Brazil vs Mexico World Cup Picks and Predictions 7/2/2018
World Cup Round of 16
Monday, July 2, 2018
Samara Arena
Brazil will play at Samara Arena when they take on Mexico on Monday, July 2, 2018 in a Round of 16 matchup. The opening line for this game has Brazil at -188 and Mexico at +600. The total has been set at 2.5.
After taking care of business during the group stages, Group E winner Brazil will try to continue their solid play against Group F runner-up Mexico in the round of 16. Brazil had a pretty easy time of it by winning two and drawing one in their group, while Mexico finished with two wins and a loss and a surprising -1 goal differential. Brazil will be coming into this matchup as pretty big favorites, but Mexico will be hoping that their chemistry and good team defense will do enough to help them pull off the upset.
Brazil
Brazil will want to go straight at Mexico's defense in this game because they will know that they have the skill players that it takes to break this type of defense down. They could definitely cause Mexico problems with their flair and quickness, but they will also be aware of Mexico's scary counter attack. If Brazil is able to put immediate pressure on Mexico when they lose the ball during this game, they should have no problem advancing to the quarterfinals.
Neymar
You can be sure that Brazil will get the ball to their superstar early and often in this game against Mexico. Neymar will pop up all over the field to ensure he sees a lot of the ball and will be looking to get the Mexican defense out of position. Everyone knows Neymar will create scoring opportunities, but the question is whether he and his teammates can convert those chances against Mexico.
Casemiro
The Real Madrid defensive midfielder will have a tough task in this one. He will know that Mexico has one of the best counter attacks out there and will need to find the holes that need to be filled before they are able to exploit them. The 26-year-old has been excellent so far in this tournament and he will love the responsibility of frustrating Mexico's forwards and midfielders.
Mexico
Mexico showed against Germany that they don't mind sitting back and absorbing pressure, but that strategy might be a bit trickier against this Brazil side. They will get their chances in this game, but Brazil's attack might be just a bit too much for them to handle. Mexico will want to get some momentum going early in this one, so expect the attackers to try to put Brazil's defenders on their heels when they get the opportunities.
Javier Hernandez
Mexico's all-time leading scorer is going to need to have a special game if he wants to help his country advance past Brazil. He's going to have to do a good job helping on defense and then will need to jet out on the break to give his teammates a good target to aim for. He might not get many great chances in this one, so he will need to make the most of the chances he does get.
Hector Moreno
The veteran defender is going to have to play near-perfect defense in the back if he's going to help his team slow down Brazil's high-flying offense. He's also going to need to use that excellent left foot of his to pick out passes to start Mexico's counter attack.
Key Brazil Injuries
No key injuries to report
Key Mexico Injuries
No key injuries to report
Who will win tonight's Brazil/Mexico World Cup game against the spread?
Tony's Pick: Take Brazil -188
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