World Cup 2018: Morocco vs. Iran odds, expert picks, and insider predictions

European soccer expert picks Friday's 2018 World Cup game

Morocco and Iran square off in a marquee 2018 World Cup match on Friday at 11:00 a.m. ET. Both teams will be looking for the full three points if they want to have any chance of advancing out of Group B, which also features Spain and Portugal, two of the top football teams in the world. Morocco is posted at +130 for Friday's match, meaning you'd need to wager $100 to win $130 on an outright victory. Iran is at +275 (risk $100 to win $275), while a draw is +200. The Over-Under on total goals scored is 2.

Before you enter your 2018 World Cup picks, you have to see what European soccer expert David Sumpter has to say. Sumpter is an applied mathematician who wrote "Soccermatics," the book that explains how math works inside the sport. Together with other experienced analysts, Sumpter developed the powerful Soccerbot model. 

The Soccerbot reads current odds and all team performance data, calculates key metrics and predicts upcoming matches. In nearly three seasons since its inception, the Soccerbot is up an incredible 1,800 percent on bookmakers' closing odds.

Now the Soccerbot has digested the film, crunched the numbers, and broken down every single player on Morocco and Iran. The model has released a very strong money line pick, which it's sharing over at SportsLine.

The model knows this is the first time in Iran's history that it has appeared in consecutive World Cups. In fact, Iran was the first team to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They will be looking to earn just their second World Cup victory.

And in order to advance to the knockout stage at the 2018 World Cup, the Iranians will need a victory in their opening match. Iran is led by striker Sardar Azmoun. The 23-year-old has scored 23 goals in 31 appearances for his country and will need to produce even more in Russia in order to survive Group B.

But the model also knows Morocco is favored for a reason. Morocco boasts 24-year-old forward Ayoub El Kaabi, who has 10 goals in eight caps. Morocco also has a bruising defense capable of shutting down Iran.

So which hungry nation wins Friday? Or does it end in a draw? Visit SportsLine now to see the strong Morocco-Iran money line pick, all from a European soccer expert whose powerful model is up 1,800 percent in less than three years.