Iceland vs Wales betting tips, BuildABet, best bets and preview
Football betting tips: Nations League
2pts Brennan Johnson 1+ shots on target at 10/11 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
1.5pts Brennan Johnson 2+ total shots at 33/20 (Unibet)
0.5pt Brennan Johnson 2+ shots on target at 17/4 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
BuildABet @ 19/1
- Match result to be a draw
- Both teams to score
- Johnson 3+ total shots
- Johnson 2+ shots on target
Craig Bellamy takes his team to Iceland looking to become the first Wales manager in history to go unbeaten across his opening three competitive fixtures.
For all the pithy comments (many of them from me) directed towards the Nations League and the seemingly endless number of international breaks foisted upon us in the year 2024, that would still be a serious achievement.
His opening game against Turkey in Cardiff saw Wales play superbly, dominating the match and piling on the pressure further after Baris Yilmaz was sent off on the hour, only for the visitors to somehow cling on for a goalless draw (xG: WAL 2.49-0.79).
They immediately used the momentum of that performance, scoring twice inside three minutes in Montenegro and holding firm for a 2-1 win after the hosts scored midway through the second half.
The Viking Thunderclap-powered days of shocking England at the Euros and reaching the 2018 World Cup are a distant memory for Iceland, who have gradually slipped from a high of 18th in the FIFA world rankings to their current spot of 71st, but at home they still remain stubborn opposition.
Unbeaten in four matches in Reykjavik, with Portugal the last side to emerge with three points, Iceland have lost only three of their last 13 on home soil.
Unsurprisingly the bookies aren't quite sure on this one, and neither am I truth be told. Not sure, back the draw and all that.
What are the best bets?
"He's got every part of football that's going to make him elite and that's the player I see. I believe all we're seeing now is just what his talent is allowing. It was going to happen." Craig Bellamy loves BRENNAN JOHNSON.
After Friday night, we all might.
The Tottenham forward is one of the Premier League's in-form players having really found his feet this season, scoring in six successive matches in all competitions to already better the total number of goals he managed in the entirety of his debut campaign in north London (five in 34 appearances).
He's playing much closer to goal this term, taking 34 shots in nine starts and three substitute appearances for club and country, hitting the target on 12 occasions. Every single shot was taken from inside the box.
Against both Turkey and Montenegro he had THREE SHOTS, registering ONE SHOT ON TARGET on both occasions.
- CLICK HERE to back Brennan Johnson 1+ shots on target with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Johnson 3+ total shots with Sky Bet
- CLICK HERE to back Johnson 2+ shots on target with Sky Bet
Taking JOHNSON to repeat that feat against Iceland as well as backing him to deliver 2+ SHOTS ON TARGET are all advised at a respective 10/11, 33/20 and 17/4 with appropriately balanced stakes.
Team news
There will be plenty of recognisable faces in Iceland's team, with Burnley's Johann Berg Gudmundsson and ex-Tottenham, Everton and Swansea man Gylfi Sigurdsson in midfield.
Birmingham duo Alfons Sampsted and Willum Thor Willumsson may feature too.
Centre-back Sverrir Ingi Ingason returns from injury, so Hjortur Hermannsson or Daniel Leo Gretarsson could miss out as a result.
Wales are without injured duo Aaron Ramsey and Ethan Ampadu but Joe Allen has reversed his international retirement to return.
David Brooks, Nathan Broadhead, Wes Burns and Rhys Norrington-Davies are also back in the squad.
Predicted line-ups
Iceland XI: Valdimarsson; Sampsted, Hermansson, Ingason, Finnsson; Anderson, Gudmundsson, Thordarson, Thorsteinsson; Sigurdsson; Oksarsson.
Wales XI: Ward; Roberts, Mepham, Rodon, Davies; Wilson, Allen, Cooper, Koumas; Johnson; Moore.
Match facts
- Iceland have only won one of their previous seven meetings with Wales (D1 L5), a 1-0 home win in September 1984 in a World Cup qualifier.
- Wales have won each of their last four games against Iceland, most recently 3-1 in a March 2014 friendly – the Dragons have only previously won five successive matches against two opponents: Luxembourg (6 between 1974 and 2010) and Azerbaijan (5 between 2005 and 2019).
- Iceland have only won one of their 16 games in the UEFA Nations League (D4 L11), though it did come last month at home against Montenegro (2-0).
- Wales won their most recent match, 2-1 in Montenegro and are aiming to win back-to-back away games in all competitions for the first time since September 2020 under Ryan Giggs (vs. Azerbaijan and Finland).
- Iceland are unbeaten in their last four home games in all competitions (W3 D1) since a 0-1 loss to Portugal in June 2023 – the Vikings are looking to win three such matches in a row for the first time since September 2019.
- Wales manager Craig Bellamy is unbeaten in his two games in charge of the nation (W1 D1) and could become the first ever Dragons’ boss to avoid defeat in each of his first three competitive matches.
- Jón Thorsteinsson has scored two goals across his last four appearances for Iceland, just one fewer than across his 33 international caps prior (3 goals) – three of the last four goals he has scored for his nation have come in the UEFA Nations League.
- Wales’ Harry Wilson has been directly involved in seven goals across his last eight starts for his country (3 goals, 4 assists), scoring (3) or assisting (3) six of the Dragons’ last 10 goals across all competitions.
Odds correct at 1650 BST (10/10/24)
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