France will be looking for their first World Cup title victory since 1998 when they hit the pitch on Sunday against Croatia in this year’s tournament final as -115 favourites on the World Cup odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Les Bleus shut down the most prolific offence at this year’s tournament with a narrow 1-0 win over Belgium as +155 chalk in Tuesday’s semi-final clash, and will make their first trip to the World Cup final since 2006 in Sunday’s France versus Croatia betting matchup in Moscow.
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The French have continued the strong play that resulted in just one loss in 10 matches during UEFA World Cup qualifying, blanking opponents on four occasions while going undefeated at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and extending their current unbeaten streak across all competitions to 10 matches.
Les Bleus have proven effective at adapting their game to suit their opponent. After surrendering just one goal while climbing to the top of the Group C table, France put their offensive skills on display in a 4-3 quarter-final victory over Argentina as +140 favourites.
However, Les Bleus moved back to a frustrating but effective defensive strategy against Belgium on Tuesday, handing the high-flying Red Devils their first defeat in almost two years.
While France entered the tournament among the favourites on the World Cup odds, it has been a far more challenging road for Croatia, who enter Sunday’s clash as +370 underdogs.
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Croatia entered the tournament mired in a stretch of inconsistency that resulted in the firing of manager Ante Cacic back in October, and trailed Argentina as a +225 bet to finish atop the Group D table. However, the Blazers found their footing just in time to mount a 3-0-0 win-draw-loss run through the group stage, including shutout victories over Nigeria and Argentina.
The Blazers followed up with an impressive run through the knockout stage, recording a pair of stunning victories on penalties over Denmark and Russia before shocking a favoured English side with a 2-1 added time victory in semi-final action.
Those matches produced a boon for bettors playing the draw on the World Cup lines, which paid out on +230 odds against the Danes, +210 against Russia, and +220 against England.
Croatia’s current run of fortune beyond 90 minutes, and past results against France, has brought attention to the draw in Sunday’s clash, which is pegged as a +230 bet. The two teams have finished level in their past two meetings, including a 2-2 draw at Euro 2004, ending a run of three straight wins by France.
