euro 2012

Northern Ireland will try and keep their qualification hopes from Euro 2012 Group C alive, as they host Serbia on the weekend, queuing up our Northern Ireland v Serbia betting. This is a massively important game for Northern Ireland, who are still in touch for a second place finish. Of their six qualification games for far, Northern Ireland have suffered just one defeat, which was away to Serbia. Now the Irish must cancel out that deficit if they are to keep up the hunt for a second place finish. While they have tasted defeat just once, the biggest disappointment of their qualification campaign was a 1-1 draw away at the Faroe Islands. With main qualification rivals Italy, Serbia and Slovenia picking up expected wins against the minnows, that was a big two points dropped by Northern Ireland, which could come back to haunt them. With a win on the weekend, Northern Ireland would make qualification hopes for Serbia very difficult (as the Serbs are already one point behind Northern Ireland in fourth place) and will edge them past Slovenia. A win here for Northern Ireland could be crucial, because Slovenia travel to face Italy in midweek, and if they lose there, it will be Northern Ireland who just have the edge in second place. If Northern Ireland could then win out in Estonia in midweek, the Irish could be sitting extremely pretty after these next two matches. But as with anything, things are never quite as straight forward, because Serbia are not going to be easy opponents. But Serbia have won just one of their last three games (the one against the Irish), suffering a heavy loss to Italy and then being held to a draw by Estonia, so there is a good chance of Northern Ireland getting something out of this. The Irish defence has held up surprisingly well, having conceded just three goals in their six matches so far, including keeping Italy at bay in a 0-0 draw back in October of last year. Northern Ireland have played their way into a very good position so far and now this is the time in which they have to deliver. It wouldn’t be curtains for them if they lost, but it would mean that Serbia would leap frog them and that is the last thing they want. Neither of these sides give too much away in their game, so not looking at a high scoring match here one would imagine. Northern Ireland aim to keep their unbeaten record at home going in Euro 2012 qualification and even a draw would keep them in the hunt, but a win would really put them in the driving seat.

Northern Ireland v Serbia Betting
Northern Ireland to win: 13/5 at Paddy Power
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Serbia to win: 6/5 at SkyBet

What has England’s rather limp showing at Wembley against Switzerland done for their betting chances of winning Euro 2012? Well, there were handed a boost when joint leaders Montenegro could not beat Bulgaria. With both leaders ending up drawing their respective matches, the situation in Group G is just the same as it was at the start of play. England and Montenegro will occupy the top two spots, there’s not going to be any change in that, and England are still favourites to top the group at 1/7 with Bet365. Fabio Capello’s side, which was a little under strength, a little fatigued and more than a little unadventurous, had to fight their way back from a 2-0 deficit at Wembley against the Swiss. They did scrape a draw, but alarm bells over their potential to win Euro 2012 must be ringing. The strength of depth in the squad was again called into question, as well as Capello’s approach tactically to the match. No matter, that has been done, and England now have three more qualifiers left, against Wales, Bulgaria and Montenegro. We will say this now, but there may be some value in betting against England winning Group G in Euro 2012 qualifiers and here is why. England play two qualifiers in four days in September, away in Bulgaria and home to Wales. Both matches should be won. During that period, Montenegro plays just one match, in Wales, which again, you’d back Montenegro to win. So that would leave England’s last match of the Group in Montenegro, and no doubt, the home nation there will be up for the challenge, and if they could sneak a win, they would go into their final match against Switzerland with some confidence of winning the group, while all England could do is sit back and watch what unfolds. It is a scenario which could play out, with the crunch match being Montenegro v England on October 7th. With Montenegro priced at 5/1 with Unibet to win the group, it may be worth a small punt. We’re not suggesting Montenegro are a great side, but they are hard to beat, and hold the same record as England in the group at the moment, so with home advantage in the crunch match, who knows? As for outright betting on England winning Euro 2012, well, that is now at a well priced, yet slightly pessimistic 9/1 at Bet365. Good value in the for next Summer’s tournament, but enough reservations to keep them out at that price.

Favourites in the Euro 2012 Antepost betting market are of course Spain at 3/1 with SkyBet, who, with their 100% record in qualifying. They are cruising and are worth a bet in your Euro 2012 betting. Likewise are Germany, who have won six out of six in their qualification so far, banging in 19 goals and conceding 2 in that period. They picked up a tighter than expected 2-1 win over Austria on Friday, which was good enough. Germany are trading at a very attractive 9/2 at Paddy Power to win Euro 2012. Holland are also shorter than England in the betting, with the Dutch looking to go one better than their 2010 World Cup efforts where they lost the final against Spain. With Holland being another of the nations who are making extremely light work of qualifying, they are a solid 7/1 at SkyBet at the moment, which is a great price.  France 11/1 at Blue Square to win Euro 2012 are still a nation in transition, and were held to a 1-1 draw by Belarus on Friday. The French are still ahead of the Belarusian’s by four points and should qualify easily enough, but at the moment, they look as if they are in the same kind of boat as England, not ready to fulfil potential. Italy rattled off a routine 3-0 win against Estonia to sit five points clear at the top of Group C with a game in hand over second placed Slovenia. Italy at 12/1 at Bet365 make a much more attractive proposition than France in Euro 2012 Antepost betting we feel. Portugal will continue to have the labels of dark horses, and trading at 18/1 at 888Sport, it could be a good time to get behind them. You just never know with them. They picked up a vital 1-0 win over the previously unbeaten Denmark on the weekend, which put them top of Group H on goal difference. Portugal, Denmark and Norway are all on 10 points in the group, so there is still a chance of Cristiano Ronaldo and co not qualifying, which is why their price is such good value at the moment. Hats off too to Robbie Keane, who fired a brace for the Republic of Ireland in Macedonia, to continue to keep pace with Russia and Slovakia in Group B. Wins for all three has left them all on 13 points with four games each left to play there. The Republic of Ireland at 66/1 at Bet365 to win Euro 2012.

