Iran vs Spain Free World Cup Picks and Group B Odds

by Josh Schonwald - 6/13/2018

World Cup Group B

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Kazan Arena

Iran will play at Kazan Arena when they take on Spain on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 in a Group B matchup. The opening line for this game has Iran at +320 and Spain at -106. The total has been set at 2.5.

In what could be one of the most lopsided matchups in the group stages of the World Cup, Iran will be hoping not to get blown out by Spain in this Group B fixture. Spain has a total projected value of about $1 billion, while Iran's value is projected to be around $50 million, so there's a bit of a talent imbalance in this matchup. Of course, crazy things happen at the World Cup and Iran could pull off a miracle if they play perfectly. Really, though, Spain should have no problems in this game and should be able to score at least three or four goals.

Iran

Iran likes to keep the score low and sneak in a goal or two late in games. That might actually be a sound strategy against the high-flying Spaniards. If Iran can sit back and defend well as a unit, they might be able to frustrate Spain and force them into a couple of mistakes. The chances of them winning are low, but Iran held some good teams to draws in their friendlies leading up to the World Cup, so there's a chance they could do it again in this matchup.

Alireza Beiranvand

If Iran is going to pull off an upset against Spain, keeper Alireza Beiranvand will have to play one of the best games of his life. He had a fantastic season for club Persepolis this year, and his country will be rooting for him to use his size to keep out some of those well-aimed shots that seem to always come from Spain.

Morteza Pouraliganji

Playing right in front of Beiranvand, 26-year-old center back Pouraliganji will be tasked with marking some of the best attackers in the world. He should be able to handle everything in the air, but the real question is whether he can handle the quickness and directness of Spain's attackers.

Spain

After that big matchup in the opening fixture against Portugal, Spain will be hoping that they can relax a little bit in this game against Iran. The worst thing that could happen would be going into the locker room at half time with no goals, which might cause them to make some mistakes late on. Don't expect that, though, as manager Julen Lopetegui has had his team firing on all cylinders since taking over and should see them get through this matchup pretty easily.

Isco

Isco will be looking to prove something in these early games after looking pretty bad at the Champions League Final. The talented attacking midfielder is quick and is one of the best passers of the ball in the world when he's at his best, so expect him to put on a show against Iran.

Sergio Busquets

Busquets won't be put under too much pressure in this game, but his main job will be to make sure the ball stays in the attacking half of the pitch. The defensive midfielder is arguably Spain's best overall player, and you'll know he's doing his job the less he's mentioned during the game.

Key Iran Injuries

No key injuries to report

Key Spain Injuries

No key injuries to report

Who will win tonight's Iran/Spain World Cup game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take Iran +320

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Iran vs Spain Group B World Cup Picks & Predictions 6/20/2018

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