Germany is co-favoured to win Euro 2016, but a big test from Italy awaits in the quarter-finals. (Photo credit: Photocapy via Foter.com / CC BY-SA)
Germany and France are the co-favourites as Euro 2016 enters the quarterfinal round this week.
Sports Interaction lists both countries at +275 odds (you could win $275 for every $100 risked) to win the Euro 2016 tournament. Belgium is third at +400.
Updated Euro 2016 Futures Odds At Sports Interaction
Odds have also been released for all four quarterfinal games, which will take place Thursday through Sunday (one game per day). You can catch all of those matches on TSN.
According to the odds, the best matchups of the quarterfinal round are Thursday’s Portugal/Poland clash and Saturday’s Germany/Italy contest. Portugal and Germany are solid favourites, but still pay +125 odds to win in regulation.
Belgium is a -138 favourite to defeat Wales Friday and advance to the semifinals, while Iceland is a huge underdog to France Sunday.
Euro 2016 Quarterfinal Picks
- Iceland +1 and +1.5 (-112 at Pinnacle): The Iceland fairy tale continued Monday as they rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat England 2-1 in what Pardon The Interruption suggested might be the biggest soccer upset ever. Forget about the disparity in country sizes – Iceland is playing with a ton of confidence and has yet to lose in this tournament. France is also unbeaten but has just one victory by more than one goal at Euro 2016. We saw England struggle with the pressure of being expected to beat Iceland, and host France might also feel that burden. We’ll cheer for Iceland to keep things close again Sunday.
- Poland/Portugal No On Both Teams To Score: Poland has allowed just 1 goal in 4 games, while there has been just 1 goal scored in 3 of Portugal’s 4 matches (the other was a crazy 3-3 tie vs. Hungary). Whichever team scores first in regulation time (if any) will then try to make that lead stand up and play defensive-minded. We like this bet more than the Under 2 because it will be easier for a team leading 1-0 to get its second goal, rather than the team trailing 1-0 to equalize.
- Italy to advance (+162 at Pinnacle): Based on what we’ve seen from both squads in this tournament, not what was expected of them going in, Italy should have a very good chance here. They’ve allowed 1 goal in 4 games, have a hot keeper in Buffon and are a world class program. It might be asking a lot to bet Italy to win in regulation, but if they can get this game into extra time or penalty kicks, +162 odds is a very nice return on a coin toss.