The Group winners for Euro 2012 are pretty much set, looking at the tables and the remaining fixtures, you can plan out who is going to be at the finals next summer. But then you start narrowing the field dramatically down to the strongest runners in the race when you get there, and that is Spain, Germany and Holland. Ask yourself at the moment for your Euro 2012 Antepost betting whether or not you can see any of the other participating nations, whoever it may be, beating the three of those to lift the trophy. There is a clear divide, because then you look back to the chasing pack of Italy, France, England and Portugal and from then on out you are really looking at a major surprise. Let’s assume Spain, Germany and Holland occupy three of the four semi final spots, that would leave an outsider having to beat two of them to win the title. So picking an Antepost winner for your Euro 2012 betting at the moment may not be too much of a stressful thing. Favourites Spain, the World Champions are pretty good value right now, and we hope to see the dynamic Germany which we did at South Africa 2010. Holland, as good as they are, still have to break that big tournament nearly-men mentality, so pretty much we are left with a two horse race of Spain and Germany. It would be a great final and the time to start your Euro 2012 betting is now.

England v Switzerland Euro 2012 qualifier betting odds, sees England as favourites to win the match, but does see Fabio Capello short on options for a forward line in this crucial match. England top Group G in Euro 2012 qualifying after picking up three wins and a draw in their opening four matches. That has left them on 10 points along with Montenegro at the top of the pile, and therefore need to keep up their challenge at the top of the group. Capello’s men do return to Wembley again, and the last time they were there in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, they could only manage a 0-0 draw with Montenegro. England’s only other home match so far in the qualifiers, was a 4-0 thrashing of Bulgaria, in which Spurs forward Jermain Defoe netted a hat trick. A win is naturally important for England on Saturday at Wembley, as it will give England an edge really, because this is the last time they will play before the next season of the domestic scene will happen. So, if they get a good win under their belt here, they can relax and then look ahead to a summer break in a confident mood. With only games then against Bulgaria and Wales to come in September, and then Montenegro to come in October, England should be in a commanding position. The defining match of the group will come against Montenegro, which could be a group decider.

Striking Options Limited
However, Defoe won’t be repeating his hat trick heroics, as the Tottenham Hotspur forward will miss the match through injury. It is a wrist injury which Defoe insists needs some rest, even though he played for Spurs in their final Premier League match of the season. That has left Capello with a bit of a problem, as Wayne Rooney is suspended for the match and Andy Carroll is not fit to go. So Capello has turned to Fulham’s Bobby Zamora, which is a surprising suggestion because the striker picked up a broken leg at the start of the Premier League season and is no where near fit and recovered enough for international duty. If anything, it shows how thin England’s options are up front. Jay Bothroyd and Kevin Davies, who were handed places in the squad recently have not managed to get a look in this time around. That has left Capello naming Darren Bent, Peter Crouch and Bobby Zamora as his three strikers. The lack of options up front may influence your England v Switzerland Euro 2012 qualifier betting odds, especially in the goal scorer and correct score markets.

But are England’s lack of punch up front as desperate as it seems? Darren Bent will get the starting call for England, and he will be assisted by his Aston Villa team mate Ashley Young in providing the spark of inspiration going forward. Young seems to be growing into his role in the England squad, highlighted by how well he and Bent teamed up in a friendly against Ghana earlier in the year. Bent has netted a goal in each of this last three matches for England, and with Young roaming around providing support behind him, it gives Capello a look an another promising option. So things may not be all doom and gloom in the England striking department, and with the initiative from playing at home in front of the Wembley crowd, England should be able to press forward and cause the limited Swiss side some problems. England were comfortable enough in their visit to Basel on September 7th last year, when they ran out 3-1 winners over Switzerland.

England Team News
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has been called up to the senior squad, after much speculation as to what would happen to him. There has been a tug of war between the England senior side, and the U21’s who are getting ready to contest the U21 European Championships. But Capello has had the last word, and Wilshere will help out the senior side. There have been worries about Wilshere getting burned out this season, with him starting to feel the burn of a long season with Arsenal. Naturally the club were hesitant about him playing a summer tournament with the U21’s, so Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will be much happier with the situation. It also gives Wilshere a chance to solidify his place ahead of next summer’s European Championships. Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard also misses out through injury, while Robert Green has been called up for goalkeeping coverage, as the previously named Fulham keeper David Stockdale is due to get married. Rio Ferdinand will also get back into the team for the first time this year, with team mate Michael Carrick also getting back into contention as well.

