You can expect one of the most vibrant atmospheres for the entire World Cup when Haiti takes on Scotland at Gillette Stadium on Saturday night.
These fanbases are known for their ability to bring the noise, but things will go up several decibels for this tilt. It’s Scotland’s first World Cup match since 1998, and just the second ever appearance for Haiti, which hasn’t qualified for the big dance since 1974.
Neither country has ever made it past the group stage.
And given how this group stacks up — Brazil and Morocco are the other two teams in the set — this is a massive match for both the Tartan Army and Les Grenadiers.
It may be their first match of the tournament, but this is essentially a must-win for both teams.
Scotland is a -180 favorite on the three-way moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Scotland vs. Haiti odds, picks
Tactics nerds are in for a treat for this matchup, should these teams play true to form.
Haiti could be the worst team in this field of 48, but they don’t play the type of soccer that we’ve come to equate with long shots at the World Cup. Most of the time, these also-rans play a very conservative style and try to nick a result by defending deep and hitting on the counter or getting a goal off a set piece. Costa Rica famously deployed this tactic en route to winning a group ahead of Uruguay, England, and Italy.
If we’ve learned anything about Les Grenadiers from their rise in CONCACAF, they will not be parking a bus. Haiti defends high, deploys a press up the field, and tries to turn the ball over as close to the opponent’s goal as they can. Against the likes of Honduras, El Salvador, or St. Lucia, this bold strategy can work.
Scotland may not be a world-beater, but The Tartan Army is miles and miles better than those teams, and they also play a direct style of soccer that makes pressing high up the pitch quite a dangerous approach.
Steve Clarke wants Scotland to play direct. He doesn’t want any nonsense. He instructs his charges to get on the ball, fling it up the field or out wide, and bomb crosses into the box. That means if you get caught with too many numbers high up the pitch, the Tartan Army will make you pay, especially since their best player, Scott McTominay, is a master at arriving late and picking up the pieces on a counter-attack.
McTominay, once of Manchester United, has developed into one of the best players in the world, and his skillset is perfectly suited for this stylistic matchup.
It’s also important to note that Scotland will be highly incentivized to rack up as many goals as possible in this match. With Morocco and Brazil on deck, the Scots will want to pad their goal differential in this tilt to protect themselves against a rout against the two favorites in this group.
Everything in this one is pointing to a crooked number for Scotland, and you get +630 at FanDuel on the Tartan Army to go over 3.5 goals. McTominay at +950 to score twice is also worth a hard look.
The Plays: Scotland Team Total Over 3.5 (+630, FanDuel) | Scott McTominay to score 2+ goals (+950)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
