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The international soccer continues on Wednesday as the Euro 2024 tournament rolls out another trio of matches for us to bet on! Below I’ll dive into each of the matches from a betting perspective and let you know where I’m laying my money on the pitch.
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Wednesday’s Best Euro 2024 Bets
(2024 Euro odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Croatia (-220) vs. Albania (+650), DRAW (+340) | 2.5 (-105/-120)
We have a full €˜matchday’ under our belts, and each team has played once at the Euro 2024 tournament. Croatia lost 3-0 to Spain on Saturday, while Albania was on the losing end of a 2-1 affair with Italy. This Group B clash is Wednesday’s opener, kicking off at 9:00 a.m. ET from Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany.
Despite getting smoked 3-0 by Spain, Croatia had a ton of scoring opportunities in the match. They racked up 16 shot attempts, five of which made it on goal. They also controlled 53.3% of the possession against a top-tier Spanish side. Their xG mark was 2.1, which goes to show that they were getting quality looks in the losing effort.
In my opinion, it’s only a matter of time until the Croatians break through and finish the chances they’re getting. There’s no better opponent to run up the score on than Albania, who many anticipated to be the bottom feeder of the group. This is a must-win game for the Blazers, and I expect their veteran core to take care of business in this one. I’ll lay the goal at -140, giving us push potential in case Croatia only manages a one-goal win.
Bet: Croatia -1.0 (-140)
Germany (-380) vs. Hungary (+1000), DRAW (+550) | 3.5 (+135/-170)
The host country, Germany, got off on the right foot on Friday, blasting Scotland in a 5-1 contest. They’ll try to stay perfect today as they take on a Hungary side that lost 3-1 to Switzerland in their opener on Saturday. Kickoff for this Group A match is set for 12:00 p.m. ET from Stuttgart Arena in Stuttgart, Germany.
This is the first total of 3.5 that I’ve seen for the tournament, and it makes sense considering the results of each team’s first match. With that being said, I’ll take this total down to a flat 3.0 and come back on the over.
There were some questions surrounding the Germans entering the tournament since they’re a younger team and have a new coach in Julian Nagelsmann. I think those questions were answered in the 5-1 pounding of Scotland. Their passing was pristine (92%) and they received scoring contributions from five different players.
Now they’ll take on a Hungarian bunch that conceded three times to a respectable Switzerland squad. Honestly, I think there’s a chance that Germany clears this total by themselves. Hungary allowed 15 shot attempts (7 on target) in their opener, and that’s not a recipe that you want when taking on one of the tournament favorites (+450, third-shortest odds).
Hungary has seen at least three goals in their last three matches, which includes two friendlies leading up to the tournament. If you go back to the fall for the qualifying, they’ve played in four straight competitive games with four goals, and the fifth game back featured three goals. Hungary enjoys playing a looser style, and we should see plenty of scoring in this one. Let’s take the over.
Bet: Alt Over 3.0 (-125)
Scotland (+350) vs. Switzerland (-120), DRAW (+260) | 2.5 (+115/-140)
Scotland got a tough draw against a juggernaut in Germany on Friday, but things won’t get much easier against Switzerland today. The Swiss looked great in their first match, securing a 3-1 victory over Hungary. Kickoff between Scotland and Switzerland is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET from Cologne Stadium in Köln, Germany.
I’m going to take a shot with the plus-money payout that comes with Scotland to go scoreless this afternoon. Their lone goal in Friday’s annihilation came on an own goal from Germany. The Scottish squad actually failed to register a single shot on goal, and they only had one total attempt! While they did play the entire second half with only 10 men, I don’t think an 11th would’ve changed the outcome very much.
As for Switzerland, they controlled 50.3% of the possession in their win against Hungary, which is a positive sign considering they were playing with a lead. Their passing looked pretty sharp as well, where they completed 83% of their passing attempts. I think the Red Crosses will control the match right from the start, beating up on this lowly Scottish side.
Scotland is ranked just 39th in the FIFA rankings, and they’ve been blanked in two of their last five matches. They’ll be trying to score on a Switzerland group that posted clean sheets in three of their four friendlies leading up to the Euros. I think there’s a solid chance that trend continues this afternoon.
Bet: Scotland Under 0.5 Goals (+140)