England v Switzerland Euro 2012 Qualifier Betting Tips

Well, England should win this one, after putting a decent performance in out in Switzerland, this return fixture should not be a problem. Will the lack of striking options affect them too much? It shouldn’t, although Switzerland do play a tight, organised and defensive game. It will be up to England to break down the Swiss as the visitors aren’t going to attack that much. So it means England will get a lot of possession, so they have to find a way to do something with it. There is enough in the rest of the squad, although it doesn’t look to expansive, to get the job done. England and Capello would be satisfied with a 1-0 win, as they are top of the group on goal difference at the moment, with a +5 advantage over Montenegro. England just need to keep going and get a win under their belt and then look ahead to the three remaining fixtures. They do face Bulgaria and Montenegro away, so they need to make better use of home advantage than what they did when Montenegro came to Wembley and shut England out. A 1-0 seems a plausible outcome, weighing up how neutral Switzerland are and with England’s weakened strike force.

England v Switzerland Euro 2012 Qualifier Betting Odds

England to win: 2/5 at William Hill
Draw: 19/5 at Boylesports
Switzerland to win: 8/1 at Bet365

England Squad to face Switzerland
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Scott Carson, Rob Green
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Stewart Downing, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young
Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora

Online Bookmaker Boylesports are running their Every 2nd Counts football betting promotion for the England v Switzerland Euro 2012 qualifier match. Back any player as a First Goalscorer, and if that player does not open the scoring in the match, but does score the second goal of the game, then Boylesports will refund your initial First Goalscorer stake. So with Darren Bent being the most likely route to goal for England, you could back him as First Goalscorer for around 4/1, and if he does not score first, but nets the second goal, then you would get a refund. New customers to Boylesports can get a £20 free bet when registering a new account.

With all the furore over the Euro 2012 fixtures last Friday and Wednesday, in which the home nations managed to not pick up a single victory between them all, we take a football betting look at the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Scotland and Wales lost their matches, while England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland all picked up one point each. That doesn’t tell the whole story though, as there were some strange mitigating circumstances to the results. Where does these results leave the qualification hopes of the home nations? They will be sitting back and watching the likes of Spain and Germany continue to dominate their matches, taking the standard of European football to new levels. How can the home nations catch up? The process all begins here with the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and we assess the chances of completing the first part of the puzzle, getting to Poland and Ukraine 2012.

England

Previous Match: England 0, Montenegro 0
Current Standing: Second in Group G

Left Wembley with a very disappointing 0-0 draw against Montenegro, which left Fabio Capello’s men in second place in the group. Not where they were expected to be. England were short on striker options, highlighted by the fact that Bolton’s Kevin Davies was there, and with Wayne Rooney anonymous until the final kicks of the game, England have left themselves in a frustrating position. Alright, it is not the end of the world, and they should have enough quality still to turn their fortunes around, but the old symptoms of lack of pace and drive let them down against badly. England now really have to face the facts that they are not one of the teams occupying the higher echelons of quality football in the world. They need to understand their place and work on that, instead of letting complacency fool them into thinking that they are better than they are. Who would England be in the Premier League? Aston Villa? Everton? Certainly not a Chelsea, Man Utd or an Arsenal. So England are three points off the lead with a game in hand, which is still a pretty strong position. Their next opponents will be Wales, who haven’t picked up a single point yet, and Capello has to be ready for the trip down to Cardiff. England are the group’s top goal scorers at the moment, and that is the extra disappointment about being shut out by Montenegro, who actually haven’t conceded a goal themselves so far in Group G. The no score draw was a bitter blow for England fans, but they should get a little stronger by the time their next match comes along. They have one more match to end this year, a friendly against France at Wembley in November. Need to step up their game and produce more competent displays, which everyone knows they have in them.

To qualify: 1/20 at Bet365. Hard to see a major collapse happening and Capello’s men failing to qualify at all. Therefore, not too much value in this one.

To Win Group G: 2/9 at Ladbrokes. A little better value after their bore draw against Montenegro, but England are expected to be in the driving seat, and the Bookies are all over that.

To win Euro 2012: 10/1 at Victor Chandler. Pretty reasonable price all things considered. Perhaps it says something about the quality of European football behind the might of Spain and Germany, when England and Italy are so far out. Are they worth a bet though, that is the question. It will be a big, patriotic wager, but there is plenty of time for a new England side to establish itself, and for some of the younger players to make an impact over the next couple of years. At that ante post price, may worth a punt as you never know. Likely to remain on the outside of realistic chances though, because there much better teams around at the moment.

