Soccer Betting

George Barnes25 said:USA vs. Greece at 6:00 PM! Let's go!

My picks:

Poland vs. Greece — Under 2.5 goals @ 1.50. Just a hunch. This one’s gonna be a defensive grind! 👍
Greece isn't scoring at 2.20 odds. It’s a solid play! 👎

Best of luck out there! 😁

Injury Report:
Flamengo vs. Coritiba
Flamengo: Felipe (questionable), Camacho, Romulo, Mauricio
Coritiba: Cleiton, Geraldo, Jackson, Jonas, Keirrison, Tcheco, Rafinha, Roberto, Primao
Pick 1

Degerfors vs. Hammarby (US Minor Leagues)
Degerfors: Andronic, Edwards, Kristiansson, Eriksson
Hammarby: Von Schlebrugge
Pick X2

Varese vs. Sampdoria
Varese: Troest, Zecchin, Pettinari, Lepore, Leonidas
Sampdoria: Romero
Pick X2

USA (sš)-Denmark 1 1,70
I mean, I honestly think this one is a lock. The US is easily one of the most powerhouse teams on the planet right now, so I’m fully expecting them to just completely dismantle Denmark. Maybe I should even throw in a parlay with Pulisic (3,50), since it's his birthday. 😁
Germany-Portugal 1 2,20
I caught Portugal playing against North Mexico recently, and man, they just don't seem to have any real weapons or standout talent lately—it's just Ronaldo and Nani, and their playstyle feels so incredibly repetitive. Meanwhile, Germany is Germany... I don't even need to explain that. This kind of line feels like a total gift. Sure, Portugal played Turkey (1:3) and North Mexico (0:0) in their last outings, and I know those aren't perfect indicators since everyone steps up their game for the Euros, but I still think Germany is going to take this... probably 3:1.
Argentina-Brazil 1 2,50
Argentina is stacked with an incredible amount of top-tier players, whereas Brazil has pretty much lost that legendary prestige they used to have when they were considered the absolute gold standard of world soccer. They're bringing in these young kids who just lack the necessary savvy and experience... maybe a double chance 1X at 1,40 if you don't feel like risking too much.
LA Galaxy-LAFC 2 1,75
The Galaxy are sitting dead last in the standings, while LAFC is sitting right at the top... so even though it's an away game, the odds look massive. I'm leaning toward a 0:2 result.

The Dutch are far superior to the Danes—they’re coming into this tournament with much higher ambitions. Their attack is predictably elite, which shouldn't be a surprise given they have names like Van Persie, Robben, and Sneijder leading the charge. The Danes don't look particularly convincing; some young Brazilians recently tore them apart in just thirty minutes, so there's my cue. I think the Netherlands will take this one, so I'm taking the handicap—the odds are too good to pass up.

Netherlands -1.5 @ 3.16 2/10

*nods* said:Give me some insight on the Germans. 🙂

I'm not sure—despite what the consensus suggests, I think we could see a few more goals here. But I won't touch it just yet. Maybe I'll place a live bet once I actually see how the game unfolds.

You really need to start betting on the upsets during this tournament. Even though we’ve only seen one major outlier in the first four matches, I’m betting my money that we’re going to see way more of them moving forward. For instance—if you want to get a little optimistic today—you could take a shot at a shutout against those pathetic Irish ball-bashers. Toss in a 1.85 underdog bet on the 37.5+ line for Djokovic or that Spanish Comanche, and you’re looking at a nearly guaranteed three hundred bucks in your pocket. Or look at tomorrow: bet on a zero for the boring types like the English or the French, or even those total pushovers like the Swedes and Ukrainians. Throw in today's Garros final at 37+, and you've got yourself a nice little payday...

Absentees:

Brommapojkarna vs. Angelholm (US Minor League Soccer)
Brommapojkarna: Augustinsson, Une-Larsson, Soderstrom, Petrovic, Carlsson
Angelholm: Alriksson, Johansson, Ucar, Westerblad, Karlsson Babier

Real Valladolid vs. Cordoba (Spanish Second Division)
Real Valladolid: Jaime, Tekio, Mongil, Rubio, Goncalves
Cordoba: Cerra, Prieto, Quero, Airam

Bahia vs. Vasco da Gama (Brazilian League)
Bahia: Coelho, Madson, Morais, Jeferson, Souza
Vasco da Gama: Costa
Sao Paulo vs. Santos (Brazilian League)
Sao Paulo: Canete, Wellington, Ceni, Uvini, Casemiro, Lucas, Fabiano
Santos: Fucile, Juan, Arouca, Ganso, Rafael, Galhardo, Braz, Bernardo, Neymar

I’ve been watching Spain in their friendlies—and we all know what this squad is, arguably the best in the world. They were creating massive amounts of chances during these warm-ups, but the strikers completely fell flat, especially Jacob Torres, who seems to have reverted to his usual lackluster form. I’m not entirely sure who will start up front tonight, but personally, I’d put Llorente in the XI. The guy is dominant in the air, strong in duels, knows how to hold up the ball, and has a solid shot and goal sense—he'll capitalize on the numerous opportunities created by the likes of Iniesta, Silva, and Xavi. I haven't watched Italy much during these friendlies, just some highlights, and they didn't impress me. Russia tore through them with ease, and on top of that, they're dealing with injuries—specifically in defense—and those recent investigations into match-fixing. The atmosphere in that camp isn't great, plus they've got Mario Balotelli, who seems more interested in filling headlines with childish nonsense than actually playing football. I see Spain as convincing winners today, so that's where my money is going.

