There can be only one winner of Euro 2016, although there are plenty of side bets to be enjoyed away from the outright market. The bookmakers have bets available for each and every team and we consider how to make money from any of the countries that will be participating at the European Championships.
GROUP A
FRANCE to reach semi-finals @ 5/6 with Paddy Power
The French have been handed a brilliant group featuring Romania, Albania and Switzerland, with Les Bleus heavily likely to make home advantage count and enjoy a favourable last sixteen tie against a third-placed team. Victory in that game would then see them play a group runner-up for a last four spot.
SWITZERLAND to finish second in Group A @ 3/2 with Sky Bet
The Swiss are a better team than Albania and Romania, with an opening victory against the former putting them in control of qualifying for the last sixteen. However, it’s hard to see them getting the better of France when it comes that particular showdown.
ROMANIA to be eliminated in L16 @ 7/4 with bet365
The Romanians will be dour and defensive. This could be enough to see them scrape the points needed to claim a qualifying berth in the last sixteen although defeat at that stage would then be highly probable. There’s a lack of attacking clout for this modest outfit.
ALBANIA to be lowest-scoring team @ 6/1 with William Hill
The Albanians are fortunate to be appearing at Euro 2016, with that controversial tie against Serbia allowing them to accumulate enough points. However, they could be massively out of their depth here and will struggle to score any goals.
GROUP B
ENGLAND to win Group B @ 5/6 with bet365
Worth putting your faith in a Three Lions team who should have the beating of Russia, Wales and Slovakia. England no longer rely on Wayne Rooney, with Dele Alli and Harry Kane set to shine after a strong season for Spurs. Jamie Vardy could yet be the surprise package for the Three Lions.
RUSSIA to be eliminated in L16 @ 13/8 with bet365
The Russians are good enough to qualify for the last sixteen, although they could end up facing Portugal or Austria which would be tricky for them to make further progress. They have good attacking quality although remain vulnerable defensively.
Gareth Bale to top score for WALES @ 5/4 with BetVictor
It’s an obvious bet but slightly surprising that the Real Madrid man isn’t odds-on to score the most goals for the Welsh. Bale is at the heart of everything his team does, with the main danger being Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey.
SLOVAKIA to finish third @ 21/10 with Paddy Power
Slovakia are no mugs as they demonstrated when finishing second behind Spain in qualifying and they beat La Roja too. For some reason, the bookies rate them lower than Wales which doesn’t make a lot of sense and this bet gives you great mileage if Russia flop at Euro 2016.
GROUP C
GERMANY to beat Poland in a straight forecast @ 2/1 with Ladbrokes
This looks a great bet. Germany should coast to a Group C victory, although Poland can follow them home and have the advantage of playing Northern Ireland in their opening match. The Germans are world champions and have Marco Reus in the squad this time which adds guile to the team’s attack.
POLAND to reach quarter final @ 9/4 with Sky Bet
We’re keen on the Poles doing well and they could end up playing Switzerland at the last sixteen stage which is essentially a pick ‘em. However, having Robert Lewandowski could swing the tie in their favour and sitting on a 9/4 bet at that stage would represent tremendous value.
| TOP 5 Bookmakers | ||
|---|---|---|
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Bet365 | £200 bonus |
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William Hill | £20 free bet |
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Ladbrokes | £50 free bet |
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Paddy Power | £30 free bet |
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Betvictor | £25 free bet |
UKRAINE to be eliminated at L16 @ 11/8 with bet365
They’re not a bad side and should get the better of Northern Ireland which means a point against the Poles or Germans could see them reach the knockout stage. But their opponents would be difficult and Ukraine over-rely on two excellent wingers to make things happen.
NORTHERN IRELAND to finish bottom @ 4/6 with BetVictor
The Northern Irish did magnificently to top their qualifying section although they have been dealt a tough section and Michael O’Neill only has modest resources available. It could be a tough slog for a squad made up of largely lower-league players.
GROUP D
SPAIN to beat Croatia in a straight forecast @ 13/5 with bet365
Perhaps they are a cut above Turkey and Czech Republic, both of whom are defensively uncertain and followed Iceland home in qualifying. Spain should demonstrate their quality but the Croatians are battle-hardened and their midfield dynamos should help them to second.
CROATIA’s Mario Mandzukic to win Golden Boot @ 40/1 with bet365
Group D looks set to be open, with Czech Republic and Turkey both attack-minded and that could see plenty of goals being scored. Mandzukic has done well for Croatia in previous tournaments and still has the knack of finding the net. Backing him each-way could see some kind of return.
TURKEY to finish third @ 2/1 with Paddy Power
The Turks finished the qualifying phase like a train and might have too much for a Czech Republic team who have seen better days. Turkey boast the excellent Ardal Turan in midfield and there’s a possibility that they could even get something against a Croatia side whose defence is not strong.
CZECH REPUBLIC to exit at Group Stage @ evens with Coral
Points could be hard to scrape together and even the tussle with Turkey looks no gimme for a side who are lacking quality all over the pitch. With the exception of goalkeeper Petr Cech who could have a busy time of things. Even third place might not be enough to go through.
GROUP E
BELGIUM to exit at quarter-final stage @ 3/1 with Ladbrokes
The Red Devils are missing Vincent Kompany but they should qualify from Group E and reach the last sixteen stage. It could be a potential clash against Croatia although Germany or England could then lie in wait and 3/1 looks a knocking price. Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne should play starring roles for Belgium.
ITALY to exit at quarter-final stage @ 3/1 with Paddy Power
We’re happy to have the same bet on the Azzurri, with Antonio Conte’s side set to go through from Group E considering they are better than Republic of Ireland or Sweden. However, they would be certain to get a tough last eight opponent.
SWEDEN to finish bottom @ 15/8 with Sky Bet
To say this team massively relies on Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an understatement. There is little else to write home about and that was reflected in a qualifying campaign where they chased home Austria and Russia. An opening clash against the Republic could be their best chance of any points.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND to exit at L16 stage @ 11/4 with Ladbrokes
It’s plausible that Ireland can get something against any Group E opponents. A win against the Swedes in their opener would mean another point could be enough against either Belgium or Italy.
GROUP F
PORTUGAL to finish second @ 9/4 with Sky Bet
The Portuguese are a difficult team to back at major tournaments. Like Sweden, they rely heavily on a particular player and Cristiano Ronaldo often struggles to carry the can for his less-effective team-mates. Portugal are no bankers to win Group F despite their seeded status. Austria or Iceland could pip them to top spot and they often thrive as underdogs rather than the top team.
AUSTRIA to win Group F @ 23/10 with bet365
The Austrians look a more complete team than Portugal and we fancy them to edge this section, with Iceland a rookie team at this major tournament and Hungary potentially set to struggle after finishing behind Northern Ireland in qualifying. David Alaba should inspire the team to a Euro 2016 adventure.
ICELAND to finish third @ 15/8 with Sky Bet
It may or may not be enough to qualify for the last sixteen although we think that Iceland can do more than Hungary in this section, with the tiny nation surpassing all expectations when topping a qualifying group that featured Netherlands, Turkey and Czech Republic.
HUNGARY to finish bottom @ 11/10 with Ladbrokes
This is a Hungary side who have reached a major tournament for the first time since 1986 and they’ll be determined to enjoy themselves. However, there is a real dearth of quality and a defeat against Austria in their opening game could spell a bottom spot in this group. They were fortunate to overcome Norway in the play-offs although their luck is set to run out here.
