Group F picks & predictions

The first matches of the Euro 2020 Quarterfinals take place on Friday, July 2nd, and BetRivers.com is here to provide you with a betting preview complete with picks and predictions for Belgium-Italy and Spain-Switzerland. BetRivers offers you one of the safest online betting platforms. Bet right now and  support your favorite team!

Friday’s matchups feature the two biggest games of the quarterfinals. Italy has been arguably the best team in the tournament to date. They take on Belgium, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, according to FIFA. Spain has scored 10 goals in their last two matches, while Switzerland is coming off of a come-from-behind win over defending World Cup champs France.

So where does the value lie?

Longtime writer Rob Dauster, the co-founder of The Field of 68 Podcast Network is here to provide his Euro 2020 quarterfinal picks & predictions the first two matches of the quarterfinals.

EURO 2020 CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS: England (+205), Spain (+320), Italy (+370), Belgium (+700), Denmark (+1000), Switzerland (+2500), Czech Republic (+2500), Ukraine (+3300)

EURO 2020 PICKS, PREDICTIONS AND BETTING PREVIEW: BELGIUM vs. ITALY

BELGIUM vs. ITALY, 3 p.m. ET

  • BELGIUM: +235
  • ITALY: +138
  • DRAW: +210
  • Over 2.5: +143
  • Under 2.5: -157

Click here for the full list of Belgium-Italy odds.

The big news here is that Belgium is going to be without two of their best players, as Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard both left their round of 16 match with Portugal early due to injury. We have no official word on their status, but at this point, it seems fairly unlikely that both will start.

That is an enormous blow for the Belgians, who are led by Romelu Lukaku but who have struggled to find ways to create chances even with Hazard and KDB on the pitch. In their win over Portugal, Belgium created just 0.2 xG, the majority of which came via Thorgan Hazard’s thunderstrike, in a 1-0 win. They managed just six shots in their 2-1 come-from-behind win over Denmark in the group stage.

The issue here is that Belgium is a side that has struggled created chances going up against a team that has been as good as anyone in the world at preventing chances. Prior to Austria’s extra time goal — which came with the score 2-0 — Italy had not conceded for more than 1,000 minutes, or 11 matches. For my money, Italy is the best team left in this tournament and the team that has been, overall, the most impressive in the event. With that in mind, I really like the Italians to win here at +138. If you want to mitigate some of the risk of this match ending 0-0 against 90 minutes, Italy advancing is (-155), and I think there is some value there.

It is worth noting here that if and when Hazard and de Bruyne are ruled out, this line will change pretty drastically. Get those bets in now.

EURO 2020 PICKS, PREDICTIONS AND BETTING PREVIEW: SPAIN vs. SWITZERLAND

SPAIN vs. SWITZERLAND, 12 p.m. ET

  • SPAIN: -157
  • SWITZERLAND: +480
  • DRAW: +285
  • Over 2.5: -105
  • Under 2.5: -117

Click here for the full list of Switzerland-Spain odds.

Entering the final match of the group stage, Spain was on a run where, in 15 games since international play had restarted, they had scored more than one goal in just five of those 15 games. Three of those five games came against teams ranked outside the top 40 in FIFA.

Then, out of nowhere, the Spaniards popped off for five goals in a win over Slovakia and five more goals in an extra win over Croatia. Chance creation has never been the issue for this team. They dominate possession and put up xG numbers that would make Pep Guardiola proud. It’s been the finishing. Alvaro Morata has gotten much of the blame — and that’s not wrong — but it wasn’t just him. In the last two matches, that’s changed, and I do think that it is worth noting that in the last two matches the Swiss have played against elite sides, they’ve conceded six times.

Switzerland is a fun story. They finished third in their group, they needed a spirited win over Turkey on the final game of the group stage to advance and they scored two goals in the final 10 minutes of normal time to tie France before winning on PKs. But they did it thanks to some uncharacteristically bad defending by the French. They also haven’t gotten much out of Breel Embolo since the first match, but he once again should have a solid matchup against Spain’s backline.

I say all that to say this: I think that this match is going to have chance after chance after chance. I’d hope that this recent run of form — and Morata’s winner on Saturday — has gotten the monkey off of Spain’s back. I like the over here. I also like betting Spain’s team total over 1.5 at (-129). I do think Spain will advance, but I don’t see any value in taking them to win in normal time.

EURO 2020 SCHEDULE

Friday, June 11
Italy 3, Turkey 0 (Group A)

Saturday, June 12
Belgium 3, Russia 0 (Group B)
Finland 1, Denmark 0 (Group B)
Wales 1, Switzerland 1 (Group A)

Sunday, June 13
Austria 3, North Macedonia 1 (Group C)
England 1, Croatia 0 (Group D)
Netherlands 3, Ukraine 2 (Group C)

Monday, June 14
Czech Republic 2, Scotland 0 (Group D)
Slovakia 2, Poland 1 (Group E)
Spain 0, Sweden 0 (Group E)

Tuesday, June 15
France 1, Germany 0 (Group F)
Portugal 3, Hungary 0 (Group F)

Wednesday, June 16
Italy 3, Switzerland 0 (Group A)
Russia 1, Finland 0 (Group B)
Wales 2, Turkey 0 (Group A)

Thursday, June 17
Belgium 2, Denmark 1 (Group B)
The Netherlands 2, Austria 0 (Group C)
Ukraine 2, North Macedonia 1 (Group C)

Friday, June 18
England 0, Scotland 0 (Group D)
Croatia 1, Czech Republic 1 (Group D)
Sweden 1, Slovakia 0 (Group E)

Saturday, June 19
France 1, Hungary 1 (Group F)
Germany 4, Portugal 2 (Group F)
Spain 1, Poland 1 (Group E)

Sunday, June 20
Italy 1, Wales 0 (Group A)
Switzerland 3, Turkey 1 (Group A)

Monday, June 21
Austria 1, Ukraine 0(Group C)
Belgium 2, Finland 0 (Group B)
Denmark 4, Russia 1(Group B)
The Netherlands 3, North Macedonia 0 (Group C)

Tuesday, June 22
Croatia 3, Scotland 1 (Group D)
England 1, Czech Republic 0 (Group D)

Wednesday, June 23:
Spain 5, Slovakia 0
Sweden 3, Poland 2
Portugal 2, France 2
Germany 2, Hungary 2

ROUND OF 16

Saturday, June 26

Denmark 4, Wales 0
Italy 2, Austria 1

Sunday, June 27

Czech Republic 2, Netherlands 0
Belgium 1, Portugal 0

Monday, June 28

Spain 5, Croatia 3
Switzerland 3, France 3 (5-4)

Tuesday, June 29

England 2, Germany 0
Ukraine 2, Sweden 1