Argentina vs Croatia Odds & Prediction – World Cup Semifinals

• Argentina and Croatia clash in the World Cup semifinals on Tuesday in Lusail
• The Argentines are a clear -125 favorite in the Argentina vs Croatia World Cup odds
• Who advances to the final? Find the odds, in-depth analysis, and Argentina vs Croatia prediction below

After a wild last few weeks, there are just four teams left standing in Qatar. And on Tuesday, Lionel Messi and Argentina will be looking to book their ticket to the grand finale when they face the 2018 finalists, Croatia. The kick-off is scheduled for 2 PM ET at Lusail Iconic Stadium.

The Argentines won a drama-filled quarterfinal in penalties against the Netherlands, who forced extra time after two late goals. Lautaro Martinez netted the decisive PK to send his country through. Croatia meanwhile knocked off the tournament favorites Brazil, also in spot-kicks.

Argentina vs Croatia Odds

Odds as of December 11th at FanDuel. Use this FanDuel Sportsbook promo code to bet on all World Cup games.

Argentina is a rather heavy favorite at -125 to win in regulation. They’ve also got -290 World Cup odds to advance to the final. Croatia comes back at +420 for the semis and +250 to progress.

The most recent meeting between the two sides was in 2018 when the Croatians defeated the Argentines 3-0 in the group stages in Russia.

Over/Under & Spread

The total is set at 2.5 goals with the over at +144. The under sits at -178. The last three encounters comfortably hit the over. Something to keep an eye on.

Argentina vs Croatia Preview

Talk about a whirlwind of a World Cup for Lionel Scaloni’s men. After arguably the biggest upset ever in their opening loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina has evidently woken up, much in part to Lionel Messi. The PSG superstar is doing it all in the final third, scoring four goals and tallying two assists in five outings.

Lionel Messi has gone full alien mode this season 👽 pic.twitter.com/RFQzuzMWbU

— GOAL Africa (@GOALAfrica) December 11, 2022

By no surprise, Messi was the leading catalyst against the Dutch. He assisted Nahuel Molina’s opening goal with a world-class pass then netted from the spot for their second. Allowing Wout Weghorst to score twice in a span of 25 minutes late in the final period was far from ideal for Argentina, but they managed to prevail. While knowing Brazil is out will surely please La Albiceste, the Croatians cannot be taken lightly. The defeat four years ago is a prime example.

Argentina vs Croatia Key Stats

Absolutely no one predicted that Croatia would be on the brink of another final again. However, they’ve proven all the doubters wrong. Despite having just a handful of starters from their 2018 World Cup squad, Zlatko Dalic’s side has shown very well in Qatar.

BUILD DOMINIK LIVAKOVIC A STATUE IN CROATIA 🇭🇷

No keeper has made more saves than him at the World Cup 🧤 pic.twitter.com/INzKxq00cd

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 9, 2022

Eliminating Brazil was easily their biggest accomplishment yet, though. After Neymar scored what looked like the winner in the first half of extra time, the Croatians roared back in the final 15 minutes as Bruno Petkovic equalized to send the match to penalties, where they scored all five from the spot. Keeper Dominik Livakovic made 11 saves in total against Brazil and will be an important factor here. His play in between the sticks has been absolutely phenomenal in Qatar.

Argentina vs Croatia Line-Ups & Injuries

Argentina Projected Lineup: E. Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; Fernandez, De Paul, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Messi, Alvarez

Argentina Injuries & Absences: Montiel, Acuna

 Croatia Projected Lineup: Livakovic; Juranovic, Gvardiol, Lovren, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Pasalic, Kramaric, Perisic

Croatia Injuries & Absences: N/A

Argentina vs Croatia Prediction

Croatia has defended so well at the World Cup and possesses a real workhorse in the middle of the pitch in Luka Modric. Plus, Livakovic is almost unbeatable in net. However, I just feel Argentina will be able to pull through here, with none other than Messi proving to be the difference-maker. With the moneyline offering minimal value, cash in on both teams to score and the South American giants to come out victorious.

Pick: Argentina to Win & Both Teams to Score (+380), Lionel Messi to Score Anytime (+145)