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The clash between Iran and Spain will be played at the Kazan Arena in Kazan on June 20th. The Red Fury is considered as strong favorites to get three points here, but the Persian Stars already secured three points so far and will be highly motivated to make an upset with another positive result.
Iran vs. Spain
Three-Way: 1: Iran +2200; X: +700 Draw; 2: Spain -625 (Odds provided by Delaware Park Sportsbook)
Spread +2: Iran -115; Spain +110
Total 2.5 goals: Over -125; Under +100
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After parting company with Julen Lopetegui, the little shadow of doubt was cast upon the Spaniards and a few expected them not to be mentally ready to face Portugal. However, Spain proved the doubters wrong as they managed to come back from a goal behind twice to take a 3-2 lead thanks to Diego Costa’s brace and a fabulous volley from Nacho.
Already at halftime, when Portugal took a 2-1 lead through Ronaldo’s second goal of the evening, the punters who backed over 2.5 goals at +129 and both teams to score at +100 knew that they made a profit. But those who played Spain to win at +100 were left disappointed with Ronaldo’s late strike from the free-kick. The Red Fury faced only three shots on target and David de Gea conceded all three in one of the weakest displays in his life, so in the end, a draw at +225 was the winning bet.
On the other hand, Iran was a slight underdog in the tilt with Morocco and after managing to withstand Morocco’s early pressure and constant attacks, the Iranians’ confidence grew stronger and they had a couple of goalscoring opportunities but failed to convert them.
Late in the game, it was obvious that it’s going to under 2.5 goals at quite unattractive -286, so if you opted for under 1.5 goals at +110, well done. Ehsan Hajsafi took a free-kick in the 95th minute and Aziz Bouhaddouz was unlucky enough to head the ball into his own net and make it 1-0 for Iran, handing all of the bettors who backed the Iranians at +320 an excellent profit.
Players to watch
Diego Costa had a phenomenal game and crowned it with a pair of goals, and I am expecting to see a similar performance against the defense that had plenty of luck in a clash with Morocco, so I don’t think they will be that fortunate on this one. Backing Costa to score anytime at -120 could be a solid choice for this game.
Sardar Azmoun had a one-on-one chance but failed to score against Morocco, and he might get a couple of more opportunities here, so a shot or two could beat the insecure De Gea. Iran can be dangerous on the counter, and that is how they’ll likely play in this clash.
Probable Lineups:
Spain: De Gea; Nacho, Ramos, Pique, Alba; Koke, Busquets, Isco, Silva, Iniesta; Costa.
Iran: Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Cheshmi, Pouraliganji; Ansarifard, Ebrahimi, Hajsafi, Shojaei; Jahanbakhsh, Azmoun, Amiri.
Betting Prediction
Spain’s chances to win the World Cup are +450, while the Red Fury is -227 to reach the quarter-finals. Iran’s chances to lift the trophy in Russia are +50000, while the Persian Stars are +1200 to make it to the quarter-finals.
Spain to win at -625 odds are far from being interesting to the punters, so backing the +2 spread at +110 is the only option if you are convinced in the Red Fury’s victory. In all fairness, the Iranians were extremely lucky to get three points in the opener, and part of that luck was Morocco’s missed chances, but facing such opponents as the Spaniards will be a whole different story.
The Pick: Iran AH +2 (+110)