X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

2022 FIFA World Cup: Final and Third Place Playoff, Betting Picks, Odds, and Predictions

RotoBaller previews the Final and Third Place Playoff of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, including betting picks, best bets, odds, and predictions for the two games on 12/17 and 12/18.

The final is here. We've seen 62 games played at Qatar and have just two remaining. Before France and Argentina can contest the biggest prize in soccer, Croatia and Morocco will face off in the game no one wants to play in; the third-place playoff.

The final sees defending champions France making their third final appearance in the last five World Cups while Argentina is making their sixth final appearance but hasn't won the tournament since 1986. Both are seeking their third World Cup trophy.

Like we did for the previous rounds, we'll be putting a total of 25 units across these fixtures and playing the ones that I believe offer us the best value. Just remember that unless specified, all bets are for 90 minutes and do not include extra time or a penalty shootout. We bagged a profit for our second-round and quarter-final bets before a loss in the semi-finals, although a last-minute goalline clearance by France is all that stopped us from making a big profit.

Featured Promo: Get any Props Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with our two new Props Optimizer tools -- one for PrizePicks Props, and one for Sportsbook Betting Props. Find optimal prop bets and get our recommended picks daily! Go Premium, Win More!

 

Third Place Payoff - Saturday, December 17th, 2022

Croatia vs. Morocco, 10:00 am ET

Score prediction: Croatia 2 - 2 Morocco (Croatia to win on penalties)

Croatia looked like they had run out of steam in their semi-final loss to Argentina. After going behind, they never really threatened to get back into the game and once Argentina doubled their lead, the game was almost like a training session in periods. Croatia won their only other third-place playoff back in 1998, their debut tournament.

Morocco's magical run at the World Cup also ran out of steam in the semi-final, although they did give France a run for their money despite going behind inside five minutes. The Moroccans achieved history by becoming the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final but injuries took their toll and they just lacked the cutting edge that France had.

The third-place playoff game usually yields lots of changes with players yet to feature or with limited game time at the tournament getting chances to play. Players carrying knocks will be rested so there's no way of predicting who plays and what will happen but both teams will likely need freshening up which should lead to an open game.

Betting picks

Total goals - Over 2.5 (-108 FanDuel) 4 units

Four years ago, Belgium beat England 2-0 in the third-place playoff. That was the first time since 1974 that there had been fewer than three goals in this game. It'll either be an open and high-scoring game or one team won't turn up and get heavily beaten. Either way, three or more goals is very much in play.

Both teams to score in both halves - Yes (+1100 PointsBet) 1 unit

If it is indeed a high-scoring affair, might as well sprinkle in a high-odds pick too...

Players to watch

Bruno Petković has featured in five games at the World Cup but only made one start as his role has been to come on and try to find a goal. He famously did just that in Croatia's quarter-final draw with Brazil, getting the equalizer late in extra time and the six foot four inches striker could pose a significant threat in this one from the start.

Zakaria Aboukhlal has only played 79 minutes at the World Cup from four substitute appearances. But he has a goal to his name and at 22 years old, he represents the future of Moroccan soccer. He already has 17 caps but only two of those have come in starts and he has three goals for the national side so he'll be keen to impress if he is afforded a start.

 

Today's World Cup Sportsbook Odds - Final and Third Place Playoff

If you are new to any of these sportsbooks, be sure to take advantage of the promo offers:

Featured Promo: Get any Betting Premium Pass for 30% off using code NEW. Win more with exclusive betting picks from proven winners across 9 sports! Find optimal bets with our Betting Picks Tool and Bet Weighting Tool and follow along in our VIP chat rooms! Go Premium, Win More!

 

World Cup Final - Sunday, December 18th, 2022

Argentina vs. France, 10:00 am ET

Score prediction: Argentina 2 - 1 France

Argentina has grown into the tournament after losing their opener to Saudi Arabia. They overwhelmed Croatia in the semi-final and after blowing a 2-0 lead against the Netherlands in the quarter-final, they appeared to learn their lesson and controlled the second half against Croatia. Argentina looks like a team of ten players desperately playing for their captain in a bid to get him that elusive World Cup winner's medal. And the captain has been at his imperious best for much of the tournament.

After a close game against England in the quarter-final in which France was arguably outplayed, it was a similar story against Morocco in the semi-final. But an early goal against Morocco was the difference maker as France forced Morocco to try and press for an equalizer and then caught them on the break. But while Argentina has been improving as the tournament goes on, there's a case to be made that France has been regressing slightly.

This game is the soccer definition of a 'coin-flip'. I backed Argentina to win it all before the tournament began so I'm sticking with my guns and backing them to nick a tight game to give Lionel Messi a fairytale ending to his World Cup career and cement his legacy as arguably the greatest player of all time.

