Slam these Totals in Week 14 NFL Betting
December 8, 2022
Week 14 NFL Parlay Picks
December 8, 2022
The 2022 FIFA World Cup has been exhilarating to this point, and most of the pre-tournament favorites are still in the mix. Brazil remains the overall favorite and is expected to crush 2018 World Cup runner-up Croatia in the first match of the quarterfinals on Friday. CONMEBOL rivals Argentina emerged as the second favorite behind Brazil prior to the start of the competition, and they can set up a semifinals showdown with their biggest rival provided they advance over the Netherlands in their quarterfinal match.
There’s no doubt that the most anticipated game of this round will be England vs France though. These long-time rivals have fought countless wars over the centuries, and they will now get to settle the score on the pitch. This will be just their third meeting at the World Cup with England winning both of the previous affairs in 1966 and 1982. The winner will take on either Portugal or Morocco for the right to go to the World Cup Finals.
England and France will compete for a spot in the World Cup Semifinals on Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 2 p.m. ET on FOX. They will play at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, and France is a slight favorite per the World Cup betting odds.
2022 World Cup Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook
England +205
France +150
Draw +225
Total 2.5
England vs. France Betting Preview
France has the best player on the pitch in Golden Boot favorite Kylian Mbappe. We watched Mbappe be named the Best Young Player during France’s triumph at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and he is poised to become a perennial favorite in the Ballon d’Or race. Mbappe has five goals so far in the 2022 World Cup, recording a brace against Denmark and a brace against Poland in the Round of 16.
This French team has no shortage of talented goal scorers even though Karim Benzema is injured. Olivier Giroud has scored three goals at this competition, and Antoine Griezmann must always be accounted for with 42 goals in 114 matches for Les Bleus.
The worry for France at this tournament continues to be the midfield. Defensive standout N’Golo Kante was injured and left off the roster, and 2018 talisman Paul Pogba wasn’t selected for national duty either. That led to a lot of questions since Adrien Rabiot and Aurelien Tchouameni are the only midfielders with more than seven caps with France, but we have seen Griezmann drop into the midfield in order to help steer the course. That being said, Tchouameni has been very good with the right amount of aggression and tact, but he might not have the same effect in this game as he is one yellow card away from facing an automatic suspension in France’s next match.
The French back line is not as strong as it was at the 2018 World Cup. France has conceded one goal in every match so far, as Raphael Varane is the only elite defender on the roster with PSG standout Presnel Kimpembe injured before the start of the tournament.
England should be able to find the back of the net at least once against this back line. The Three Lions have scored 12 goals so far at this World Cup, and they have tallied at least three goals in three of their four matches. Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka have three goals apiece, and Saka has been one of the breakout stars so far at this competition. Six other players have netted a goal for England, but the side needs more out of Harry Kane at the top of the formation given the explosiveness of Mbappe as his counterpart.
Jordan Henderson has been sharp in the midfield, and Declan Rice has been solid in the middle of the formation. Teenager Jude Bellingham has shown flashes of brilliance too, but we don’t see a lot of offense out of the midfield in this scheme.
The back line has been extremely reliable so far with Harry Maguire and John Stones breaking up a lot of attacks before they get too dangerous, and the center back duo has been great defending against set pieces. However, there is a concern with their pace, and that could be a major problem against the lightning quick Mbappe.
England vs. France Prediction
This has the potential to be Mbappe’s most impressive outing yet at the World Cup. He has the speed and talent to find open space against England, and he should be able to lead Les Bleus to a 3-1 victory in regulation.
