Canada vs. Croatia World Cup prop picks: Look for Jonathan David to pile up shot attempts
Canada is in search of its first World Cup point and will have an opportunity to get it against Croatia this Sunday.
The pregame narrative: Jonathan David led Wednesday’s contest in shot attempts and we’re expecting him to be involved in the attack once again. Meanwhile, Alphonso Davies’ role makes him a prime candidate to concede a foul and Ivan Perisic holds value to record a shot on goal.
Odds as of 12:43 p.m. ET on 11/25/2022.
Canada vs. Croatia World Cup prop picks
Best Bet: Jonathan David over 2.5 shots (+120)
David recorded seven shot attempts against Belgium on Wednesday, but zero found the net.
That certainly wasn’t ideal for Canada but would have been more than enough to cash this prop. David is -175 to record a shot on target but we feel more comfortable backing him to unleash at least three attempts against the Croatians on Sunday.
David has cleared this line in five of his last six games for Lille in Ligue 1 and in each of his last three games for Canada.
He recorded four shot attempts against both Japan and Uruguay in the pre-tournament friendlies, though none of his looks found the net against the former.
As Canada’s primary attacker, we’re expecting David to get plenty of chances against Croatia. If the Reds go down early, there’s a solid chance he’ll be letting it fly from outside of the box, too.
Croatia only allowed eight total attempts against Morocco in its opener, which could be a concern. But Sofiane Boufal — Morocco’s striker — and Hakim Ziyech both had two attempts apiece.
Expect David to make his presence felt in an all-important second game.
Key stat: David has averaged four shots per game in his last four games with Canada.
Quick picks
Davies over 0.5 fouls conceded (-115): Davies committed three fouls against Belgium and he should pick up at least one against Croatia.
Playing in a quasi-wingback role, Davies is expected to make his way up and down the field frequently. That opens up the possibility for a foul on either end of the pitch. He could be called while jockeying for position on offence or while coming back to make a tackle on defence.
Davies did receive a yellow on Wednesday, which means he won’t be making reckless challenges. Nonetheless, getting called for a ticky-tack foul is very much in play.
Ivan Perisic over 0.5 shots on target (+110): Perisic had just one shot attempt against Morocco on Wednesday but we’re expecting him to be impactful against Canada. The 33-year-old is enjoying a solid year at Tottenham Hotspur and is an integral part of Croatia’s attack.
Perisic is primarily known for his elite passing ability but is also an underrated finisher. He’s scored 33 goals for Croatia, including five at the World Cup.
