Brazil needed 90 minutes to break the deadlock as a -500 favorite against Costa Rica, earning a well-deserved victory with a couple of goals in the dying minutes of the clash. Selecao managed to cover the spread at -1.5 with the wages at -140, while the game went in the under of the total of 2.5 goals at +100. Costa Rica is eliminated from the tournament after this defeat, while Brazil now has four points out of the first two matches in the Group E.
Game Recap
Brazil missed numerous excellent scoring chances to break the deadlock earlier in the game, so they had to wait until the injury time of the second half to score the opening goal when Philippe Coutinho somehow hit the ball between the legs of Keylor Navas who had eight saves in the match. The bettors who wagered on the spread at -1.5 are certainly pleased as Brazil managed to score another goal in the dying seconds of the clash, as Neymar bagged his first goal at the 2018 World Cup.
On the other side, those who wagered on the over of the total of 2.5 goals at -125 are surely disappointed, as Brazil could score at least three in this one, but Keylor Navas was fantastic between the sticks. A draw at the halftime was +163, so the bettors who believed in Costa Rica’s defense could earn some decent money with this one, while the odds on Brazil to lead at the interval were -164. Selecao had a couple of good chances in the first 45 minutes, but just in the second half, they started to push forward in numbers.
In the end, Brazil had a possession of the ball for 72% of the time, taking 22 shots towards Keylor Navas, as ten went on target. On the other side, Costa Rica had only three shots on goal and none of these went on target, so the Ticos haven’t deserved to take anything from this match, although they were so close to pulling out a draw at +575.
In the final round of the group stage, Costa Rica will face Switzerland as a huge +500 underdog, and the Ticos will play just for prestige, while Brazil will meet Serbia as a -200 favorite, according to BetDSI Sportsbook. Selecao is still looking for their top form, but they are still the strongest candidate to reach the final match of the 2018 World Cup with the odds at +225, while the price on the Semi-Finals is +120.
