Free FIFA World Cup Picks Today for Round of 16 on Monday, December 5th, 2022

Well, haven’t there been a few surprises so far at the World Cup! Just 16 teams remain to fight for the chance to progress to the Quarter Finals. The games will be filled with so much action as we see each country give it their all. The four teams that will be playing today include Japan against Croatia, as well as Brazil against South Korea. 

There is so much action to be had over the Round of 16, as 16 teams fight for the chance to make it to the Quarter Finals. Which teams will put their best foot forward and make it through to the next round?

Look below to find our free soccer picks for all the games on today’s FIFA World Cup schedule!

Japan vs Croatia – 10AM ET

Japan and Croatia kick things off on Monday morning for all us soccer fans. Surprisingly, Japan managed to finish top of Group E, with six points, and their first three games ended in a win, a loss and another win. Croatia finished in second place in Group F, with five points, and the results of their first three matches included a draw, win and another draw.

Tony Battalio

The Japanese scored late to get themselves into the knockout rounds of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Now they will be looking to grab another upset win and advance into the Quarter Finals. They started off their Group Stage run with an epic win over Germany and closed it with a shocking win to not only win the group, but get into this Round of 16 matchup, which in my opinion gives them a lot of momentum. 

Croatia had a good Group Stage as well, they went undefeated through their first three games. Now it is win or go home for them and they will be looking to clinch their third appearance in the Quarter Finals during their short history as a FIFA competing nation. This could also end up being Luka Modric’s final World Cup and they will also want to keep it rolling for the greatest player in their short history as well. However, I think their run ends here as I’m going with Japan to get the win.

Aleksandar Ricliev

Japan is one of the most pleasant surprises in the World Cup. The draw for the Group Stages was extremely unfortunate and put them in the same group as the European powerhouses, Germany and Spain. No one gave Japan any chance to advance to the Round of 16, but through grit, grind, willpower, and soccer ability, they came out on top. Japan is an underdog in this match against Croatia. Can they pull another upset and sucker punch another European favorite out of the tournament? 

The runner-ups from the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Croatia, have struggled in this tournament. They look toothless at attack and rely too much on their aging superstar, Luka Modric. Croatia is far from the team who finished second four years ago, but they have incredible soccer intelligence and know-how, and on their day they can beat anyone. This will be a tight and close game. Croatia has seen Japan’s gameplay against Spain and Germany and understands how dangerous and quick their counter-attacking is. Croatian’s midfield trio of Modric, Kovacic, and Brozovic will look to slow the game down and play at their own pace. They can’t afford to get into a run-and-gun game with this young and athletic Japanese team. It wouldn’t be a surprise for this game to go into overtime, but in the end, Croatia will pull through and win it. 

Marko Nadin

Japan did the unthinkable in the Group Stage defeating Germany and Spain to advance in the knockout phase, and they not just did that but they turned both games after being down by a goal. Japan showed character and no team can have an easy game against them, and that is the case with Croatia as well. Croatia is a real example of good team chemistry and despite the fact that most of the key players are past their prime, they function perfectly. This will be a tough game in which both teams will be very careful on the defensive end. 

Japan proved to be dangerous even when they were down and Croatia knows how to go against that. This game will probably be decided by a single move and Croatia has more players that can do that. This game will definitely be a low-scoring one that may even go to overtime but Croatia will use their experience to hit the final punch and advance.

Brazil vs South Korea – 2PM ET

We wrap things up with Brazil playing against South Korea, with a spot in the Quarter Finals up for grabs. Brazil finished with six points, which was good enough for first place in Group G, thanks to their points differential, and their results in the Group Stage included two wins then a loss in their final clash. South Korea finished in second place in Group H, as they gained four points, and their results in their first three games of the World Cup included a draw, loss and a win.

Tony Battalio

The Brazilians are still likely the top favorite in this World Cup at the Round of 16 stage. However, they are dealing with a ton of injury problems heading into their match against a solid and shocking South Korean team that is very capable of pulling off the upset. They will have to get their backups ready for the task ahead and have them playing with chemistry if Brazil doesn’t want their World Cup dreams to end a lot earlier than most people would’ve expected. 

South Korea was yet another shocking advancement to the Round of 16 during this nearly unpredictable World Cup. Now they will look to grab another upset and take the favorites out in what could be Neymar’s final World Cup of his legendary career. They certainly have the ability to grab the win in this game, but they will have to bring their best game yet to accomplish that feat against a tough and deep Brazilian squad. Unfortunately I don’t think they can get it done, so I’m going with Brazil in this one. 

Aleksandar Ricliev

Brazil is the betting favorite to win the World Cup. They had an impressive showing in the Group Stage, dismantling Switzerland and Serbia. However, some injury concerns have put a dent in their armor. Their leader and global icon, Neymar, has an ankle injury and is doubtful for the match against South Korea. Brazil’s starting full-backs, Danilo and Alex Sandro have also picked up injuries, and their appearance is in doubt. However, this South Korean side is not the caliber of team that can pose much of a threat. 

South Korea ended up just pulling through to the Round of 16 in the final round of the Group Stage. They just won over Uruguay by a goal difference. There were lots of emotions at the end of the match, and the South Koreans are extremely grateful to be playing in the Round of 16. South Korea’s best player, Son, is slowly but surely growing into the tournament after his orbital bone injury. Can he galvanize the troops and put up an upset? Brazil is the overwhelming favorite, but if their full-backs are not ready for the match, Son will be a nightmare to deal with and a constant threat. I expect this match to be much tighter than the odds show. I can see South Korea pushing Brazil to overtime or maybe even doing the unimaginable and winning the game. 

Marko Nadin

Brazil came into the World Cup as the main favorite to win the competition. The odds are even lower for their win at this point and it looks like they could not even hope for an easier opponent in the Round of 16. South Korea managed to advance from Group H pushing the two-time World Cup winner Uruguay out. Many have signed the Koreans out even before this game starts, but confidence is something that this team definitely has. It is hard to believe that it will bring them anything in the game against Brazil since the Cariocas are simply on another level. 

Brazil will not let South Korea stand any chance in this game and will attack from the very start of the game. Even without Neymar, Brazil has numerous dangerous players in the offensive line and Korea will feel that. Brazil will probably open the score early in the game and will dominate the rest of it, advancing to the Quarter Finals.

If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our soccer hub page for all your FIFA World Cup needs!

*Odds and spreads correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.