Betting picks

Both teams to score - Yes (+130 PointsBet) 6 units

Only PointsBet has this at plus odds and given both teams' strength is their attack and both have looked a bit shaky defensively, both teams scoring seems like a decent bet at this price.

First half moneyline - Draw (-115 PointsBet) 6 units

Of the last five finals, four have been drawn at half-time and last time out when France beat Croatia 4-2, it was 2-1 at the interval with France's two goals coming via an own goal and a penalty. Neither team will want to give anything away in the early going so a draw at the interval is very much a solid play.

Total first-half goals - Under 0.5 (+170 Caesars) 4 units

The eight World Cup finals since 1990 have produced five goalless first halves. The sportsbooks can't separate these two and a tight first half looks in order so adding in a 0-0 first 45 minutes seems sensible too.

To score anytime - Lionel Messi (+190 PointsBet) 2 units

So much of the pre-game narrative will be around Messi, as it has been all tournament. He's rolled back the years to help drag Argentina through games and looked at his best for spells of their semi-final win so I'm not betting against him producing one final piece of magic in what should be his last World Cup game.

A penalty to be awarded - Yes (+245 FanDuel) 2 units

Argentina has been awarded four penalties at the tournament while France has conceded three (two against England) and was somewhat lucky not to have conceded a third in that game and one against Morocco. There's been a penalty awarded in two of the last four World Cup finals so it's not a complete rarity.

Players to watch

I'm not going to overcomplicate things. The game is being billed as Lionel Messi versus Kylian Mbappé and while there is much more to it than that, I certainly think a bit of magic from either player will be the deciding factor.

Mbappé has been kept quiet in his last two games (although he was credited with two assists in the semi-final) but he has the chance to win back-to-back World Cups at just 23 years old. Messi's missed penalty against Poland has prevented him from having the chance to be only the third player to score in every round of a World Cup and the first since 1970 (when only six games were needed to win the World Cup). One of the pair will surely put their mark all over the final.

 

Good luck with those World Cup bets and remember to bet responsibly!

More 2022 World Cup Analysis

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Griffin Conine

To Have Shoulder Surgery On Tuesday
Luke Keaschall

Twins Prospect Luke Keaschall Suffers Broken Forearm
Logan Gilbert

Leaves Friday's Start With Forearm Tightness

Vikings Select Tai Felton To Finish Day 2

Seahawks Select Quarterback Jalen Milroe With The 92nd Pick Overall

Browns Select Dillon Gabriel 94th Overall

Packers Pick Savion Williams At No. 87 overall

Steelers Snag Kaleb Johnson In Round 3

Broncos Select Wide Receiver Pat Bryant With The 74th Overall Pick

Texans Select Jaylin Noel With 79th Pick

Lions Select Wide Receiver Isaac TeSlaa With The 70th Overall Pick
Jack Leiter

To Start On Sunday

Patriots Add Wide Receiver Kyle Williams In Round 3

Browns Draft Harold Fannin Jr. With 67th Pick
Garrett Mitchell

Makes Early Exit
Luke Keaschall

Removed Early On Friday
Blake Snell

Likely Avoids Major Injury
Cole Ragans

Dealing With Mild Groin Strain

Broncos Add RJ Harvey To Backfield With 60th Pick

Raiders Select Jack Bech With 58th Pick

Chargers Add Wide Receiver Tre Harris In Round 2
Detroit Lions

Lions Acquire 57th Pick From Broncos

Seahawks Draft Elijah Arroyo 50th Overall
Carolina Panthers

Panthers Acquire 51st Pick From Broncos
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Snag Will Johnson At No. 47

Jets Add A Pass-Catcher With Mason Taylor At No. 42

Rams Select Terrance Ferguson With 46th Pick
Houston Texans

Texans Acquire 48th Pick From Raiders, Draft Aireontae Ersery

Saints Snag Tyler Shough At No. 40
Brenton Doyle

Out For Personal Reasons On Friday
Brandin Podziemski

Not On Injury Report For Game 3
Jimmy Butler III

Warriors Optimistic About Jimmy Butler III Playing Saturday
Jae'Sean Tate

To Remain Out Saturday
Jock Landale

Unavailable For Game 3
Terry Rozier

Out On Saturday
Jrue Holiday

Ruled Out For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Orlando
Kevin Love

