Croatia Could Pull Off Something Special In Russia

The Odds

• To win the World Cup: +3300
• To win Group D: +220
• To advance to Round of 16: -220

Bet To Watch

Croatia To Win The World Cup +3300 (5Dimes)

If you want to toss some beer money on a dark horse at the World Cup look no further than Croatia.

One of the key ingredients to winning a tournament such as the World Cup is having a strong central midfield, and the Blazers have that in spades. Croatia's midfielders can make tackles, read the game well, get out of tight spots and make key passes that lead to opportunities to go forward. In fact, I think Croatia's midfield, which includes players from Barcelona (Ivan Rakitic) and Real Madrid (Luka Modric), can stand up against any team in the tournament including the likes of Germany, France and Brazil.

In addition to their stellar midfield, the Croats also boast a dangerous attack. Ivan Perisic provides width and has the ability to beat defenders with the dribble. He's also adept at crossing the ball, which is key because Mario Mandzukic is a terrific finisher.

On top of their talent, this Croatian team is also very familiar with one another. Rakitic, Modric, Perisic and Mandzukic account for approximately 350 international caps between them, and the rest of the team isn't all that far behind. These players know this is their last chance to make a mark on the big stage and I expect them to finally do just that.

I think Croatia has a legitimate chance to go quite deep in this tournament and even have the quality needed to win this tournament and think they are a great value play at +3300.

More World Cup Betting Coverage

• Group A: Russia | Saudi Arabia | Egypt | Uruguay
• Group B: Portugal | Morocco | Iran | Spain
• Group C: France | Australia | Peru | Denmark
• Group D: Argentina | Iceland | Croatia | Nigeria
• Group E: Brazil | Costa Rica | Switzerland | Serbia
• Group F: Germany | Mexico | Sweden | South Korea
• Group G: Belgium | Panama | Tunisia | England
• Group H: Poland | Senegal | Colombia | Japan