Iceland vs Croatia Free World Cup Picks and Group D Odds

by Guy Bruhn - 6/20/2018

World Cup Group D

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Rostov Arena

Iceland will take on Croatia at Rostov Arena in a Group D matchup on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. The opening line for this World Cup matchup has Iceland at +550 and Croatia at -200. The total opened at 2.25.

In a game between two of the smallest European countries in the World Cup this year, Iceland will try to pull off yet another upset when they face Croatia in both teams' final fixture of the group stages. Croatia clearly has the more talented squad in this matchup, but Iceland continues to prove that great team chemistry can be enough to pull off some great outcomes against top teams. Croatia will be expected to win in this game, but it should end up being a close one.

Iceland

We all know what to expect from Iceland in this game. They will sit back and try to absorb everything that Croatia throws at them. The question is whether they will get enough chances up front to create legitimate chances for goals. Star midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson will have the best chance to score with his fantastic shot from distance, but it will also come down to getting him some help and not being too defensive-minded.

Hannes Thor Halldorsson

The veteran keeper will have a lot of people in front of him helping out against Croatia's potent attack, but you can be sure that he will need to step up and make plays himself on multiple occasions. He's not known for his quickness, so he will need to be sure that he is positioned correctly to deal with Croatia's creativity in front of goal.

Kari Arnason

The 35-year-old center back has great size, but the question will be whether he can deal with the quick little attackers in Croatia's side. He's a good matchup for Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic, so head coach Lars Lagerback might choose to have him mark the big man throughout this game. Arnason could be a liability against counter attacks, though.

Croatia

Other teams, including some good ones, have struggled to deal with Iceland's very defensive approach, but Croatia is set up to get past it. They have excellent creative midfielders in their squad and they have size up front that can get up high and head balls toward goal. Of course, that means that Croatia's movement and positioning will need to be on point throughout the contest, or else they will end up another team that has a tough time breaking this Icelandic team down.

Ante Rebic

Considering all of the talent around him in this Croatian lineup, it's not surprising that Rebic isn't talked about much. He is a huge part of their future, though, and could be an incredibly important player in this game thanks to his directness and his ability to create chances even against the stingiest of defenses. He won't be a player that Iceland focuses on too much, which could be their downfall in this game.

Sime Vrsaljko

The 26-year-old right back has been an automatic selection for Croatia in recent years thanks to his sound defensive play and his ability to help out when needed in attack. He's a key player in this game because he will need to step up and be someone else that Iceland has to account for when Croatia is on the attack.

Key Iceland Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Croatia Injuries

No key injuries to report

Who will win tonight's Iceland/Croatia World Cup game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take Croatia -200

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Iceland vs Croatia Group D World Cup Picks & Predictions 6/26/2018

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