The odds, once again, are against Morocco.
But that has been the case since the beginning of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and yet, the Atlas Lions are one of the last eight teams standing in the tournament.
Entering the tournament, Morocco wasn't considered much of a threat in Group F. But the team posted a scoreless draw with 2018 runner-up Croatia, blanked 2018 third-place Belgium 2-0 and topped CONCACAF champion Canada 2-1 to finish atop the standings.
Still, not much respect in the round of 16. An unlucky draw led to what appeared to be an unfavorable matchup with Spain, a team that was among the favorites entering the World Cup but fell to runner-up in Group E. Thus, the group winner was the underdog. And the underdog became the victor. Scoreless after extra time, Morocco defeated Spain in penalty kicks to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in the nation's history.
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There, they once again will be underdogs.
Morocco is set to face a Portugal team coming off a 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the round of 16 behind a hat trick by Goncalo Ramos, who started in place of Cristiano Ronaldo.
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How big of a favorite is Portugal over Morocco? Here are the odds for the quarterfinal matchups?
Who is the favorite in the World Cup quarterfinals?
Morocco defeating Portugal would be the second largest upset of the quarterfinals, according to our partner PointsBet. Morocco is listed as a +450 underdog, with Portugal at -150.
Here are the odds for each quarterfinal matchup:
Croatia +800 vs. Brazil -275, Draw +400
Netherlands +260 vs. Argentina +120, Draw +210
Morocco +450 vs. Portugal -150, Draw +260
England +210 vs. France +135, Draw +220
Who is the favorite to win the World Cup?
Despite being a darkhorse and what some might call a team of destiny, Morocco remains a longshot to win the World Cup.
They are tied for the highest odds of the eight teams remaining in the tournament at +4000, matching that of Croatia.
Brazil, the No. 1 ranked team in the world who just got Neymar back from injury, are the favorites at +165. They are followed by defending champion France at +400.
Here are the odds of winning the World Cup for all eight teams in the quarterfinals:
Brazil +165
France +400
England +625
Argentina +625
Portugal +625
Netherlands +1600
Croatia +4000
Morocco +4000
Who is the favorite to win the Golden Boot?
Sure, the World Cup trophy is the main prize. But there will be some individual hardware to hand out, as well.
The top goal scorer in the tournament is awarded the Golden Boot. France's Kylian Mbappé currently sits atop the leaderboard with five goals and is listed as the favorite to win at -176.
Eight players in the quarterfinals are tied for second with three goals, including Portugal's Goncalo Ramos, who entered the race Tuesday with a hat trick in his first start.
Here are the odds to win the Golden Boot:
Kylian Mbappé, France -176
Richarlison, Brazil +800
Lionel Messi, Argentina +1200
Goncalo Ramos, Portugal +2000
Oliver Giroud, France +2800
Bukayo Saka, England +3300
Marcus Rashford, England +3300
Cody Gakpo, Netherlands +4000
Harry Kane, England +5000
Neymar, Brazil +6600
Bruno Fernandes, Portugal +6600
Julian Alvarez, Argentina +6600
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal +8000
Editor's note: All odds are provided by our partner, PointsBet. PointsBet is our Official Sports Betting Partner and we may receive compensation if you place a bet on PointsBet for the first time after clicking our links.
