Croatia has easily beaten Nigeria 2-0 in the second game of the Group D at the 2018 World Cup to gladden their fans but also the bettors who wagered on the Blazers at -145 to beat Nigeria, while the game was finished in the under of the total of 2.5 goals at -150. Croatia is now topping the Group D table after a dominant performance in the opener, as the Blazers covered the spread at -1.5.
Game Recap
The Blazers completely dominated over Super Eagles, pilling the pressure on Nigeria straight from the kick-off, and controlling the possession of the ball in the middle of the park where Luka Modric showed why he’s one of the best playmakers in the world at the moment. On the other side, Nigeria put on a poor performance, one of the worst we saw at the 2018 World Cup so far. Super Eagles took 14 shots toward Croatia’s goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, one more than their rival, but actually, they created just a couple of decent scoring chances for 90 minutes of soccer.
Croatia’s players had the ball on their feet for 55% of the time, using their technical superiority to control the flow of the game with a clear plan how to damage Nigeria’s defense which led to a convincing victory. The bettors who wagered on the spread are certainly excited to get some nice wages at +185, but also those who bet on three-way, as the odds at -145 were satisfied with ease.
The Blazers took the lead in the 32nd minute of the first half when Mario Mandzukic’s header hit Nigeria’s player Oghenekaro Etebo to finish behind goalie’s back. They doubled the lead in the second half, as we saw another penalty kick from a Video Assistant Referee decision. In the 70th minute of the game, after Modric’s corner-kick, Nigeria’s defender William Troost-Ekong brought down Mario Mandzukic inside the box, and the referee point to the spot after consulting a new VAR technology. Luka Modric easily converted the penalty to make it 2-0, and it was the end of the road for Super Eagles, who totally disappointed both their fans and bettors who fancied their odds to stay unbeaten at +125.
Croatia is now topping the Group D table with good chances to qualify for the next round, while the market on Blazers to beat the 2018 World Cup is set at +2800 on BetDSI Sportsbook. The odds on Croatia to reach the Quarter-Finals are at +187, while Nigeria is set as a +1600 underdog to make it to the last eight. Super Eagles will have a difficult time to find the way through the group phase, and the bookies favor Super Eagles at +1400 to be the lowest scoring team in Russia.
