As expected, the World Cup quarterfinals did not disappoint. Morocco knocked out Portugal to become the first African team to a reach a World Cup semifinal, while the Netherlands, England and Brazil all exited the tournament.

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The semifinals get underway on Tuesday, December 13th, with Argentina facing Croatia. On Wednesday, December 14th, Morocco takes on France. Can the surprise package cause another upset against the defending champion?

Without further ado, let’s dive into my 2022 World Cup semifinals predictions. You will be pleased to learn that I have also included a player prop for each game.

Argentina vs. Croatia Predictions

Odds: Argentina (-125) / Draw (+245) / Croatia (+400)

Argentina heads into the semifinals on the back of a crazy quarterfinal clash against the Netherlands. The South American champions found themselves 2-0 up on 83 minutes, only for the Dutch to score twice late on.

The Argentines eventually prevailed on penalties, with Lautaro Martinez scoring the winner. As a result, they have now lost just one of their previous 41 games in all competitions!

Croatia’s quarterfinal showdown with Brazil also went the distance. Bruno Petkovic equalized in the dying moments of extra-time before the Croatians converted all four of their penalties to book their place in the semifinals.

It is worth noting, however, that Zlatko Dalic’s men have only managed to win one of their five World Cup games in normal time. With that in mind, I’m confident that Argentina will triumph on Tuesday.

Best Bet: Argentina (-125)

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Argentina vs. Croatia Player Props Prediction

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi has been immense in Qatar. The PSG superstar has bagged four goals and two assists in five appearances, cementing his status as one of the greatest players of all time.

Having scored against Saudia Arabia, Mexico, Australia and the Netherlands, Messi’s international record now stands at 95 goals in 170 games. Backing him to bolster his tally against Croatia makes a lot of sense.

Best Player Prop: Lionel Messi Anytime Scorer (+135)

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France vs. Morocco Predictions

Odds: France (-185) / Draw (+295) / Morocco (+600)

It’s safe to say that very few people expected Morocco to reach the knockout phase in Qatar, let alone the semifinals. Still, there is no denying that Walid Regragui’s side thoroughly deserves a place in the last four.

The Atlas Lions beat Belgium on their way to winning Group F. After knocking out Spain in the round of 16, they defeated Portugal to become the first-ever African nation to reach the semifinals of a World Cup.

However, France poses an entirely different threat. Having dispatched England in the quarterfinals, Kylian Mbappe and co. will be confident of reaching a second successive World Cup final.

Following Brazil’s quarterfinal exit, France is now the bookmakers’ favorite to lift the trophy. The Moroccans have done extremely well to make it this far, but I expect their fairytale journey to end against Les Blues.

Best Bet: France (-185)

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France vs. Morocco Player Props Prediction

Mbappe finds himself in pole position for the Golden Boot, having netted five goals in as many games in Qatar. If you fancy him to find the net against Morocco, you can get odds of +130 for him to score anytime.

That said, Olivier Giroud’s anytime scorer price offers greater betting value. The veteran striker bagged a brace against Australia before scoring against Poland and England, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he grabbed another goal against Morocco.

Best Player Prop: Olivier Giroud Anytime Scorer (+190)