Republic of Ireland:

Previous Match: Slovakia 1, Republic of Ireland 1
Current Standing: Second Group B

The Republic of Ireland are doing OK at the moment in a very tight group. They are level on standings with Armenia and Slovakia, against whom they earned a credible and predictable draw in the week. That has left them in second place in the group, only on goal difference, and there will be a big race for second place. Russia are expected to win Group B, although they themselves haven’t been completely dominant, but they do look the best team there. That means that Ireland will be looking to battle their way through some tough challenges to hold on to second place. The Republic’s only defeat has come against Russia, and they actually make for a decent bet to qualify for Euro 2012. They may not do it as outright winners, unless they get the better of Russia when the two sides meet in Ireland later in the group, but they are a decent price to reach the finals, nonetheless. The Republic of Ireland go into back to back matches against Macedonia who are sitting on just one win in the group, and therefore stand a great chance of picking up the pace in their charge for qualification. Hard working, battling well and if they can find a bit more composure at the back, then they are in with a great chance.

To Qualify: 13/8 at Bet365. Well worth looking at and considering. It’s a tough, tight group the Irish are in, and it looks as if they have to chase the very strong Russians. Nonetheless, they have the fight in them to push all the way.

To win Euro 2012: 125/1 at Ladbrokes: Well there are bookmakers who have Ireland at much shorter odds than this, even half of what Ladbrokes are offering, it’s just not going to happen. Ireland aren’t going to beat enough elite teams in a finals to win a European Championship anytime soon. Even the most patriotic fan wouldn’t touch this.

Scotland

Previous Match: Scotland 2, Spain 3
Current Standing: 3rd Group I

So Scotland are in third place in the group, however they are the only team which has played four matches, with the rest of the teams on three, including Lithuania who are on the same amount of points as the Scots. Scotland put in a storming, heart warming battling performance at home against Spain in the weekend, pegging the World Champions back to 2-2, before Spanish sub Lorente netted a winner. The scoreline was never expected to be that close, but the defeat means that Scotland have now lost against the top two teams in the group, which really sets them back in their chances of qualifying for Euro 2012. Spain and the Czech Republic who are above them, still have a game in hand over the Scots, so again Scotland could be missing out on a summer tournament. To be honest, the bookies never really gave them much of a chance to get out of this group, and that hasn’t changed. Spain and the Czech’s look too strong for the rest of the group, not only Scotland themselves. Is there a slim chance of Scotland getting out of the qualifying group? Certainly not as winners, but if they can produce another good home display in their next match against at home against the Czech’s then it could open things up nicely. They then could back that up with another home fixture against Lithuania, so there is hope, and Spain and the Czech Republic haven’t met yet, so when they do, there will be points taken away from one, or both. Not quite out of the running yet, but a lot of brave work still to do.

To Qualify: 9/1 at Bet365: Ideal football betting odds and sums up Scotland’s position perfectly. They will need some big hearted performances from here on out, with the crucial one being the home match against the Czechs. Good price and worth backing the Scots.

To Win Euro 2012: 999/1 at Bwin: Extravagant odds, and not reflective of most of the market, but we present you with best odds available. Even if the Scots reach the finals, they are not going to win.

Northern Ireland

Previous Match: Northern Ireland 1, Faroe Islands 1
Current Standing: 5th in Group C

Northern Ireland missed the boat big time with a 1-1 draw against the Faroe Islands in midweek. That really was tantamount to a defeat, as everybody expects to beat the Faroe Island, who are averaging conceding five goals a match in qualification. However, Northern Ireland didn’t get their lines right on the night, and as suggested here, their lack of goal scoring power hurt them. That is just two goals in three matches now for Northern Ireland, and unless they start firing quickly, they are going to be left with nothing to play for very soon. However, on the bright side, they have a game in hand over the four teams above them in the group, and are just three points off the lead. Their huge 1-0 win in Slovenia has kept them in the running, along with a heroic effort in holding Italy to a 0-0 draw. Those are the scrappy points which Northern Ireland will value greatly, but with Serbia, Italy, Slovenia and Estonia in the group, it will realistically be an uphill battle in getting through to the finals. It is to their credit that they are unbeaten so far, and that they have managed to pick up five points by scoring just two goals. A lot of that has come down to a resilient defence which has only conceded one goal. If they keep working hard for these draws and then sneaking a win here and there, then you just never know. It will be tough, and while UEFA await to see what the repercussions are of the Italy v Serbia match being abandoned after six minutes, there is life in this group and is one of the main groups in which big surprises could happen, as Italy are in rebuild mode. Still in with a fighting chance are Northern Ireland but they need to strap on their goal scoring boots.

To Qualify: 11/1 at Bet365: Again, like most of the other home nations, this is an outside bet which may be worth a punt. You really can’t go wrong with those odds, even if you have just £1 on it, or use some of your free bets when you sign up for an online bookmaker.

To Win Euro 2012: 1999/1 at Bwin. Again, simply highlighting the best value bet out there. Extravagant and extreme, but it is to the point. Northern Ireland aren’t going to win Euro 2012.

