Norway was one of the trendiest sleepers in the entire field at the World Cup, and they backed it up with their play in the group stage.
The Vikings dominated Iraq and Senegal, and then, with a spot in the knockout round already clinched, opted to rest most of their starters in their third group-stage match against France.
A 4-1 loss to Les Bleus wasn’t a great way to go into the Round of 32, but nobody in the Norwegian camp seemed fussed about it. They seemed more excited that their best players, including Erling Haaland, will be fresh for Tuesday’s clash with Ivory Coast.
Norway is a -180 favorite to advance, and the Vikings are +105 to win inside 90 minutes.
World Cup: Ivory Coast vs. Norway odds, pick
These are two very different teams.
While Norway wants to lean into its attacking prowess with Haaland and its playmakers in the middle of the pitch, Ivory Coast got through the group stage on the strength of its defense.
Les Elephants allowed just two goals — both to Germany in a 2-1 defeat — and 3.4 expected goals (xG) in the first round. They made their opponents work extremely hard to generate anything, and they are not afraid to sit deep and turn the contest into a stalemate.
That will certainly be the approach for Emerse Faé’s side against Norway, as it would be a fool’s errand to try and outplay Haaland and the Vikings.
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The concern for Ivory Coast is that it’s really hard to keep a lid on this Norwegian attack for 90 minutes. Haaland has been exceptional in his first World Cup, but this is far from a one-man show. Martin Odegaard and Sander Berge have been terrific in the middle of the pitch, and the Norwegians demand attention all over the pitch.
One goal for Norway would force Ivory Coast out of its shell, and it’s hard to be confident that Les Elephants can compete with the Vikings if things open up.
Perhaps Ivory Coast can drag Norway into the deep end and grind out a win, but I’m not going to be on that happening.
The Play: Norway moneyline (+105, FanDuel)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.