Euro 2020 betting tips: Croatia v Scotland best bets and preview
Liam Kelly previews Croatia's trip to square off against Scotland in Glasgow, forecasting some rare success for the home nation in a must-win game.
Euro 2020 betting tips: Croatia v Scotland
2pts Scotland to beat Croatia at 23/10 (Sky Bet)
Two teams in desperate need of a win face off in Glasgow, with both Scotland and Croatia on just one point entering their final Group D game, chasing third place.
Scotland come into this on the back of a satisfying 0-0 draw with old enemy England, a result that keeps the Tartan Army in with a shout of qualifying for the knockout stages — as good a reason as any to celebrate as much as Scotland did.
Croatia, on the other hand, have very little to celebrate from the tournament so far, following up their blunt display in a 1-0 defeat to England with an underwhelming 1-1 draw against Czech Republic on Friday evening.
Kick-off time: 20:00 BST, Tuesday
TV channel: ITV4
Venue: Hampden Park - Glasgow, Scotland
Croatia 23/20 | Draw 12/5 | Scotland 23/10
Steve Clarke has been dealt a major blow as midfielder Billy Gilmour tested positive for Covid-19 after an outstanding first international start at Wembley, but it's worth noting that Scotland performed well against Czech Republic without him - despite the disappointing loss.
While it's true that game state played a significant role, Scotland created more than enough scoring opportunities to earn at least a draw in their opener (xG: SCO 2.29 - 1.25 CZE), falling short after conceding two low-probability Patrik Schick goals.
Scotland then, with the help of Gilmour, bossed England after a couple of early scares, just lacking the cutting edge to claim a vital win. That is a worry entering this game, but Clarke's side have shown they possess enough quality to compete here, and deserve some positive variance following their fixtures so far.
Admittedly, Gilmour is a big loss after a commanding display against England, but the price of SCOTLAND TO BEAT CROATIA has drifted too much given how Scotland performed without the Chelsea midfielder in the opener. At 23/10 with Sky Bet, it is the value selection.
A return to Hampden Park is a positive, too.
With the Tartan Army rejuvenated by the Wembley performance, it will be a difficult place to play for Croatia. As mentioned, they've been far from impressive in their two Euro 2020 matches, struggling to test their opponents despite undoubted talent in forward areas.
Zlatko Dalic's side failed to score against England, recording just 0.54 xG, and needed an Ivan Perisic stunner to gain a point last time out, struggling to test Czech Republic even after falling behind.
Croatia have a clean bill of health for this match-up, but they simply do not look the same threat three years on from a World Cup final appearance.
Although it will be a tough task, siding with Scotland is the way to go at the prices, a result that will send the nation into raptures.
Croatia v Scotland best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Scotland to beat Croatia at 23/10 (Sky Bet)
Score prediction: Croatia 1-2 Scotland (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)
Odds correct 1250 BST (21/06/21)
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