Group B at the UEFA Euro 2021 Championships is likely to be all about who can claim second place behind Belgium.
The Red Devils are the strong favourites to claim the group win. That leaves Denmark, Finland and Russia battling it out for that one qualification spot.
We have some UEFA Euro 2021 Group Bet Odds to look over in this Group B preview.
We will also make some predictions about how we think that the group is going to play out.
Will this be all one-way traffic from Belgium, who start their campaign on June 12th against Russia?
Or is there a surprise in store?
European Championship 2021 Preview Group B
The four teams in action then to look at in Group B for Euro 2021 Group Bets are Belgium, Denmark, Finland and Russia.
It is an intriguing group with Finland making their European Championship debut, and Russia arriving with a lack of form.
While this may be a routine group stage campaign from Belgium, the battle for second-place looks fascinating.
We make our Euro 2021 group predictions about what may happen in this one.
Group B Winner Odds
Belgium 8/11
Denmark 11/4
Russia 4/1
Finland 16/1
* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365)
Group B Euro 2021 bets: Can Belgium be stopped?
Belgium is the big front runners to claim the group win at UEFA Euro 2021.
They are a quote of 8/11 odds-on to win Group B in UEFA Euro 2021 bets* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
That’s actually not that bad of a price at all, for such a strong team.
The squad is blessed with depth and talent and should be on the front runners to claim the title.
There is Romelu Lukaku to bang in the goals. There’s captain Eden Hazard who is looking to get back to his best after a difficult season with Real Madrid.
In the middle of the park, they have the likes of Yannick Carrasco, Yourie Tielmens and of course, Kevin De Bruyne.
Romelu Lukaku is an 8/1 quote in Euro 2020 Top Goalscorer betting odds* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
As it stands the only two teams shorter price in the Euro 2021 Winner betting market are France and England.
But why perhaps are Belgium Group Euro 2021 odds not a little bit of a longer odds-on favourite in football betting? We’re not sure, but they make a very reasonable proposition to top the pile.
At the 2016 European Championships, Belgium crumbled at the quarter-finals stage. They ended the tournament with a disappointing W3 L2 record.
But we only have to look back to the 2018 World Cup for a reminder of their ability.
The Red Devils claimed Third Place in the 2018 World Cup.
Belgium did also win their 2020/21 Nations League Group and have the Finals to look forward to in October.
It is a little hard on paper at least, even if Eden Hazard is not his usual brilliant self, to see Belgium missing the top spot.
Denmark Euro 2021 Predictions: Can the Danes find a way to match Belgium?
Denmark has a little advantage in all of this, as they are playing all of their matches in Copenhagen.
That could be an extra little boost on their side that they need to be competitive in this group.
Denmark Group Euro bets has the group hosts as the 11/4 second-favourites for the group win* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
Denmark did find themselves up against Belgium in the 2020/21 Nations League. There they finished second behind the Red Devils in that group.
For their meeting with Belgium for Euro 2020 betting, Denmark is sizeable 16/5 underdogs* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
While they lost both games against Belgium in the Nations League, Denmark did take four points from their two matches against England.
The Danes are back at the European Championships after missing the 2016 edition.
Denmark did have a strong start to the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers this year, firing off 14 unanswered goals in three matches.
Between the start of October last year and the end of March 2021, Denmark won 8 of 9 matches played. They took a clean sheet in seven of those victories.
The only team to beat them in that sequence was, yes, Belgium.
If the Danes can carry that form through to the European Championship, on home soil they could have a good run at second place.
A Belgium 1st/Denmark 2nd Forecast bet is at 2/1* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
UEFA Euro 2021 Russia Preview & Odds: Can Russia rediscover some form?
There was a disappointing effort from Russia at the 2020/21 Nations League. They finished second in their League B group behind Hungary.
Russia were unbeaten at home but suffered a 5-0 loss at Serbia and a 3-2 reverse at Turkey along the way.
They are one of the hosts of this Euros group, however, playing all three of their fixtures in Saint Petersburg.
The opening one of those is going to be the toughest. They face up to Group B favourites Belgium in that.
Since the international scene got going again in September last year, Russia has been on a poor sequence of results.
They posted a W4 D3 L4 record between September and the end of March, losing at Slovakia in World Cup 2022 qualifiers along the way.
Their defence seems a little weak at the moment and we think that is really going to trip them up, even with home advantage.
Russia Group Euro 2021 odds are at a quote of 4/1 to win the group, which would take a massive shift in form from them to pull that off* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
Their European Championship form isn’t anything special either as Russia have exited at the group stage in five of their last six appearances in the tournament.
Could that happen again to them in 2021?
Key Facts – UEFA Euro 2021
- Belgium are one of the front runners for the title
- Denmark have home advantage in Copenhagen
- Russia have qualified from the group stage in 1 of the last 6 attempts
- Finland have reached the Euros for the first time
Finland Euro 2021 Predictions: Can Finland reach the knockout stage?
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to look at UEFA Euro 2021 bets and immediately think of Finland as being the big underdog outsiders without a chance.
But that would be overlooking some decent form produced by them since September last year.
Finland went well in the Nations League, claiming second place in their League B group behind Wales.
Finland claimed an excellent W4 L2 record in that sequence, the only losses happening against the Welsh.
Last November Finland claimed an international friendly win over reigning World Champions France as well.
To kick off their World Cup 2022 Qualification campaign, they held Bosnia & Herzegovina and Ukraine to draws, while narrowly lost 3-2 in Switzerland.
Finland, therefore, looks competitive at the moment and this is a huge moment for them.
Finland will be taking part in their first European Championship tournament.
Their star player is Norwich’s Teemu Pukki who averages a goal every three games for his country. Can he find the goals to fire Finland to the knockout stages?
The odds are against that happening of course.
In Finland Group Euro 2021 odds they are a quote of 2/1 To Qualify* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
Group B Predictions
Belgium is the red hot favourites for the Group B win in Euro 2021 betting. We can’t argue with that.
If they are on song they should coast this. Even if they aren’t, then Belgium have more than enough ability and quality to win the group.
Denmark for us is going to be the best of the rest in this group. They look to be in a good place at the moment.
It was only Belgium that they found too good for them in Nations League action.
So with Russia not exactly looking a major threat with their form since September, the 2/1 Belgium First/Denmark Second forecast is worth consideration* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
A really interesting nation in the mix here is Finland.
They have found a good bit of form and look competitive and more adventurous than one would first think.
It’s going to be a big celebration for them in their inaugural visit to the European Champions.
For us, their match against Russia on June 16th is going to be fascinating.
With the defence of Russia creaking and potentially having been put under pressure from a loss against Belgium in their opener, will Finland get at them?.
Maybe a Russia Last Place betting option at 9/4 is worth taking on* (odds recorded at 20:25 GMT on May 25th, 2021 at bet365).
