Betting Preview – England v Wales
Following Russia’s stoppage time equaliser, England will be keen to make up for the lapse in concentration that cost them three points. Wales on the other hand secured a 2-1 victory against Slovakia to get their tournament off to a flying start.
Sportingly Better picks out the best bets for the match on Thursday, as England and Wales look to march forward to the knockout stages.
Euro 2016 Betting Tips
England (1.57) v Wales (7.00); Draw (4.00)
England
In the first half of the opening game for England, they had Russia camped in their own half as English attack after English attack arrived. The only thing preventing it from being a perfect half of football was a goal.
The second half wasn’t as dominant from an English perspective but it was still a strong overall performance that can give England fans hope going into this crunch encounter.
Rooney, in particular, was outstanding in central midfield as he used his impressive range of passing to spark a number of attacks and orchestrate the English play. In total, he made 55 passes with an 86% success rate, whilst 38 of those passes were in the opposition half.
Having 15 shots (5 on target) against Russia, if England can be a little more clinical, goals could very well be on the cards. On the other hand, a draw or defeat for England wouldn’t necessarily be the end of it all, as they could still qualify by securing a result against Slovakia and taking advantage of the new Euro 2016 format, where four 3rd placed teams will enter the knockout stages.
Wales
In their first game at a major tournament since the 1958 World Cup, Wales did not disappoint. With seven goals in qualifying, a lot of pressure rested on Bale’s shoulders but he scored the opener and got the Welsh Euro 2016 campaign off to the perfect start.
Despite Slovakia grabbing an equaliser, Robson-Kanu stepped off the bench to become the hero, snatching a late winner to secure a vital three points.
England are sure to be a tougher test than Slovakia, but Wales will take great heart from their opening game victory, where they had an impressive eight shots on target.
Match Odds
England are clearly viewed as the favourites going into this encounter with betting odds of 1.57, as they look to rectify Saturday’s draw with Russia. If England want to secure the top spot in Group B and pick up a potentially easier second round draw, a victory is needed on Thursday.
It won’t necessarily be that simple though and some value can be taken from backing Wales. The match is set to be a feisty encounter and with a world class star like Gareth Bale in their ranks, the result is far from guaranteed to fall in England’s favour.
Over/Under 2.5 goals
The market is slightly favouring a low-scoring affair with under 2.5 goals trading at 1.80 in the goals markets.
Given the rivalry between the two sides, this could result in a more open game as both teams reflect the atmosphere and passion of the fans in the stadium. It should be a very energetic first half of football and if attackers from either England or Wales can prove to be clinical when chances fall their way, goals could be on the cards.
Verdict
If England can replicate their first half performance against Russia, Wales could be in trouble. The atmosphere and rivalry though, should make for a very entertaining game of football.
Recommended Football Tips
Back Both Teams to Score @2.00
Back Wales +1.0 Asian Handicap @1.875
Author Credit: Jonathan Day
Image Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=45765142
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