.5 goals in the match and they end up losing 4-3, then you will have still won your bet.

Asian Handicap

Asian handicap bets are bets which provide a handicap to one team and, as a result, bring the odds closer together.

These are especially popular when you have a heavy favourite for the match in question.

One team is given a theoretical head start which means they are supposedly in a better position to begin with by being ahead on goals before the game has even started.

The best way of illustrating this is with an example, and that example is Croatia’s first game in the tournament against Morocco.

Croatia will start this game as the favourite, but their price might not be very appealing as it will be very short, so an Asian handicap might be the best way to go.

Croatia might be handicapped by -1.5 goals and Morocco with +1.5 goals, therefore whichever nation then scores the most goals with the handicap applied is the winner.

You could either bet on Croatia with the -1.5 goal handicap or Morocco with the +1.5 handicap.

If Croatia were to win 2-1 against Morocco and you bet on them with the -1.5 handicap, then you would actually lose your bet.

Goal Lines

Goal lines bets are bets which enable you to bet on the total number of goals that will be scored in a match.

For example, during a game with Croatia playing Canada in the World Cup, you might expect there to be several goals, so you could bet on over 3.5 goals to be scored in total.

Totals Bets

Totals bets enable you to bet over or under on the total number of goals that will be scored in a match, but based on a bookmaker’s prediction.

Using the same example as above, during a Croatia game against Canada at the World Cup, a bookmaker may predict there to be a total of 4.5 goals scored during the game.

You are then able to bet on whether you think there will be more or fewer goals scored in the game than 4.5.

How To Sign Up At Sportsbook & Place A Bet On Croatia

It couldn’t be simpler to place a bet on Croatia in this year’s World Cup. In times gone by, you’d be expected to walk into a bookmaker to place a bet and receive a piece of paper in exchange for your cash.

Now, however, it couldn’t be easier to place your bet online where you can stay up to date with any price changes and identify any offers that may strike an interest, as well as cash out any bet if you’re not convinced with Croatia’s style of play for example.

There is a logical process to follow when placing a bet online for Croatia in the World Cup.

First, you need to open an account with an online bookmaker, there are many to choose from so this is far from the hardest bit.

Once you have found the best offer for you, you then need to identify the market you are looking to bet on, such as Luka Modric to score first for Croatia against Canada.

The next step is adding this to your bet slip before finally placing your bet and letting the excitement kick in.

Here are five easy steps to follow to do just that:

1. Choose the odds, select and ‘add’ to your on-screen betting slip.
2. Select the amount of money to wager by filling in the figure in the relevant area.
3. If you need to add money to your account, deposit the relevant amount before completing the bet. You’ll likely be prompted to do so.
4. If you already have the money in your account, then you are ready to click the ‘place bet’ button or similar. Your betting slip will then confirm that you have placed your bet.
5. Keep an eye on your betting slip with live updates, where you might also be offered ‘cash out’ options before the end of the match depending on the bookmaker you are betting with. This feature has gained in popularity over recent years.

Croatia Team Overview For Qatar

Croatia head to this year’s World Cup in Qatar for what will be their sixth time in the pinnacle of international football.

They have never before won the tournament in their five previous attempts although they have come as close as finishing third in their debut competition and closing off their 2018 campaign as worthy runners-up.

These were remarkable feats for a country that is not able to draw on a huge football-playing population.

Any replication of those finishes would be seen as a success for the Croatians and for a football-mad country their fans will be willing them to go one better than they ever have before.

Key Football Players

Croatian captain Luka Modric is key to this team and with 154 international caps to his name is one of the most experienced football players on the international circuit.

However, with that experience and the grand number of caps comes the downfall of age.

He will be 37 when the World Cup begins and is by no means the force he once was, although many would argue that only brings him down to a human level.

Ivan Perišić is the nation’s current active top scorer with 32 goals to his name, although Andrej Kramaric is not far behind with 19 goals.

The duo will be hopeful of adding to those tallies in this year’s World Cup campaign and playing a key role in Croatia’s attack.

Nikola Vlasic is another one whose name should be noted. Usually seen in the Premier League with West Ham, though now on loan at Torino, the Croatian can have a strong impact alongside Modric and will certainly be an asset in the midfield region.

The likes of Borna Barišić and Dejan Lovren will be hoping to line up in defence, meanwhile.

Injury List

Croatia have just one injury to be concerned about as we approach the start of the World Cup. Center-back Domagoj Vida, capped 99 times by his country, picked up a back strain on 31st October and is a doubt for their opening fixture later in November.

Otherwise, Zlatko Dalic has a full squad to pick from. 

Coaching & Technical Staff

Croatia is headed up by their manager Zlatko Dalic. The former player spent most of his career at clubs in his homeland before going into coaching and taking over the national side in 2017 ahead of their close finish in the 2018 World Cup.

An important appointment that Dalic has made before heading to Qatar for the World Cup is bringing in Mario Mandzukic to the coaching staff.

The former striker was capped for Croatia 89 times over 11 years and has featured for some of the biggest clubs in Europe’s leagues including Juventus and Bayern Munich.

He will no doubt prove to be an invaluable asset to Croatia in Qatar for the World Cup.

Croatia Team Road To Qatar

Croatia’s road to the 2022 World Cup was a relatively straightforward one.

During European qualifying for the tournament, they topped their group when securing seven wins from their 10 games, while losing just once

They finished one point ahead of Russia to achieve an automatic qualification, while also topping the likes of Slovakia and Slovenia.

During their qualification campaign, they managed to finish with a goal difference of +17 and only conceded four goals in the ten-game group stage process.

That was the best record in the group, as was their total of 21 goals scored.

Croatia’s World Cup History

Croatia has either punched well above their weight or well below it in previous World Cups, having achieved finishes of second and third place in 2018 and 1998 – either side of three group-stage exits and a failure to qualify.

If anything, this just shows that they are a very unreliable team, but when they do turn up at the World Cup they cannot be ignored and should be forgotten about at your peril.

England fans will remember their fixture against Croatia well in the 2018 semi-finals when they looked to be heading to the final after an early opener, only for the game to be turned on its head.

Croatia wasn’t, however, a match for France after progressing to the final, but if they turn up in a similar vein of form this year, they could well reach those dizzying heights once again.

Croatian Fans

Croatian fans are passionate and they want to see their national side do well, of that there is no doubt.

They are proud people and as long as they see their players give it their all on the pitch then that is all they care about.

However, if they were to see their team go one better than the last World Cup then there will be parties from Split to Dubrovnik for days, if not weeks; that much is guaranteed.