Wales

Previous Match: Switzerland 4, Wales 1
Current Standing: 5th Group G

Wales had their big chance to get their group going, albeit with a tricky away fixture in Switzerland. Both sides were without a win in their opening two matches, and there was a lot to play for. Wales, however, fell apart and collapsed to a 4-1 loss, making qualification from the group rest in the hands of a miracle. Quite frankly, Wales aren’t good enough to really get out of the group. Their weaknesses were highlighted by a Switzerland team, who are one of the least prolific goal scoring nations in Europe. The fact that the Swiss ran riot points to a lot of problems for Wales. That was on the back of defeats against Montenegro and against Bulgaria, which was at home. There’s no doubt that energy levels and pride and passion will be at a max when they welcome England in March, and the Welsh, as underdogs, will be relishing the challenge of picking up their first points against England. However, the same problem which seems to plague the rest of the home nations, is evident as well with Wales, in that there is not enough quality in front of goal, and if there is, then there is no quality service getting forward. There are still some tough matches ahead for Wales, and realistically, out of the home nations, they look the least likely to qualify for Euro 2012.

To Qualify: 66/1 at Bet365: The longest odds in this market of all the home nations, and that is because they are without a point, and floundering at the bottom of Group G. Not going to happen.

To Win Euro 2012: 4999/1 at Bwin: Online bookmaker Bwin likes to throw out some crazy big numbers. They could put this out even further, or cut it by three quarters and it still wouldn’t make a difference to the chance of Wales winning Euro 2012, which is none. Stick to match betting for Wales, they are bound to pick up points in the group sooner or later.

Euro 2012 Outright Winner Odds

While that is the home nations taken care of, who are the bookmakers leaning towards as outright winners of Euro 2012? Naturally there is only one nation who is going to be leading the way, and that is the current European and World Champions, Spain. They have maximum points from three matches, and have scored ten goals in those three matches. Pretty good going, and in quite an easy group for them, with the biggest challenge expected to come from the Czech Republic. Spain will get to Euro 2012 and be a massive threat, as there doesn’t look to be anyone else in their class at the moment. Perhaps Germany will pose the strongest challenge at the finals themselves, and they are well on course to qualifying with ease. Four wins from four matches from the Germans, racking up thirteen goals. They have picked up from where they left off in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and are looking mightily strong and adventurous. Belgium pushed them hard in the opener, but the Germans have really been untroubled so far and no sign of a slip up. Holland are the other European nation which are going strong with full on performances seeing them sitting with a 100% record as well. Four wins from four from them, in a group which houses Hungary and Sweden, there is not going to be any banana skins here for the Dutch, who will hopefully adopt a more attacking, less cynical approach the Euro 2012 finals than they did at South Africa 2010. Here at the ante post football betting prices at the moment:

To Win Euro 2012
Spain: 4/1 at Bet365
Germany: 11/2 at Coral
Holland: 15/2 at Totesport

Online bookmaker SportingBet are offering a Late Goal Heartache offer for Tuesday night’s Euro 2012 matches. This is a nice football betting promotion, and if you are going to be placing bets on the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland are all in action remember, then why not pick up some extra coverage on your match betting? What this highly recommended bookmaker is offering, is some compensation for your bet going wrong in the last five minutes of a game. When you take a match price market in any of the Euro 2012 Qualifiers taking place on Tuesday, October 12th, SportingBet will refund your losing stake as a free bet if your bet is winning at the 85th minute mark, but actually goes on to lose. We’ve all seen late goals ruin our bets, and with the important bout of matches happening on Tuesday, this is a nice little back up for your Euro 2012 football betting.

SportingBet provide excellent prices, and a fantastic betting site. This offer covers all bets placed prior to kick off, and if you are not an account holder with SportingBet yet, head over there quickly and get yourself signed up if you are looking for good Euro 2012 Qualifier betting. You can also earn yourself a free £25 bet when you sign up as a new customer. SportingBet really are great for their sports betting promotions, and they are consistently among the leaders in odds when doing comparisons.

Top online bookmaker Bet365 are again rolling out and showcasing their excellent live streaming services for Tuesday night’s Euro 2012 qualifiers. After showing a great deal of matches from Friday’s round of fixtures, Bet365 are at it again. They are one of the first places to go to online in order to watch live football streaming, as it is one of their top features in already extensive online betting site. Bet365 really deliver when it comes to football coverage, and with the amount of football matches they are able to stream live, it just enhances a fantastic service. One of the biggest benefits of being able to watch live streams online is that it works perfectly with your live in play betting. Where you would normally have to watch TV and get online at the same time to bet live, you can do both from the same place at Bet365. You can watch live and bet live, allowing you to get closer to the action and get a feel for how the match is going. With the Euro 2012 qualifiers almost reaching the halfway stage, there is a lot of stake in Tuesday’s matches. There are also some nice matches which should enjoy plenty of goals, and that means there will be plenty of opportunities to capitalise on live in play betting markets.

