After last night’s impressive Scotland win at Hampden the UEFA Nations League kicks in to gear in full tonight with 10 games across three of the leagues and there are a few cracking ties lined up in the top tier of the competition.
In Group A1 Denmark have made a solid start with nine points from 12 but will be seeking some revenge over Croatia for a 1-0 defeat in Copenhagen back in June.
The Danes have been in terrific form these last few years, breezing through World Cup qualification – their only loss, to Scotland, came after qualification was well wrapped up – then following that up with impressive wins in France and Austria that have helped them to top spot in the group. The defeat to Croatia being the only real blot on their copybook.
The Croats have been equally impressive but a 3-0 defeat at home to Austria sticks out like a sore thumb on their list of recent results. Their ageing squad (only five are under 27) led by 37-year-old Luca Modric might not have too many more cracks at a major tournament left and everything will be focused on Qatar in the winter where they’ve been group with Canada, Morocco and Belgium.
Denmark are certainly capable of going to Zagreb and getting a result but you’d probably want slightly bigger than the 2/1 on offer to get involved. It’s a game the Danes must-not-lose and a draw might be a satisfactory result for them so it could be a cagey affair. Both sides’ matches in the group have averaged Under 2.5 goals so far and it took until the 69th minute before the deadlock was broken between the sides in the Summer. No goal before 32:00 looks a good option at 5/6.
In the same group, holders France desperately need a win to save face and avoid the possibility of finishing bottom of the group which would see them drop into the second tier of the competition. They’re winless in four group games so far but surely they can’t go five without a win at home to Austria tonight? With a trip to Denmark after this one the French simply must win at 2/5.
Wales could hardly have things any tougher in Group A4 alongside Poland, Netherlands and Belgium. It’s a trip to the latter for Rob Page’s men tonight and there’s been little to separate the two nations in recent meetings. The Welshmen have earned two creditable draws against the team ranked No.2 in the world, but both of those were in Cardiff so tonight’s clash will be a tougher proposition.
Much like the aforementioned Croatia squad this golden generation of Belgian football are running out of opportinities to earn some silverware for their nation but it’s still a squad packed full of quality. They’ve also got goals all over the pitch. No fewer than 13 of their squad have scored five international goals, compare that to just three in the Welsh squad to have done so at this level, with Gareth Bale the obvious outlier on 40 goals for his country.
Netherlands have been tremendously entertaining recently. Both teams have scored in each of the six matches this year and all but one has gone Over 2.5 Goals and matches are averaging over four goals. They shared four in a 2-2 draw with Poland in June and there could be a few more tonight again. Over 2.5 Goals pays 17/20, combine that with Over 1.5 Netherlands goals for a 5/4 BetBuilder.
Super Singles
- France & Belgium Win Double 9/10 Bet365
- Croatia v Denmark – No goal before 32:00 5/6 Bet365
- Poland v Netherlands – Over 2.5 Match Goals & Over 1.5 Netherlands Goals 5/4 Bet365 Bet Builder
Upcoming Previews & Tips
- Wed 19:45 Scotland vs Ukraine
- Thu 19:45 France vs Austria
- Thu 19:45 Croatia vs Denmark
- Thu 19:45 Poland vs Netherlands
- Thu 19:45 Belgium v Wales
- Fri 19:45 Italy v England
- Fri 19:45 Germany v Hungary
Racing Tips
There’s some Class 1 action on Thursday, Rizzel has picked out two fancies at Newmarket in their main races.
Golf Betting Tips
This week The Caddy turns his attention to the Cazoo Open de France and shares 4 of his best predictions for the event.
As always, let us know your football betting tips and predictions for today in the comments section below and good luck with all your weekend bets!
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