Morocco v Portugal World Cup Betting Tips 10/12/2022

World Cup betting preview

Morocco produced one of the shocks of the World Cup on Tuesday to set up a quarter-final match with Portugal, so sit back and read our Morocco v Portugal World Cup Betting Tips. The Atlas Lions stunned Spain in the previous round on penalties. They became just the fourth African nation ever to reach the World Cup quarter-finals as a result. Morocco will face a Portugal side that thrashed Switzerland in their round of 16 matches, without star man Cristiano Ronaldo. Both sides have shown different strengths in the competition so far, which could produce an intriguing match on Saturday. The game kicks off at 3 p.m and will be shown live on ITV. 

Form and Team News 

Morocco held Spain to a 0-0 draw in their round of 16 tie and then won 3-0 on penalties. The result leaves the Atlas Lions unbeaten in the World Cup after they topped Group F with seven points. Morocco also beat Canada (2-1) and Belgium (2-0) in the group stage. Portugal hammered Switzerland 6-1 on Tuesday to progress. Goncalo Ramos struck a hat-trick on his first-ever international start. Pepe, Raphaël Guerreiro and Rafael Leão also got on the scoresheet. The victory followed a disappointing 2-1 loss to South Korea in the group stages. But Portugal won their first two matches of the tournament with wins against Uruguay (2-0) and Ghana (3-2). 

Morocco defender Nayef Aguerd is doubtful after coming off against Spain. Portugal’s Danilo Pereira is doubtful, and Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to start on the bench again. 

Match Winner Betting

Morocco and Portugal come into this quarter-final clash in solid form. The outcome might be closer than expected, despite Portugal being the clear favourite. First, Morocco is hard to beat and is unbeaten in nine. In addition, the African nation has won six matches during this run, including two at the World Cup. At 5/1, offered by Unibet, Morocco is still rank outsiders. But there is still good value in Morocco holding Portugal within 90 minutes. VBet has the best value for a stalemate at 39/14. However, after their commanding performance against Switzerland in the round of 16, we are backing a Portugal victory on Saturday. The Seleção have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, and beat Morocco 1-0 in their last World Cup meeting in 2018. SBK have the best odds for a Portuguese win at 5/7. 

Under 2.5 Goals Bet Tips

Morocco is likely to make life difficult for Portugal in this quarter-final clash. The Atlas Lions have set up defensively in each match and conceded few chances throughout the tournament. They have seen under 2.5 goals in six of their last nine matches and kept clean sheets in seven of these fixtures. As a result, we are backing a low scorer, with under 2.5 goals the best total goals bet. SBK have the best odds for an under 2.5 scoreline at 13/8. 

Anytime Goal Scorer Bets

Even though goals could be rare in this encounter, both Morocco and Portugal have some key attacking players who can find the breakthrough. First, Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech is a dangerous player on the counter-attack. The Chelsea player has struck 19 goals in 36 international appearances and also netted once so far in the World Cup. With 6/1 odds, offered by William Hill, Ziyech could be a good outside anytime goalscorer option. However, following his sensational performance against Switzerland in the round of 16, Gonçalo Ramos is our anytime goalscorer pick in this fixture. The young forward now has four goals in just six senior international appearances after his hat-trick last time out. In addition, Ramos has been in excellent form for Benfica this season, striking nine goals in 11 games. Bet365 currently has the best odds for a Ramos anytime goal at 9/4. 

Morocco comes into this clash against Portugal as the underdogs. However, judging previous performances in this tournament, the Atlas Lions cannot be written off. Yet if Portugal finds the heights they did against Switzerland then it could be a long evening for Morocco. Please remember that our betting tips each weekend look to provide good value. However, they are never guaranteed to win. Players can find all the latest information about free bets and offers on our homepage. Always remember to practice safer gambling when taking part in any wager.