England v Montenegro Odds
England to win: 1/5
Draw: 5/1
Montenegro: 14/1

Spain v Scotland Odds
Spain to win: 4/11
Draw: 7/2
Scotland to win: 8/1

Slovakia v Ireland Odds
Slovakia to win: 5/4
Draw: 9/4
Ireland to win: 11/5

Northern Ireland v Faroe Islands Odds
N Ireland to win: 1/3
Draw: 15/4
Faroe Islands to win: 9/1

Switzerland to win: 4/9
Draw: 16/5
Wales to win: 13/2

Bet365 are presented as one of the most highly recommended online bookmakers out there, and that is because of the quality of all of their services which they provide. From customer support, to competitive prices and the nice extra features which really round out a great betting site, Bet365 just get everything on the mark. Their welcome bonus for new customers is an incredibly generous free £200 bet as the online bookmaker will double the amount of your initial deposit up to that maximum. This really is worth taking note of, because if you want to get access to the live streams, while they are completely free, you do need to be a funded account holder with Bet365 to gain access to them. There is still time to sign up, get some funds into your account, so that you can take advantage of the live streams for Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifiers. The sign up processes at Bet365 is very quick and straight forward, the perfect example of how stress free doing your online betting at Bet365 is.

Bet365 run some very good football betting promotions, which has you covered without you having to keep an eye out for individual match promotions which you may miss. Bet365 prefer the route of offering on-going promotions to protect some of your football betting interests. There is their cash back refunds for matches which end in a 0-0 draw for example, and if you are a fan of building football betting accumulators, then you will want to pay attention to their accumulator bonus. When you build an accumulator with Bet365 from the top European leagues, if your accumulator wins, then Bet365 pay a bonus on top of your winnings. The nice thing about this, is that it is a sliding scale of bonuses which can be earned. The bigger your accumulator, then the bigger the percentage bonus you will get back. So, a six-fold bet would bring a higher percentage bonus than a four-fold for example. As well as offering extra places on first goalscorer matches, Bet365 really are one of the front runners for your football betting. Start shopping around and comparing, and you will see that the do offer some of the most competitive prices online.

Here is a list of Tuesday’s Euro 2012 live streaming matches that Bet365 are providing…

Armenia v Andorra
Azerbaijan v Turkey
Finland v Hungary
Kazakhstan v Germany
Belarus v Albania
Denmark v Cyprus
Estonia v Slovenia
Macedonia v Russia
Belgium v Austria
Greece v Israel
Iceland v Portugal

While England v Montenegro football betting will start hotting up after the weekend’s full coupon of Barclays Premier League fixtures, online bookamker Bet365 are once again providing a great football betting service for the forthcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers. The online bookmaker, which comes as one of the most highly recommended of betting sites available, have several matches lined up for showing on their live stream service through their website. For the October 8th fixtures, one the matches which Bet365 are streaming live is one which England fans will want to take notice of. Montenegro v Switzerland will be an interesting match to follow, as England will await Montenegro just four days later. England get a break from playing on Friday, October 8th, so they should be fit and much fresher than their opponents. After beating Switzerland, England will get a chance to look at Montenegro, a nation which they have never faced before on the international stage. It will be worth watching, as it could give some interesting insight into your betting on the England v Montenegro match when it rolls around on Tuesday, October 12th.

The full list of Euro 2012 football matches which Bet365 are streaming live on October 8th is:
Armenia v Slovakia
Kazakhstan v Belgium
Andorra v Macedonia
Montenegro v Switzerland
Serbia v Estonia
Greece v Latvia
Portugal v Denmark

Live football streaming is just one of the major perks in signing up with online bookmaker Bet365 for your football betting. The bookie also offer one of the most generous welcome bonuses when you open a new account with them. As you need to be a funded account holder to be able to enjoy the live football streams at Bet365, you get the bonus of up to £200 worth of free bets when you do open an account. For such a fantastic reward from one of the most highly recommended online bookmakers, you really cannot go wrong. With one of the most extensive sports books available, plus a wealth of sub market betting on individual matches, and a fantastic live in-play betting, service, Bet365 deliver quality, backed up with a good customer service. Bet365 also provide on-going football betting promotions which are worth taking a look over, for both the upcoming Euro 2012 fixtures and all your football betting in general from across the world..

100% Euro Soccer Bonus Accumulator
This is one for you if you like building your accumulator bets for your football. This accumulator betting offer covers the Premier League, Serie A, Primera Liga in Spain, the Bundesliga and the Champions League, and with it, you can get a bonus on top of your accumulator winnings. Basically, when you build a football accumulator from matches from any of these leagues, then the bigger the accumulator, the bigger the percentage of bonus you will earn. For example, you will get a 5% bonus on top of your winnings, if you land your treble. Hitting a five fold accumulator football bet will earn you a 10% bonus on top of your winnings. The percentage scale for this slides all the way up to a 14 fold accumulator, for which you would receive a 100% bonus.

Bore Draw Money Back promotion
This gives you coverage on football matches which end in a 0-0 draw. If you place a bet on Correct Score, Half-Time/Full-Time or Scorecast and the game peters out to scoreless draw, you will get a stake refund on those markets from Bet365, so you can pick yourself up and have another go.

First Goalscorer Places
If you have an each way bet on the First Goalscorer in a match, you will get 1/3 odds if your player doesn’t show up as the matches’ first goalscorer, but hit’s the back of the net at some point during the match. With First Goalscorer bets often hard to land, this at least offers some nice coverage.

