Japan vs. Croatia Bet Builder Tips: Brozovic to hit the target in 5/1 double

Japan take on Croatia in the round of 16 at the World Cup on Monday and here at BettingOdds.com we’ve put together our best bet builder tips.

Few punters would have predicted that Japan would finish top of Group E, but after remarkable victories against 2010 World Champions Spain and 2014 World Champions Germany, they finished on six points. The Blue Samurai will, however, be without defender Ko Itakura for the clash with Croatia who is suspended after picking up two yellow cards.

• Latest World Cup Top Scorer Odds

The Checkered Ones finished as runners-up in Group F despite two goalless draws in fixtures against Morocco and Belgium. Croatia did put four past Canada in a 4-1 victory in their other group game and now arrive here as the 8/15 favourites to advance to the quarter-finals. 

Japan on the other hand are looking to reach the last-eight of the competition for the first time in their history and can be backed at 8/15 to do so on Monday.

Our Bet Builder on Monday is with Unibet who have a new customer offer where you can receive money back as a bonus up to £40 if your first bet loses. We are kicking things off with Croatia’s Luka Modric to commit Over 0.5 fouls in the match which is available at 13/20 as a single. 

For Real Madrid this season, the 37-year-old is averaging bang on one foul per game in La Liga and looking at his data so far at this World Cup no player has committed more fouls for Croatia than Modric. Against Morocco the midfielder recorded four fouls and then followed that up with two against Croatia and one against Belgium. Modric has now made at least one foul in all of his last seven appearances for club and country.

The second half of this 5/1 Bet Builder comes in the form of Marcelo Brozovic to register Over 0.5 shots on target in the 90 minutes against Japan. A player not necessarily known for his goal scoring and shooting, Brozovic looks a solid price with Unibet at 5/2 to muster up a shot on target. 

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In Serie A for Inter Milan this season, Brozovic has managed two goals in seven league starts but when looking at his shooting data he has recorded 1+ shot on target in four of those seven matches. At the World Cup so far the midfielder has managed a shot on target in two of his three matches and with Japan likely to be sat deep it could create space for Brozovic to let off a few shots from range.