Betting Preview: Euro 2020 Playoffs

By their very nature, playoffs for international football tournaments are difficult to call in terms of betting predictions. Take, for example, the tie between the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia. Here, we are looking at two teams with almost identical form records over the last couple of years, and who site 34th and 32ndrespectively in the FIFA World Rankings. It’s tough to predict a winner in that sense. But, thankfully, modern betting gives us plenty of options, and it is possible to squeeze some value out of close matchups like those we will see on 26th March.

Remember that these are one-off ties, with the winners going through to the final playoffs.

The best place to start, though, is with the team most likely to walk away with an emphatic victory on the night – Scotland. With all due respect to an improving Israel team, they are 93rd in the world for a reason, and a decent showing in qualifying is not enough to convince they can come to Hampden Park and get a result against the Scots. A price of 9/10 for the Scots to win according to the latest online betting markets at 888sport looks really tempting.

Next up is the aforementioned Slovakia and Republic of Ireland game. While it’s difficult to pick a winner here, we do foresee a lack of goals. Ireland are miserly in defence, conceding just five in qualification. They’ll look to keep it tight in Slovakia, against a team that does not have the resources to break them down. 10/13 that there isn’t a goal in both halves looks the perfect way to play the statistics of both teams.

Norway can call upon rising star Haaland

The Norway team is quickly improving under Lars Lagerback, and a young side can put Serbia to the sword with home advantage coming into play. It’s 8/5 that the Norwegians take a step towards Euro 2020 with victory in Oslo. While Serbia have quality, Norway can call upon the services of Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Haaland. The 19-year-old has quickly become one of the hottest talents in world football, and he can start to deliver for his country by getting goals against the Serbs.

Bosnia have a harder-than-it-looks task against Northern Ireland, a team with an ability to pull results out of the bag when it matters. The odds-on price for a home victory doesn’t look right for Bosnia, and 7/2 for Northern Ireland seems a good shout for punters looking some value.

Iceland provide value for money

Georgia, while not setting the world alight, have made themselves difficult to beat at home, securing points against superior teams like Denmark and Ireland in qualifying. They have the goods to overcome a weak Belarus side in Tbilisi. 13/10 for the home win there. 

Iceland have become punters’ darlings over the last few years, as they have ground out some incredible results yet still tend to be priced at high odds. It’s a tricky tie against Romania, but home advantage in front of the “Viking clap” can see the Icelanders through with a price of 23/20.

The last two ties, Kosovo vs North Macedonia and Bulgaria vs Hungary, we are recommending sticking into a double for over 2.5 goals in each match. All sides comfortably average over two goals per game in qualifying. Yes, these games can be cagey, but an early goal can open the floodgates as teams face elimination.