While England fans await the arrival of Montenegro on Tuesday, there is plenty of Euro 2012 football betting to enjoy on October 8th, as well as the 12th when England play. As the Premier League takes an international break, you will need somewhere to go to enjoy your football betting, and fortunately a full coupon of international matches are there to fill in the domestic void. With Scotland in action against the Czech Republic and Spain, Wales facing Bulgaria and Switzerland in England’s group, Northern Ireland meeting Italy and the Faroe Isles, and Ireland playing Russia and Slovakia there is plenty of action to look forward to.

More infos:
Bet365 UK

England vs Montenegro Euro 2012 Betting Odds and Tips

European Championship
Date: Tuesday, 12/10/2010
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Kick off 20:00 BST

England to win: 1/5 at Bwin
Draw: 5/1 at Bwin
Montenegro to win: 11/1 at Bwin

England v Montenegro Match Preview

England will take a natural advantage going into their third Euro 2012 qualification match. England v Montenegro betting will be firmly behind the home side for this one. Their opponents, Montenegro will have played a home fixture against Switzerland just a few days before, while England’s over worked stars will have had a good rest between Premier League fixtures and turning out for international duty. That, coupled with playing in front of the Wembley crowd, should ensure that England keep their strong start to their Euro 2012 qualification campaign going. England opened their account with a convincing 4-0 drubbing of Bulgaria, and then a very good 3-1 win in Switzerland. There is still some concern over whether Man Utd’s Wayne Rooney is going to be fully fit, as he was pencilled in to miss three weeks of the season after picking up an ankle injury. There has also been a question over his form and how much mental pressure and stress he is under after his personal life against hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Rooney, who cut a disjointed figure in England’s World Cup 2010 campaign, has netted just once in his six club matches this year, and hasn’t looked like in any kind of shape to actually be picked for his country. Capello has picked Rooney though, after the decision as to whether or not Rooney will be judged fit enough to take part, was handed to England boss Fabio Capello.

England are 9/1 at Paddy Power to win Euro 2012 Outright

With Fulham striker Bobby Zamora suffering a cruel break just as he was securing a place in the squad, the other call ups are Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, while the surprise pick was Bolton’s Kevin Davies who comes from nowhere to win his first cap. With Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor all down injured, and West Ham’s Carlton Cole overlooked, Capello had to look somewhere. No-one saw Davies coming though, and for a player who has only broken double figures once in the Premier League, and standing at a ripe old age of 33, it’s hard to pick out the logic. It certainly can’t be a long term choice, so has it been made out of sympathy after the player spoke at the start of the season about sadness over missing an England call up. There were calls for Newcastle’s young rough and rugged star Andy Carroll, who has 4 goals in 7 matches this year to be selected, if Capello was serious about looking to youth. Without Rooney it is still not a formidable looking pack of forwards, but England should have enough quality to take maximum points off Montenegro.

In the midfield, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the England v Montenegro match, leaving the influence of captain Steven Gerrard to drive the team forward. While England still are a long way short of being technically capable of living with the best teams in the world like your Argentina’s and Spain’s, they have to play to their own strengths. Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has earned another call up, certainly has some of that technical ability on the ball which is lacking, but it’s hard to see him get an extended run just yet, as he has also been named in the Under 2-1 side. England do have good options in width, and Man City’s Adam Johnson, who came on to score a cracker against a resilient Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday, is seen as a bright future, along with team mate James Milner. There are concerns that Spurs’ Aaron Lennon is not on top of his game though, and with Arsenal’s Theo Walcott out injured, England aren’t at full depth out wide. They have recalled Joe Cole who has had a troubled start at Liverpool. At the back it will be interesting to see if Capello gets Rio Ferdinand back into the line up after his return to the Man Utd side. Ferdinand has been missing for a long time, and still needs some match sharpness, so Capello will have a decision to make, over whether to put him back into a partnership with John Terry, or give Everton’s Phil Jagielka a continued run in the side.

England squad: Ben Foster, Robert Green, Joe Hart; Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Stephen Warnock; Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Jack Wilshere, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young; Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Kevin Davies,, Wayne Rooney

England have never gone up against Montenegro, who are still in the fledging part of their independent international career. Montenegro have named an unchanged squad for the two fixtures, putting faith in the players which have earned the country 1-0 wins over Wales and Bulgaria. With six points from six points and being at home, England will start the match as clear favourites on the Wembley turf. The bad memories of South Africa 2010 are slowly being pushed aside, and with another solid win, the somewhat new look England should be able to take steps forward with a younger squad. One of the nice things has been the performances of the new call ups, and no so much reliance on the older established heads in England soccer. England v Montenegro will be the last chance England fans will have to see their side in competitive action for 2010. There is just one more game after that, an international friendly against Laurent Blanc’s France in November. A win at Wembley for England v Montenegro will at least give Capello some closure on a difficult year for England on the international stage, and they will have one foot in the door for Poland and Ukraine 2012.

Online Bookmaker Bwin have been one of the first to roll out prices for the England v Montenegro match, as can be seen above. Bwin are one of the leaders in online bookmaking, and continue to deliver a fantastic service for online sports betting. England v Montenegro betting is of course, just one match in a busy few days of international European matches, as the race for Euro 2012 hots up. Bwin offer a 100% matched bonus for customers who open a new account with them, and this available up to the value of £27. Bwin really do excel with their online bookmaking services, from live streaming, fantastic stats and some of the most competitive prices around. Bwin come very highly recommended.

