Brazil held to a 1-1 draw in its opener vs Morocco.
Haiti is looking for its first-ever World Cup point.
Five-time champions are overwhelming favorites.
Brazil didn’t enter the World Cup with its usual fanfare, and its momentum was further hurt by a 1-1 draw with Morocco that saw the African nation score first. With Brazil and Morocco still widely expected to fight it out for the top spot in Group C, Carlo Ancelotti’s team has to get back on track against Haiti.
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Brazil sleepwalked through the early part of the draw with Morocco, and its defense was continuously exposed. They were lucky to only concede one goal during Morocco’s rapid start. Of course, Haiti provide far less of an attacking threat. But questions about Brazil’s ability to defend against high-quality teams, despite top players like Gabriel, will linger on.
Brazil will want to prove its attacking flair can ignite against a side like Haiti, in the same way Germany flexed its muscles against Curacao. Brazil has done this in the past against Haiti, notably earning a 7-1 win in the Copa America in 2016. The South American side was able to create some chances against Morocco, but the finishing just wasn’t there. They needed a moment of magic from Vinicius Junior, completely against the run of play, to find an equalizer.
As they should, Haiti should sit back deep, invite Brazil to try and break them down, and hope they can hold on for a shock draw. Cape Verde doing just that to Spain should show it’s possible and eliminate any complacency for Brazil. Vinicius Junior’s ability to excel in one-on-one battles will be key to breaking down Haiti. Meanwhile, the choice between Igor Thiago and Matheus Cunha up front will be one to watch.
Brazil (-1000)
This World Cup is throwing up all kinds of wild results, with minnows capable of heroically holding the top contenders to draws. But we still are backing Brazil to rebound, even with odds of -1000 at FanDuel, one of the top World Cup betting sites.
Brazil simply have too much quality, with Vinicius Junior and Raphinha both more than capable of running riot against a major underdog like Haiti. An early goal will be key for Brazil to shake off the frustrations of the draw with Morocco, and if they get it, the floodgates could open.
Under 3.5 Goals (-114)
While we’re backing a comfortable win for Brazil, Haiti’s resilient performance against Scotland means it shouldn’t be a total rout. While rarely facing competition as strong as Brazil, Haiti are a disciplined defensive side that doesn’t often allow blowout results. They’ve only allowed three goals or more in 2 of their last 14 games.
On the other side, we’re still not totally convinced by Brazil’s attack. They only managed eight shots, with five on target against Morocco. The lack of cohesion and creativity that was apparent during the qualification process is still there. While Brazil should win easily, we’d bet that a determined Haiti side will only allow a few goals.
Raphinha (+100)
While Vinicius Junior was the main man for Brazil against Morocco, we’re leaning toward Raphinha at +100. The Barcelona star was key for Brazil during qualifying, leading the team with five goals.
He was also clinical in front of goal for Barcelona this season, finding the net 16 times in 33 games. With Thiago and Cunha both struggling to be a major threat against Morocco, Brazil needs Raphinha to step up and make more threatening runs inside the box.
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