France won't take anything for granted Tuesday when they face a surprising Morocco side in the Round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. The match pits France, the No. 5 team in FIFA world rankings, against No. 72 Morocco. But the Moroccans advanced from a Group H that also featured Germany and South Korea. They beat Colombia 1-0 in the group finale, but the South Americans earned the top spot on goal differential. That set up Morocco's meeting with Group F winner France, who beat Brazil and Panama after an opening draw with Jamaica. Morocco are making their first Women's World Cup appearance, while France have reached three straight quarterfinals. The winner will play in a quarterfinal against Australia, who knocked off Denmark on Monday.
Tuesday's match is set to kick off at 7 a.m. ET. France are the -800 favorites (risk $800 to win $100) according to the latest France vs. Morocco odds, with Morocco the +1750 underdogs. A 90-minute draw is priced at +650 and the over/under for total goals is 3.5. Before making any Morocco vs. France picks or Women's World Cup predictions, be sure to check out what proven SportsLine soccer expert Brandt Sutton has to say.
Sutton, a former collegiate soccer player, has been SportsLine's top soccer editor for more than five years. He has followed soccer closely for much longer and factors in managerial tactics, projected lineups and past performances to make the most informed decisions possible, keeping his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Sutton was SportsLine's top soccer expert in 2022 with a 165-130-2 mark, returning nearly $2,200 for $100 players. He is 19-17 over his past 36 soccer picks overall and was 14-8-1 on his Champions League picks in 2023.
Now, Sutton has taken an in-depth look at the France vs. Morocco match and just locked in his picks and Women's World Cup predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Morocco vs. France:
- France vs. Morocco spread: France -2.5 (+130)
- France vs. Morocco over/under: 3.5 goals
- France vs. Morocco money line: France -800, Morocco +1750, Draw +650
- FRA: France have a 22-9 goal advantage in their past 10 matches (7-2-1)
- MOR: Morocco have failed to score in six of their past eight games (2-2-4)
- France vs. Morocco picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why you should back France
Les Bleues are the superior team and have beaten much better sides in 2023. In fact, their only loss this year (7-2-1) was in Melbourne against Australia in their final tune-up for this tournament. They had victories against eighth-ranked Brazil as well as Round of 16 World Cup sides Denmark and Colombia over that span. France features veterans like Wendie Renard and Eugenie Le Sommer who won't let the team slack off against a seemingly inferior opponent.
Le Sommer and Renard scored the goals in the 2-1 victory against Brazil. Le Sommer is the nation's all-time leading scorer with 90 goals in 181 international matches. Renard's leadership and physicality are critical in the back. The 6-foot-2 defender can win aerial duels on either end, and her header off a corner in the 83rd minute was the decider against the Brazilians. Goalkeeper Pauline Peyraud-Magnin shared the Women's Serie A lead with seven clean sheets last season and has 44 caps for France. See which team to pick here.
Why you should back Morocco
The Lionesses of Atlas have nothing to lose, having already far surpassed any expectations. The opener against Germany, a 6-0 loss, didn't inspire confidence, but they come in on a massive high after beating South Korea and Colombia, both FIFA top-25 teams. Morocco were ruthlessly efficient in the 1-0 victory against the Colombians, putting six of their eight shots on target and getting a goal from Anissa Lahmari.
Morocco beat South Korea by the same score, with Ibtissam Jraidi scoring her 13th international goal. The South Koreans didn't have a shot on target, and Colombia had just three. Captain Ghizlane Chebbak, one of several Moroccan players who compete for AS Far, is the team's top scorer with 21 goals in 66 matches. AS Far won the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Midfielder Fatima Tagnaout, wing-back Hanane Aït El Haj and goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi also play for that side. Morocco played in the final at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations, where they lost 2-1 to South Africa. See which team to pick here.
How to make Morocco vs. France picks
Sutton has broken down the France vs. Morocco match from every angle. He is leaning Over on the goal total and has revealed his confident best bet and offers his full breakdown of this matchup. He's only sharing those picks here.
What are the best bets for France vs. Morocco in the Round of 16 on Tuesday? Visit SportsLine to see which picks in Morocco vs. France have all the value, all from the expert who finished last year up over $2,200 on soccer picks, and find out.
