Croatia vs Montenegro Prediction: 7/2 tip for striker’s hot streak to continue

Croatia have a bit of a point to prove on Monday night when they take on Montenegro at the Maksimir in Zagreb in Group L of World Cup qualifying (20:45 local, 19:45 BST) having struggled to see off Faroe Islands on Friday in Torshavn.

Below are my Croatia vs Montenegro predictions, complete with all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this meeting between second and third in the group.

Team News

One of the contributing factors to Croatia’s unconvincing win on Friday was the absences of Luka Modric, Josip Stanisic, Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol.

Modric was rested while the latter trio were given time to overcome injuries, so there could be a scenario in which Zlatko Dalic welcomes all four back.

Football Odds

Today's Football Fixtures

Montenegro have injury concerns of their own, with Igor Nikic, Adam Marusic, Risto Radunovic and Milutin Osmajic all missing.

Preston North End front man Osmajic left the recent EFL Cup loss to Wrexham early holding his back/hip area and has missed defeats for club and country since then.

Croatia vs Montenegro Odds

Croatia are overwhelming favourites to not only win this game but also qualify as group victors. They are a 1/6 shot for the success in Zagreb, implying an 85.7% probability that they make it four wins from four.

Montenegro are a 16/1 hope to bounce back from consecutive defeats to the Czech Republic and inject some life into their outside chance of qualifying for a first-ever major tournament.

It’s 6/1 about the draw, and Franjo Ivanovic leads the goalscorer market. The Benfica striker is 10/3 to score first and 19/20 to bag a goal at any time.

Andrej Kramaric (CRO) to score first @ 7/2

Croatia have become well known for their stalwarts. And while it might be tempting to back Luka Modric to score first with Betfred’s Price Boost (he’s 9/1 from 8/1), it is 35-goal front man Andrej Kramaric I consider the best shot to get the Kockasti on their way.

The Hoffenheim front man scored the only goal in the lethargic victory against the Faroes on Friday, and he also netted a pair of doubles in June’s victories over Gibraltar and the Czech Republic.

The former Leicester City man, who was ineligible for a Premier League winners’ medal in 2016 after leaving for Hoffenheim in the January, has become increasingly prolific for his country over time.

And I can well see him netting again against a Montenegro side who will have to improve markedly to trouble the group favourites.

I’d go with the safer 1/1 for Kramaric to score anytime, but in the hunt for value let’s go with the 7/2 for him to break the deadlock.

Handicap +2: Croatia -2 @ 11/8

Yes, yes. This is a Croatia squad which rather stumbled past the Faroe Islands just three days ago.

But as we’ve discussed, there should be a good few changes to that side come kick-off on Monday night. And the bolstered XI will want to put on a show in response to that 1-0 scoreline.

This is still the same group which hammered the Czech Republic 5-1 in the last international window, and I am happy to believe that they will have at least three goals’ edge on a limited, and injury-hit, Montenegro side.

While Robert Prosinecki was a genius as a player, pushing the Croatians close as a manager is surely beyond even his talents.

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