Ivory Coast vs Norway Predictions – Round of 32 (Match 5)

The Viking Row will be in full swing in Dallas on Thursday as Norway looks to progress to the Round of 16 for the first time since 1998.  

Standing in their way is a stout Ivory Coast side that has played the role of spoiler on more than one occasion across the tournament, their biggest scalp being a 1-0 opening win over Ecuador before taking Germany to the sword in a close 2-1 defeat.  

While the knockout stage is unfamiliar territory for Emerse Fae’s side, Les Elephants rate a genuine chance at threatening in this game against a slightly weaker European position – aided by the knowledge that they also beat France in a friendly before the World Cup began.  

Shutting down the in-form Erling Haaland is the biggest task across the full 90 minutes, and the potential absence of key defender Wilfried Singo does complicate matters for Ivory Coast.  

Still, they’ve shown tremendous heart to make it this far and with a decent amount of attacking prowess, don’t be surprised if Ivory Coast keep this interesting. 

Prediction: Both Teams to Score @ $1.73 

Value: Over 3.5 Goals @ $3.20 

Player Pick: Amad Diallo Anytime Goalscorer @ $3.80