Canada vs Qatar Prediction: Larin to be the man to step up for Les Rouges again

With all four teams locked on one point in Group B at the FIFA World Cup, there's an added pressure to the matchday two fixtures. Co-hosts Canada face Qatar at BC Place in Vancouver on Thursday (3pm local/11pm BST, ITV1 and STV).

Both sides came from behind to earn draws in their opening fixtures and they know the value of what three points here could mean for their qualification hopes. Read on for my Canada vs Qatar predictions, as well as the latest match odds from Betfred and team news.

Team News

Cyle Larin could be promoted by Canada boss Jesse Marsch following his equaliser against Bosnia-Herzegovina last time out, and he'll likely start alongside Jonathan David up front.

Moise Bombito is doubtful due to a left tibia injury while the availability of star player Alphonso Davies remains unclear.

Qatar's Mahmoud Abunada received plenty of praise for his goalkeeping against Switzerland, keeping out nine efforts from the Nati.

Attacker Almoez Ali can surpass Sebastian Soria for seventh in all-time appearances for the Maroon One if he features on Thursday. Another player hoping to reach a milestone in this clash is Ahmed Fathy, who is seeking his 50th cap.

Canada vs Qatar Odds

With the home advantage, Betfred are expecting Canada to prevail with a price of 2/7.

Given both sides drew their opening games, the draw is enticing at 4/1, while Qatar are deemed an 11/1 shot to come away with the three points.

Both Teams To Score - Yes was a winner in both Group B matches in the last round and it's 6/4 to strike on this occasion.

Sub Switch - Pre-match Bet Builder and Single bets on qualifying Player selections.

Total Goals - Under 2.5 @ 11/10

There's value to be had in covering Under 2.5 Goals for this tussle because it has been a common trend for both sides of late. It has struck in 10 of Canada's past 11 outings, while it has landed in five of Qatar's six most recent fixtures.

The Maroon One defended brilliantly to frustrate Switzerland and I think they can cause similar problems for Les Rouges on Thursday. Canada were wasteful with some of their opportunities against Bosnia-Herzegovina and they'll need to show more composure in the final third if they hope to secure their first-ever victory at the World Cup.

Player To Score (Sub Switch) - Cyle Larin @ EVENS

Larin was the man to salvage a point for Canada in their opening game and I think he'll be rewarded with a start against Qatar. The Southampton striker proved to be more effective than Juventus' David against Bosnia and he should be full of confidence ahead of this encounter with the Maroon One.

The attacker is the Canucks' second all-time top scorer behind David with 31 goals. He's an enticing EVENS to score on Thursday using Betfred's Player To Score (Sub Switch) market.

This means that if Larin goes off having failed to score, your bet rolls over to his replacement.