After a great opening round, soccer continues in Germany this week, and SGPN previews the action with our Euro 2024 Matchday 2 best bets. Groups A and B will kick off the second round of games on Wednesday. There will be three fixtures a day until Sunday, when we reach the final matches of the group stage.
We will have a pick for one of the best games of the round between France and the Netherlands. The plays will also feature Scotland, Austria, Poland and Slovenia. The first fixtures give us data points, so let’s pick out some winners in our Euro 2024 Matchday 2 best bets.
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Euro 2024 Matchday 2 Best Bets
Switzerland vs Scotland – Scotland Under 3.5 Corners (-120) DraftKings
Date: Wednesday, June 19
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
We bet against this poor Scotland attack in the opening game of the tournament, and it is where we begin with our best bets here.
In the 5-1 loss to Germany, the Tartan Army only registered one shot on 0.02 expected goals, according to fotmob.com. This is the same game where Steve Clarke’s team failed to earn a corner.
This was a continuation of what we have seen from Scotland against top opposition. The nation recently was blanked in a 4-0 loss against the Dutch, where this same bet cashed.
In Euro 2024 qualifying, manager Clarke’s squad was held to just one corner on the road in Spain. Scotland also failed to have at least four corner kicks in the friendlies last fall against England and France.
Clarke’s game plan was very strange in the loss to the Germans, and although Scotland needs goals, I don’t think he can leave his team too open at the back.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s defense has been consistent in many tournaments and qualifying. The Swiss held Romania under this same total in both games.
This is also the squad that held Denmark to just a pair of corners in a recent friendly and Hungary to the same amount in Matchday 1.
Slovenia vs Serbia – Slovenia +0.5 (-105) DraftKings
Date: Thursday, June 20
Time: 9:00 AM ET
Network: FS1
If you read my Matchday 1 article, I went against Serbia, and I didn’t see anything against England that keeps me away from fading the Eagles again.
This team wasn’t very convincing in a very weak qualifying group. Serbia only earned two clean sheets in eight matches against a group that included Lithuania, Montenegro, Bulgari, and Hungary.
Since September 2023, the Eagles have played three games against opponents in this tournament. Both Hungary and Austria beat them and scored multiple goals in every match.
If you go back to the World Cup, Serbia could only pick up one point in a group against Brazil, Cameroon, and Switzerland. The main reason was the defense, which allowed eight goals in the three games.
As for Slovenia, this is a team that has shown that it can be tough to beat. The Slovenians drew with Denmark in Matchday 1 and in qualifying and defeated Portugal in a March friendly.
I just don’t trust Serbia to get a clean sheet, which should give us a great shot at Slovenia, at least getting a point here.
Austria vs Poland – Austria ML & U4.5 (+130) FanDuel
Date: Friday, June 21
Time: 12:00 PM ET
Network: FS1
The common theme of me betting against the teams I didn’t like coming into the tournament continues. Poland was one of those nations I wanted to fade, which is mainly down to the missing attackers.
Arkadiusz Milik was subbed off early in a recent friendly against Ukraine with a knee injury. The Juventus forward has now been ruled out for the Euros.
Meanwhile, the following game against Turkey resulted in more forward injuries. Both Robert Lewandowski and Karol Swiderski were forced off in the first half and are both in doubt for this game.
The trio either scored or assisted on 10 goals in qualifying. This means they played a direct role in over 70 percent of Poland’s goals.
Yes, Poland did find the back of the net against the Dutch. However, the goal came from a corner, and half of the team’s 1.32 xG came from set pieces.
This is why I like tagging on the under with an Austria win. The Austrians defeated Slovakia, Turkey and Serbia in friendlies before the tournament.
They also defeated Sweden in both matches in qualifying, while also getting a draw at Belgium. In the five victories I mentioned above, this same bet would have cashed in all but one.
France vs Netherlands – Over 2.5 Goals (-135) DraftKings
Date: Friday, June 21
Time: 3:00 PM ET
Network: FOX
We close out our Euro 2024 Matchday 2 best bet article with a huge match in Group D, in which I’m expecting goals.
This is a rematch of two teams that were paired together in qualifying. In those matches, this same play would have cashed in both games.
Goals have been a common theme in Dutch fixtures. There have been at least three goals in six straight matches for the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, six of eight qualifiers that included the Dutch also flew over this same total. There were also two Nations League games last year that both cashed this same play.
Ronald Koeman’s team will now be tasked with holding out one of the strongest attacks in the world in France. I could see the Dutch attempting to sit deep in this game after earning a win in their opener, but I still don’t think it will be enough to keep out the French.
One thing to monitor here is the health of key striker Kylian Mbappe. He suffered what looked to be a broken nose in the opener against Austria.
I like this play even if he isn’t starting, and it would open up some great goalscorer odds for the rest of the squad if he doesn’t suit up.
