Portugal failed to win its group, but they can right a lot of their wrongs very quickly if they string together a few wins in the knockout stage. They'll begin the knockout stage of the tournament with an intriguing match against Croatia.Croatia may not be a tournament favorite, but after finishing on the podium in each of the last two World Cups, they're a dangerous opponent for any country to face.Let's dive into the odds and my best bets for Thursday's match.Portugal vs. Croatia Odds and TotalOdds via Caesars SportsbookTo AdvancePortugal -275 (73.33% implied probability)Croatia +2003-Way MoneylinePortugal -136Croatis +380Draw +250TotalOVER 2.5 (+108)UNDER 2.5 (-137)Portugal vs. Croatia How to WatchDate: Thursday, July 2Time: 7:00 p.m. ETVenue: Toronto StadiumHow to Watch (TV): Fox/Tele/Fox OnePortugal record: 1-2-0Croatia record: 2-0-1Portugal vs. Croatia History and Tournament ResultsPortugal is 7-2-1 all-time against Croatia. The most recent match was a 1-1 draw in a 2024 UEFA Nations League Match.PortugalPortugal started its tournament with a baffling 1-1 draw against DR Congo. They followed that up with a 5-0 win against Uzbekistan, but failed to beat Colombia, resulting in them finishing second in the group. They played Colombia to a 0-0 draw. Portugal was the only pre-tournament favorite not to win their group.CroatiaCroatia fell to England 4-2 in its first match of the tournament, but then followed that up with wins of 1-0 and 2-1 against Panama and Ghana.Portugal vs. Croatia Best Prop BetIvan Perisic Anytime Goal (+425)In today's edition of my Best World Cup Goal Scorer Bets, I made the case for betting on Ivan Perisic to score at +425:I like Croatia to at least give Portugal a run in this Round of 32 match, so I'm going to target one of their forwards, Ivan Perisic, to score at +425. He has yet to score for Croatia in this tournament, but his offensive production increased in their most recent game against Ghana, racking up 64 touches, along with a shot on goal, the most amongst Croatian forwards. If you want a dark horse to score in this match, Perisic is a great option at +425.Portugal vs. Croatia Prediction and PickI made the case for Croatia giving Portugal fits in today's edition of my Best World Cup Bets:I predicted that Portugal would fail to meet expectations in this tournament due to their insistence on utilizing Cristiano Ronaldo, despite his play having significantly regressed in recent years due to age. Not only does it hurt their production, but it's clear he has hurt the team's chemistry as well.Croatia is in the opposite situation. They're a team that knows how to play as a unit, evidenced by the last two World Cups. They may not win, but I think there's a chance this match at least goes to extra time, which would cash this Croatia +0.5 bet at +107.Best Bet: Croatia +0.5 (+107) via CaesarsFollow Iain on X and InstagramBet $1, get 100% profit boost on your next 10 bets when you claim your Caesars Sportsbook new user promo using code ‘SICZRDYW’. Sign up, deposit at least $10, and place your first real-money wager. Up to $25 max bet per boost.Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.You can check out all of Iain's bets here!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow