Morocco v Iran Betting Tips: Latest odds, team news, preview and predictions

Morocco meet Iran in Friday's World Cup Group B curtain raiser.

Drawn alongside Iberian giants Spain and Portugal, both of these nations will have identified this fixture as pivotal to their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the competition.

Latest odds

It is Herve Renard's Atlas Lions who are chalked up as dabblebet's 13/10 (2.30) favourites to kick off their first World Cup campaign in 20 years with a vital victory.

Carlos Queiroz's side went out at the group stage in Brazil four years ago and they will be determined to avoid a similar fate this time around.

dabblebet go 11/4 (3.75) that Iran come out on top, while the same firm offer 2/1 (3.0) that these two sides settle for a share of the spoils in St Petersburg.

Team news

Iran will hope that 23-year-old striker Sardar Azmoun, who has already scored an impressive 23 goals in 33 games for his country, can get amongst the goals.

Hakim Ziyech, who was named as Dutch footballer of the year this term, possesses plenty of star quality and the 25-year-old midfielder looks likely to be a key protagonist for the Atlas Lions.

Shot-shy Iran

Iran have scored more than a single goal just once in 12 World Cup fixtures, in a 2-1 win against USA in France some 20 years ago.

That result represents Iran's only World Cup finals victory thus far and dabblebet go 3/1 (4.0) that Queiroz's side score at least two goals against their north African opponents on Friday.

Furthermore, five of Iran's last seven World Cup fixtures have produced fewer than three goals and dabblebet go just 2/5 (1.40) that the trend continues in this clash.

Predictions

Morocco did not concede a goal in six Group C qualifiers on the road to Russia and they have avoided defeat in each of their last 18 matches - confidence, therefore, is surely high in the camp.

Queiroz's team will be determined to keep things tight in this Group B opener and - given the Atlas Lions' quality in defence - goals may not flow freely here.

Morocco, however, could prove to be too strong for Queiroz's men and good value may, therefore, lie in backing the Atlas Lions to win a match featuring fewer than three goals at 5/2 (3.50) with dabblebet ahead of Friday's fixture.

Morocco to win and under 2.5 goals at 5/2 (3.50) for a 1pt stake with dabblebet