France vs. Morocco start time, odds, lines: Top expert picks, FIFA predictions, best bets

Reigning World Cup champion France can return to the World Cup final for the second straight tournament when Les Bleus square off against Morocco in a semifinal at the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday.

The French have reached the World Cup final three previous times – 1998, 2006 and '18 – winning in '98 and '18. This year France, ranked No. 4 in the world, enter the semifinal off a 2-1 victory over England. Meanwhile, Morocco are the first African team to advance to the World Cup semifinals. The Atlas Lions are coming off a 1-0 victory against Portugal.

Kickoff is at 2 p.m. ET. France are the -180 favorite (risk $180 to win $100) in the latest France vs. Morocco odds from Caesars Sportsbook, with Morocco the +550 underdog.

A draw is priced at +280 and the over/under for total goals scored is 2.5. Before you lock in your Morocco vs. France picks or World Cup 2022 predictions, you need to see what proven SportsLine soccer insider Martin Green has to say.

After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. Green has generated almost $35,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season, and he has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.

Now, Green has broken down France vs. Morocco from every angle and just revealed his 2022 World Cup picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Green's picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Morocco vs. France:

- France vs. Morocco spread: France -0.5 (-180)

- France vs. Morocco over/under: 2.5 goals

- France vs. Morocco money line: France -180; Morocco +550; Draw +280

- FRA: Kylian Mbappe shares the tournament lead in goals with five

- MOR: The Atlas Lions have conceded only one goal over five matches

Why you should back France

Les Bleus have the offensive firepower to unlock the Moroccan defense. France have outscored opponents, 11-5, so far in Qatar and have received production from both Kylian Mbappe, who's tied for the tournament lead with five goals, and Olivier Giroud, who has four. Giroud is the all-time leading scorer for Les Bleus with 53 career goals.

In addition, Aurelien Tchouameni has emerged as a star in the midfield for the French. Filling in for the injured N'Golo Kanté and Paul Pogba, the 22-year-old Tchouameni has played a team-high 411 minutes and has completed a tournament-high 93.2% of his passes. In the quarterfinal match against England, he scored in the 17th minute on a rocket from outside the box.

Why you should back Morocco

The Atlas Lions have fielded a defense superior to France's at the 2022 World Cup. They have conceded fewer goals than Les Bleus (one to five) in Qatar. They also have won more tackles (104 to 98) and interceptions (51 to 49) and have conceded fewer shots outside the box (16 to 20).

In addition, Morocco face a French defense that has been vulnerable in Qatar. Les Bleus have not kept a single clean sheet at the tournament, and the defense looked very shaky in the quarterfinal against England. That bodes well for Morocco's attacking trio of Hakim Ziyech, Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal.

How to make Morocco vs. France picks

Green has broken down this semifinal from every angle. He is leaning under on the goal total, and he has locked in three best bets, including two that pay plus money. He's only sharing his World Cup picks and analysis at SportsLine.