The 2022 World Cup features games in Groups E and F on Thursday as the group stage begins to close. There are four more qualifications on the line tomorrow that have some intriguing spots to analyze. There are three No House Advantage World Cup player props for Croatia-Belgium, Canada-Morocco and Japan-Spain that stand out on the slate. Check out our OddsShopper tools for more of the best odds in every sport.
No House Advantage World Cup Player Props
Axel Witsel Over 66.5 Passes
Axel Witsel’s prop lines stand out on Thursday. Witsel’s passes line is set at 66.5 against Croatia. To be honest, this would normally be a high number for Witsel, given that he usually averages 59.98 passes per game. However, Belgium is going to have to turn the screws in this match since they need the points more than Croatia does.
I expect this match to play out similarly to the Red Devils’ game versus Morocco. They will win the possession battle, but the chances they create will not make a difference in the match. Belgium’s midfielders, aside from Kevin De Bruyne, are way less likely to break the lines with passes.
In fact, Witsel leads his country in short pass attempts at this World Cup. These short passes build up quickly and in the game against Morocco, Witsel was able to attempt 83 overall passes. The Croatia-Belgium match feels like a similar challenge, which is why we project the Ateltico Madrid midfielder to eclipse 66.5 total passes.
Cyle Larin Under 0.5 Shots on Goal
Next, look for Cyle Larin to stay under 0.5 shots on goal for Canada. So far, Larin has only played 78 minutes at the World Cup, putting up three total shots with one falling on frame.
His performances have been less than impressive, which was cause for John Herdman to yank him at halftime against Croatia. This tournament has proven that Jonathan David and Junior Hoilett are probably Les Rouges best attacking options. They do not have anything to play for in this last game, but pride is still a major boost for the Canadians, which will limit rotation. In turn, do not expect Larin to see the pitch for an extended period of time. Even if he does, Morocco’s defense is far too organized to let him see many quality chances with the form he is on.
Aymeric Laporte Under 118.5 Passes
Finally, we are fading Aymeric Laporte to get over 118.5 passes against Japan. Laporte is certainly a great passer of the football, and miraculously he attempted 150 passes against Costa Rica. I still think this number is a little bit unfair to Japan. Yes, Japan will concede a ton of possession on Thursday; probably upwards of 70%. However, neither center back for Germany eclipsed 118.5 passes against Japan, and they have far less passing options in the midfield than Spain does.
When you look at the World Cup and Euro 2020, Laporte has only reached this benchmark 50% of the time. There was 30 minutes of extra time in three of the four games where he did get over 118.5 passes. Normally, the Manchester City center-back only attempts 91.41 passes per ninety, which is well below this mark.
