Football betting tips: Euro 2024 qualifying
1.5pts Portugal to win and under 3.5 goals vs Slovakia at evens (Sky Bet)
1pt Luxembourg 'Draw no bet' vs Iceland at 9/4 (General)
1pt Both teams to score in Rep of Ireland vs Greece at 6/5 (Unibet)
Iceland v Luxembourg
- Kick-off time: 19:45 BST, Friday
- TV channel: Viaplay Sports Online
- Home 4/5 | Draw 12/5 | Away 10/3
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
Remember when Luxembourg were the whipping boys of European football? Remember when Iceland stunned England to make the quarter-finals of Euro 2016?
Spoiler: things have changed A LOT for both teams in the past few years.
Luxembourg actually have a sniff of qualifying for their first ever major tournament, sitting third behind winners-elect Portugal (six wins from six) and Slovakia in Group J after three wins and a draw from six games.
Second-placed Slovakia are more than catchable considering they visit Portugal on Friday and then head to Luxembourg for a potentially decisive affair on Monday.
Iceland, barring a miracle, are out of the running after four defeats in six, most crucially a 3-1 loss in Luxembourg last month.
Despite all of this – Iceland a team in decline, Luxembourg on the up – you can get 9/4 on LUXEMBOURG DRAW NO BET, meaning our stake is returned if the game finishes level.
Luxembourg won in Bosnia and Herzegovina this year, triumphed in Lithuania last year and have also held Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia in that timeframe. Iceland's record in their past 43 games is W8 D13 L22.
Portugal vs Slovakia
- Kick-off time: 19:45 BST, Friday
- TV channel: Viaplay Sports Online
- Home 2/9 | Draw 19/4 | Away 11/1
Jake Osgathorpe (@JAKEOZZ)
Portugal have cruised through qualifying under Roberto Martinez, not a surprise given the Spaniard's record as Belgium coach, but the extent of their domination in Group J cannot be understated.
They have scored 24 times while conceding none across six victories, with Martinez seemingly adapting to life as boss of his new nation extremely well.
The Portugal squad he inherited is stacked with quality, with an envious blend of youth and experience - plus the all-time top scorer in international football, Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues to lead the line and score goals for his country.
While they have dominated the group minnows, games against Slovakia and Iceland have been low-scoring, albeit away from home. Friday's opponents Slovakia are in with a great chance of joining Portugal in Germany, currently second, and they have a habit of keeping things tight.
19 of their last 23 international matches have seen UNDER 3.5 GOALS, as have all seven of their defeats in that time, so given the gulf in quality between the two teams, taking a PORTUGAL WIN in a low-scoring game appeals.
Rep of Ireland vs Greece
- Kick-off time: 19:45 BST, Friday
- TV channel: Viaplay Sports 1
- Home 6/4 | Draw 19/10 | Away 2/1
Jake Osgathorpe (@JAKEOZZ)
The Republic of Ireland's transition period continues, and so do their struggles. They have failed to qualify for the last two major tournaments, and need a miracle to make it to EURO 2024, with anything but a win here seeing them eliminated for certain.
They have won just five of their last 21 qualifiers, but there are signs of life for Stephen Kenny's young side. They pushed the Netherlands close last time out, going down 2-1 in Dublin after putting up a staunch defensive display in France.
I have seen enough to suggest they could be well set for a proper tilt at World Cup qualification, and recent games - especially at home - have seen a more attacking approach, which should be even more the case here against a beatable opponent.
Greece, believe it or not, are still in with a chance of qualifying from Group B, but have to win here to stand any chance, given they play France and the Netherlands in their final two contests.
That should lead to them playing on the front-foot, and could lead to an end-to-end game, meaning BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE appeals at an odds-against price.
After all, this Greece team have some firepower in attack, but are a vulnerable defensive team, conceding in games against Malta (twice), Northern Ireland and Kosovo on two occasions over the last few years. The fact BTTS landed in the reverse game in Athens is also a bonus.
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