One of the World Cup favorites, France, begins knockout stage play in a Round of 32 showdown against Sweden on Tuesday in New Jersey.
Didier Deschamps’s group opened at +500 to win it all, as co-favorites with Spain.
Les Bleus looked every bit of a world-class contender during the group stage, finishing Group I with a maximum of nine points by decisively defeating Senegal, Iraq, and Norway.
In each win, France notched three or more goals, spearheaded by the talented attack of Kylian Mbappé and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé.
On BetMGM Sportsbook, Deschamps and France are -800 to qualify for the Round of 16 and -275 favorites on the three-way moneyline.
France vs. Sweden prediction, best bet
Sweden will have its hands full after finishing Group play 1-1-1 (W-D-L) and advancing to the knockout stage following a draw with Japan, a result that narrowly clinched its spot among the top eight third-placed teams.
After a 5-1 opening win over Tunisia, things looked promising for the Swedes, but they were brought back to earth following a 5-1 defeat to the Netherlands.
The Swedish attack is more than capable of getting on the board, with Yasin Ayari and Anthony Elanga each netting two goals apiece, along with Viktor Gyökeres registering a team-high two assists.
However, the seven goals scored as a team also coincided with allowing seven goals to opponents in Group F play.
A lethal French attack, averaging 3.33 expected goals per outing, can certainly exploit this welcoming defense. Mbappé and Dembélé can overwhelm any backline, but in addition to these stalwarts, the French attack also includes younger playmakers Michael Olise and Désiré Doué.
Olise leads the team with three assists, and Doure scored his first career World Cup goal against Norway.
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France is motivated to reach this year’s Final after falling to Argentina in 2022.
Nothing short of reaching the final weekend would be a disappointment.
I expect Les Bleus to keep things rolling, as they scored a goal in each half of their three group-stage wins. Now, as they progress into the knockout stage, Mbappe is bound to deliver as he pulls within striking distance of his second consecutive Golden Boot distinction.
The Play: France to score a goal in both halves Yes (-130, BetMGM) | Kylian Mbappé anytime goal scorer (-163, bet365)
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