France v Paraguay Betting Markets
We might be at the last sixteen stage of the World Cup, although the bookies think it's still going to be easy street for France. Their odds of 1.18 outline that they have an 85% chance of landing a normal time victory against a modest Paraguay side. The bookies certainly don't want to take a risk with their odds considering the way in which Les Bleus have been demolishing the opposition.
Didier Deschamps side have scored thirteen goals in the tournament thus far and should be capable of bolstering this total against opposition who will operate a defensive game plan. The match odds won't be to everyone's tastes although there's a chance of getting a bigger price. For example, you could wager on France to lead at half-time and full-time, an option which can be punted at 1.61.
France edged ahead against Sweden on the stroke of half-time in the previous encounter before kicking on to win 3-0. The same outcome happened against Iraq and Norway during the group stage, so this bet has won in the past three French encounters. On the flip side, Paraguay might be a relatively tough nut to crack.
Gustavo Alfaro saw his team battered 4-1 by the United States of America in their first match of the World Cup although they suitably recovered to finish third. They were able to score early against Turkey before enjoying a 1-0 success. There was then a goalless draw with Australia before a 1-1 draw against Germany. A spot kick success then happened.
The draw has an outside chance of happening, although Paraguay would do well to stop France scoring during the contest. The 2018 champions have found the net at least three times in all four matches played at the World Cup, with the firepower there for all to see.
Goals Under/Over
France have found the net at least three times in their games and have effectively covered the 2.5 goal line themselves. You can get a backable 1.61 that this happens again on Saturday night. Their Expected Goals was 3.24 against Sweden so they actually underachieved in front of goal. Perhaps they were given an easy time of things by a Scandinavian side who had previously conceded five times against Netherlands.
We're not expecting Paraguay to create too many chances. The South American side have found the net only three times during the World Cup so far. They will adopt a defensive game plan as they did against Germany. Although they managed to score in that game, it was effectively a 1-1 draw that went under the 2.5 goal line. It will be interesting to see how long they can keep the French at bay.
BTTS
Paraguay are unlikely to score in this game at the Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Their expected goals weighed in at 0.35 when they played Germany, with Julio Enciso finding the net from a rare attack. Previously to this, they played out a dour 0-0 draw with Australia and weren't full of attacking intent when claiming a 1-0 success against Turkey which involved scoring early before defending well.
There could be some merit in including BTTS No in any Bet Builder. France might have a dangerous attack although they're also defensively solid. Deschamps has a settled XI and we can't see the French conceding too many chances, with Rabiot and Tchouameni operating as a solid defensive midfield foundation. It allows the attacking four to weave their magic including the irrepressible Kylian Mbappe.
A bet on France to win and BTTS No is available at odds of 1.66. That looks a backable price considering that Les Bleus will dominate possession and ultimately control what is likely to be a one-sided game. It's hard to see a scenario where Paraguay can potentially still be in the game by the final whistle. The only thing to note is that they have found the net in three of the previous four encounters at this World Cup.
First Goalscorer
How do you stop Kylian Mbappe? The France captain has now plundered six goals at the World Cup and will be hungry for more. The Real Madrid star looks unstoppable, especially with his electric pace and he rates as a decent first scorer pick here. It's hard to know how Paraguay are going to shackle the player, even if they operate with a strong defensive line.
If Mbappe doesn't manage to find the breakthrough, then perhaps Ousmane Dembele can come to the party against. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker plundered a first-half hat-trick against Norway and is the most recent winner of the Ballon d'Or. It might be that he enjoys pockets of space in the wide positions if the Paraguayan defence are distracted by the main man up top.
Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola will once again be battling it out for the left-sided attacking position, with the latter getting the nod in the latest game. There's also Michael Olise who has made the central attacking midfield role his own in this World Cup and the Bayern Munich man should be capable of causing problems running from a deeper position.