To Miss Saturday's Game
Jaylen Brown

Available For Friday Night's Game 3 Against Magic
Gary Payton II

Iffy For Saturday's Action
Jayson Tatum

Officially Available On Friday For Game 3 Against Magic
Will Smith

Back From Injury On Friday
Luke Kennard

Questionable For Game 4 On Saturday
Darius Garland

Listed As Questionable For Game 3
Ja Morant

To Miss Game 4 On Saturday
Rui Hachimura

Available For Game 3 In Minnesota
Aaron Ekblad

Available To Return Saturday
Erik Swanson

Ryan Burr Progressing
Daulton Varsho

To Return On Tuesday At The Latest
Max Scherzer

Takes Positive Step On Friday
Aleksander Barkov

Questionable For Saturday
Gabriel Landeskog

Set For Larger Role In Game 4
Calvin Pickard

To Start Game 3 For Oilers
Randy Arozarena

Resting For First Time This Year
Jonas Siegenthaler

To Play Limited Minutes In Game 3
MLB

Red Sox-Guardians Game Postponed On Friday
Luke Hughes

Remains Out On Friday
MLB

Tigers-Orioles Postponed On Friday
Patrik Laine

A Game-Time Decision Friday
Yainer Diaz

Out On Friday Against Royals
Iván Herrera

Ivan Herrera Hopes To Start Rehab Assignment Next Week
Salvador Perez

Sitting Out For First Time This Season
Jaylen Brown

Questionable For Game 3 On Friday
Brendan Donovan

Back In Action On Friday
Jimmy Butler III

Could Miss Game 3 On Saturday
Coby Mayo

Getting On A Roll At Triple-A
Carlos Prates

Looks To Remain Undefeated In The UFC
Ian Machado Garry

Set For UFC Kansas City Main Event
Cade Cunningham

Collects Double-Double In Loss
Jalen Brunson

Drops 30 Points In Game 3
Karl-Anthony Towns

Leads All Scorers In Game 3 Victory
Zhang Mingyang

Scheduled For Co-Main Event
Anthony Smith

Set For His Final UFC Bout
David Onama

Set For Featherweight Bout
Giga Chikadze

Looks To Bounce Back
Abus Magomedov

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Michel Pereira

Returns To Action At UFC Kansas City
Nicolas Dalby

An Underdog At UFC Kansas City
Randy Brown

A Favorite At UFC Kansas City
Andre Muniz

Set To Open Up UFC Kansas City Main Card
Ikram Aliskerov

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Sergei Bobrovsky

Shuts Out Lightning In Game 2
Cam Fowler

Finishes Thursday's Win With Five Points
Robert Thomas

Posts Four Assists In Game 3 Win
Pavel Buchnevich

Celebrates Hat Trick During Four-Point Performance
Dylan DeMelo

Battling An Illness
Marcus Johansson

Exits Early Thursday
Aleksander Barkov

Hurt In Game 2
Jrue Holiday

Tagged As Questionable For Friday
Jayson Tatum

Likely Out Again On Friday
Anthony Cirelli

Good To Go Thursday
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Looks To Bounce Back In Game 2
Rasmus Ristolainen

To Miss Training Camp
Jonas Siegenthaler

Returns To Practice
Aliaksei Protas

Traveling With Capitals
Gabriel Vilardi

Still Out On Thursday
Max Pacioretty

Set To Join Maple Leafs Lineup For Game 3
Cam Davis

Looking For Better Fortunes At TPC Louisiana
Adam Svensson

Making Third Apperence At Zurich Classic
Max Greyserman

Aiming For Similar Success At TPC Louisiana
Lee Hodges

A High-Upside Player In New Orleans
PGA

Nico Echavarria Looks To Ride Off Of Elite Putting In New Orleans
Gary Woodland

A Player Worth Watching In New Orleans
Max McGreevy

Returns To The Zurich Classic Of New Orleans
Rasmus Hojgaard

In Search Of Consistency Ahead Of Zurich Classic
Sam Stevens

A Boom-Or-Bust Candidate In New Orleans
Nicolai Hojgaard

Looking To Turn Season Around At Zurich Classic
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Looks To Sway A Hot Putter In Teams Favor At Zurich Classic
Akshay Bhatia

Looking To Bounce Back At TPC Louisiana
Carson Young

Looks To Turn Things Around At TPC Louisiana
Erik Van Rooyen

Looking For Momentum In Louisiana
Andrew Novak

Making Start At TPC Louisiana After Near Miss At Harbour Town
Ben Griffin

Making Third Career Start At Zurich Classic
Taylor Moore

Competing With A New Teammate In New Orleans
Wyndham Clark

Making Return To New Orleans
Kurt Kitayama

Teeing It Up Again In New Orleans
Collin Morikawa

Back At Zurich Classic For Fifth Time
Thomas Detry

Making Third Appearance At New Orleans Team Event
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF