Chris Boline
- Morocco v Canada
- Thursday, December 1, 2022, 10:00 ET
- At the Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Morocco face Canada in the final round of Group F games and this could be an entertaining matchup between two progressive teams.
Who do Bettors Favor?
Checking out the best-rated online sportsbooks we can see that bettors favor Morocco over Canada here. The North African side is +110 with bookies while Canada is a +260 hope. The draw, which would be enough to see Morocco go through, is available at +240.
| Morocco v Canada |  |  |  |
| Morocco | +114 | +110 | +105 |
| Draw | +245 | +240 | +245 |
| Canada | +265 | +255 | +260 |
World Cup Group F Betting Briefing
Like many of the Groups in Qatar, World Cup Group F has not developed in a way that anyone expected. First Morocco raised a few eyebrows with a draw against Croatia, and then, in the second round of games, beat Belgium to throw the pecking order into chaos.
Meanwhile, Canada, the underdog of the Group, has played well without any luck and probably deserves to have picked up a point by now. The Canadians cannot qualify for the Round of 16, but all three of the remaining teams can, including Morocco, which is level on points with Croatia at the top of the Group.
Looking beyond Group F, it is not possible to work out which Round of 16 opponents lie in wait for the qualifiers from this Group, as all four teams in Group E could yet get through, so Morocco manager Walid Regragui will want his players concentrating fully on the immediate task in hand.
In the other Group F game, Belgium is playing Croatia, but for Morocco, the calculation is simple. Victory over Canada secures its progress to the knockout stages, regardless of what happens in the other game.
Morocco Poised to Qualify
When the World Cup draw was made, this looked like a tough Group for Morocco to get through. Belgium is always a leading contender at any major tournament and Croatia finished as runner-up in 2018, while Canada qualified in top place in the CONCACAF competition, so Morocco faced plenty of challenges.
Yet Regragui’s team has so far met whatever the Group can throw at it with energy and talent and is poised to qualify for the knockout phase for only the second time in its soccer history.
Morocco is well organised, but poses a threat particularly out wide, thanks mainly to its rampaging full backs, Noussair Mazraoui and Achraf Hakimi, who contribute significantly going forwards and in defense. And speaking of defense, Morocco’s is resolute. It has yet to concede a goal in this tournament, extending its run of clean sheets to six international games.
Another clean sheet in this game might be enough to take Morocco through to the knockout phase, regardless of whether its strikers can find a goal at the other end, but that would leave it dependant on Belgium not beating Croatia in the other game, so Morocco’s players are thinking only of victory here.
Canada Deserves Credit
There may be some fans who are slightly disappointed that Canada has been effectively knocked out of the tournament with a game to spare, but this would be unfair.
John Herdman’s players deserve credit for the way they have played their football in this tournament and with a bit more composure in front of goal, plus a little luck, they could still be in with a shout of making the Round of 16, given how well they started in both of their games so far.
Predicting how a team will play when its chances of qualification are over can be tricky. Some players will already have mentally checked out of the team hotel, while others will be desperate to make a big impression in their final game in the spotlight.
An early goal for Morocco could deflate Canada a little, but given the relative youth of the best Canadian players, and they way they have played so far, it seems more likely that Canada will be aiming to finish with a strong performance.
World Cup Group F Match Betting
Given the surprises we have already seen at this tournament, some bettors may be keen to side with Canada here, but while Herdman’s team should provide full value in its final game, it hasn’t shown the consistency in chance creation and above all, chance taking, to suggest an upset here.
Canada ranks 29 out of 32 teams in Shots On Target Percentage, and against a stubborn Moroccan defense, it isn’t going to have too many chances. It would be good to see a goal for Canada here, but ultimately, a Morocco win is the best pick in the match betting market.
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