Brazil vs France Prediction: Prolific Mbappe to put on a show stateside

Nothing screams the International break more than a pointless friendly played on the other side of the world, but punters are in for a treat on Thursday night as Brazil and France face off in Massachusetts, live on ITV4 at 8pm GMT.

It gives managers Carlo Ancelotti and Didier Deschamps a last look at their players up close before the end of the season and World Cup squad announcements. We preview the match with the latest odds and Brazil vs France predictions.

Team News

Carlo Ancelotti has headaches in defence, with Gabriel, Allison and left back Alex Sandro all missing through injury. Neymar has missed out on selection, with the Italian head honcho plumping the squad with the uncapped duo of Igor Thiago and exciting Bournemouth winger Rayan instead.

Brazil are pretty stacked up front, however, with Vinicius Jr., Raphina, Joao Pedro and Matheus Cunha all available for selection.

If he had any, Arne Slot would be tearing his hair out at the sight of Hugo Ekitike hobbling onto the plane on Monday following the dead leg he picked up for Liverpool at Brighton on Saturday. Another player not 100% fit and returning from injury is Kylian Mbappe, who looks set to captain the French.

Much like his club-mate Gabriel, William Saliba is also unavailable for the French, along with Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, leaving Deschamps' side rather depleted in defence.

Fresh from his showboating display against Arsenal on Sunday, Rayan Cherki looks certain to get some minutes.

Football Odds

Brazil vs France Odds

France shade the betting here at 23/20, in what could potentially be the World Cup final in a few months' time. Brazil can be backed at 15/8, whilst the draw is a 12/5 chance. At shorter prices, France are even money in the 2 up Early Payout market at Betfred, meaning if Les Bleus go two goals ahead at any point in the match, we’ll pay up straight away.

We’ve also got some Price Boosts on offer for this match.

If you fancy the two talisman figures to score for each team, we’ve boosted Mbappe and Vinicius Jr to both score to 6/1 from 5’s. If you’re siding with Brazil, you can back them to win and both teams to score at 4/1 from 18/5, whilst Bayern hotshot Michael Olise can be backed at a boosted price of 8/1 to score the first goal.

Incidentally, the pair are both priced at 7/1 to win the World Cup this Summer, behind favourites Spain (4/1) and England (6/1) in the betting.

Today's Football Fixtures

Kylian Mbappe to score anytime @ 1/1

It’s not an original selection, but I like the look of Mbappe to score anytime.

Mbappe has contributed 37% of Real Madrid’s goals this season in the league, with 23 goals in as many appearances. He has 44 goals in 42 appearances overall this term, which includes five goals in four appearances in World Cup qualification.

The 1/1 to score anytime on Thursday represents an implied probability of 50%.

Over 2.5 goals @ 4/6

Keeping with the theme of goals, both sides are missing defensive lynchpins as discussed above, and I’d like to think they’ll want to put on a show stateside ahead of a World Cup that will take place on those shores.

This bet has cashed in on their last two meetings, Brazil coming out on top 3-0 and 3-1, albeit we’re going back 10/12 years. 

There’s been over 2.5 goals in each of France’s last five matches, averaging 3.6 goals per game during that period.

Bet Builder - Mbappe to Score Anytime, Over 2.5 Goals & Double Chance France or Draw @ 5/2

Finally, I’ve gone for a cheeky Bet Builder, adding in the two selections already discussed. I fancy France not to lose, so including ‘France or Draw’ in the Double Result market brings the bet up to 5/2.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.