Just two months after the 2010 World Cup came to an end, the focus shifts towards Euro 2012, with the first round of qualifiers taking place on Friday. The tournament finals will take place in Poland and Ukraine, which means that just fourteen qualifying places are available due to the co-hosts automatically booking their place at the table.

There are nine qualifying groups, with the winner from each going through to the finals along with the best performing 2nd-placed team. The other eight 2nd-placed teams will play-off to determine the final four places.

It’s little surprise to see Spain as outright favourites (4/1 bet365) to win Euro 2010, with La Furia Roja now the champions of the world as well as Europe. Vicente Del Bosque remains as manager of the national team and it will be largely the same set of players that defend their crown.  A group including Czech Republic and Scotland shouldn’t pose too many problems for the holders.

However, the one other European team that stood out in South Africa were Germany, especially as Joachim Loew took a chance on several young players such as Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira. The pair have both signed for Real Madrid this term, while the likes of Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger should ensure that Die Mannschaft are lively contenders. Paddy Power go 11/2 that they win Euro 2012.

Nevertheless, it was the Netherlands that made the final of the World Cup and it was disappointing that Bert van Marwijk’s team resorted to an aggressive style of play against the Spanish which meant justice was served when Andres Iniesta scored an extra-time winner for Spain. Paddy Power offer 7/1 that Holland go one better in Poland & Ukraine, providing that they manage to qualify from a group which includes Sweden and Finland.

The three big European disappointments at the World Cup were England, France and Italy. The English did make it beyond the group stages, although they were badly exposed by Germany and Fabio Capello is now under pressure to deliver in this tournament. Sporting Bet go 12/1 that the Three Lions are victorious, although there’s no certainty that they will qualify from a group which includes Switzerland and Bulgaria.

We should expect a completely different French team from the side that went on strike under Raymond Domenech. Although Laurent Blanc has to restore the confidence of supporters who saw their nation disgraced in south Africa, there are some talented players to call upon and Les Bleus are 14/1 with Stan James to win Euro 2012.

Cesare Prandelli has replaced Marcello Lippi as manager of Italy and he is likely to bring through plenty of young players as the Azzurri look to put the poor performances of the 2010 World Cup behind them. Paddy Power offer 11/1 that the 2006 World Cup winners are triumphant and we should expect an improved showing.

Portugal (12/1 bet365) and Russia (22/1 bet365) are the other teams worthy of consideration, although Carlos Queiroz might not be the right man to take the former forward after setting them up ultra-defensively against the Ivory Coast and Spain in the World Cup.

Poland and Ukraine are the countries co-hosting this tournament and that means that there are only fourteen other places up for grabs. Some would probably argue that Spain should get a bye into the finals after adding a world crown to their European one in South Africa, although we will almost certainly see Vicente Del Bosque’s team in eastern Europe to defend their title.

A selection of bookmakers, including Ladbrokes and bet365, offer 4/1 that La Furia Roja continue to show they are top dogs in Euro 2012 and they will retain the nucleus of the team that won the country’s first ever World Cup. Young players such as Pedro, Jesus Navas and David Silva will ensure that there is fierce competition for places and we might even see a fit Fernando Torres in two years time!

However, many people will be looking to back Germany antepost instead, especially as they are available at odds of 6/1 with Ladbrokes. Although Joachim Low’s team fell short against the Spanish in the semi-finals, there’s a strong case for arguing that they are the second best team in the world and the manager will have two years to ensure that his team can come back stronger.

With Thomas Mueller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and  Mesut Ozil all playing starring roles for Die Mannschaft in South Africa, it will be interesting to see whether they can continue their free-scoring ways which made them so prolific this summer.

The Netherlands are available at 8/1 (Victor Chandler) to win Euro 2012 and they will take some beating if the last World Cup is anything to go by. While the likes of Mark Van Bommel aren’t getting any younger and Gio van Bronckhorst has retired, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Robin Van Persie will still pack a punch for the Oranje.

While Spain, Germany and Holland ensured that there were three European teams in the semi-finals, there were several of the ‘old order’ that failed to make much impact at all in South Africa. Expectations were once again high that England would deliver in a major tournament although their poor performances throughout means that Sporting Bet have pushed the Three Lions out to 12/1. It could be a period of transition for this team who need to bring young players in.

As for France, there will also be sweeping changes with the players in the squad. Raymond Domenech has been replaced by Laurent Blanc and the latter will command much more respect within the camp after the shameful way that Les Bleus conducted themselves in South Africa. Perhaps they are the best bet at 14/1 (Stan James), especially as the squad will be packed with top quality players.

Italy were equally as disappointing with their failure to beat New Zealand, Slovakia or Paraguay in their World Cup group and they have been pushed out to 11/1 (Paddy Power). Meanwhile, you can back Portugal at 14/1 (Coral), Russia at 20/1 (Blue Square) and Ukraine at 40/1 (bet365).