Spain @ 1.84 Pinnacle 6/10

It’s also time for our boys to step up and play a quality game. We have a talented roster, unlike the Irish, and I expect us to show that today. Everyone knows our team's strengths and weaknesses, so there's no need for a lecture there. I did watch Ireland in these friendlies, and frankly, they were unimpressive. Their football is dull, predictable, and just plain bad. In a friendly against nothing more than an average Canadian side, they nearly got routed; Canada carved them up with 5 or 6 clear openings, but couldn't find the net—partly due to some saves from Given and Westwood, partly because Canada missed their chances, and once because an Irish center-back cleared a ball off the line. Ireland showed they are incredibly weak on the flanks—Canada exploited that repeatedly—but they failed to follow up those breakthroughs by getting crosses into the box, which the tall Irish defenders handled easily. Unlike the Canadians, we have technically gifted players like Srna, Rakitic, and Perisic, who deliver excellent crosses and can drop the ball back to the edge of the area for a shot. We also have Jelavic, who is a threat in the air. Ultimately, I think we are much bigger favorites against Ireland than the odds suggest. I believe we win, provided we don't get sloppy and play overly defensive, cowardly football. 🙄

USA -1.5 @ 5.08 Pinnacle 3/10

👋 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7yJ4chOK3E 👋

🙂 🙂 🙂

Another late-night thought 😁

02:00 AM | LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

pick : (2.5) over 1.55 SS

It’s the second leg of this playoff matchup in Utah; the first game saw LA Galaxy pull off a 2-0 win on the road...
So, the mystery of who’s moving on is pretty much solved. Trying to claw back a two-goal deficit from an away loss against a team like LA Galaxy? Yeah, that's a massive ask, even for a squad better than Real Salt Lake... I mean, the ball is round, 🤣 and there's always that "anything can happen" factor—though in this specific case, that feels like some low-budget sci-fi movie plot 😁 that won't actually play out
. The prediction that LA Galaxy would try to wrap things up early seems spot on. They'd want to get the bulk of the work done in the first leg so they could rotate their roster for this one, especially since they've got that big semifinals match coming up in a few days against the St. Louis City SC (I saw the preview for that on the 12th, but honestly, even the 14th doesn't look great for them)... No matter how much the home side talks up today's game, I don't buy that their heads aren't already halfway to Missouri...
LA Galaxy isn't exactly a fortress at home either 🤣 with a record of 9 wins, 8 losses, 1 draw, and 0... and a goal difference of 29:5! That puts their home scoring average at a solid 3.78. And while most of those goals were scored by them, I think Real Salt Lake will be able to find the net at least once today... I'm expecting a much more relaxed approach from LA Galaxy, likely because the job is basically done and they'll probably shuffle the lineup (I don't have the exact roster news right now, but it's the only thing that makes sense given everything else) ...there's also the fact that the US National Team played a World Cup qualifier against Mexico on the 9th, and five LA Galaxy players were in that starting XI...
As for Real Salt Lake... they're just as inconsistent away as they are at home; the only difference is they tend to see more action in terms of goals... a record of 9 wins, 4 losses, 1 draw, and 4 tells us their away goal average is 3.22... out of 9 away games, 6 went over the expected line, and they failed to score in only one instance... that was against the Seattle Sounders, a total "under" team that sits firmly near the bottom of the scoring charts with an average of 1.76...
I don't know how much faith the visitors have in a miracle tonight, but if scoring just one goal means they survive the Apertura playoffs, they'll take it... I'm confident the "over" hits even without them finding the net, since LA Galaxy can put 3+ past almost anyone in the league—they already did it earlier this season in a 4-1 blowout—but if they do manage to score, this pick becomes a lot safer 😁.

The French and English squads kick off their Euro campaigns today—and the vibes couldn't be more different. On one hand, you have England, where skepticism is the default setting. Between Rooney’s suspension and the injuries to Lampard, Barry, and Cahill, the roster looks thin—and frankly, the recent performances haven't inspired much confidence. On the other hand, France is looking idyllic. They’ve cruised through friendlies, but more importantly, they’ve actually looked sharp. Players like Ribery, Benzema, and Malouda are expected to carry the weight this tournament, and they look ready. Deschamps has finally quelled the internal drama; the squad is cohesive, playing fluid, efficient football. They could easily be the tournament's dark horse—mostly because people tend to write them off after those disastrous previous runs. They play an attacking style, anchored by Mexes in defense. Aside from a minor lapse against Iceland, they've been dominant—they didn't concede a single goal in their last two outings. As for England, aside from Gerrard, they lack that singular, transformative talent. Milner, Downing, and Parker—who, despite his seasonal accolades, doesn't particularly impress me—along with Carroll, just aren't on that level. While the English defense might look better on paper, I suspect there will be plenty of room for Ribery, Nasri, and Malouda to exploit. I'm leaning toward a French victory today.

France @ 2.54 Pinnacle 5/10

I also think there's value in taking over 2.0 goals in this matchup. If we land exactly two goals, my stake gets pushed back; if we see three or more, the bet hits. The odds for this option are a solid 2.25—for comparison, a standard over 2.5 line at a place like DraftKings is only 2.25. Given how lethal the French attack looks, I expect at least two goals to find the net, and who knows—England might scrap one in too. 😁

France vs England: Over 2.0 goals @ 2.25 Pinnacle 6/10

I’m thinking about calling a France win today, though I'm a little iffy on the goal count... since England's been playing such a tight, defensive style under their new manager—both those pre-season matches were just 1-0 shutouts—but looking back at their last five matchups, they usually end up with something like 2 or 3 goals total

11/17/10 INT England vs France 1 : 2
03/26/08 INT France vs England 1 : 0
06/13/04 EUR France vs England 2 : 1
09/02/00 INT France vs England 1 : 1
02/10/99 INT England vs France 0 : 2

Over at FanDuel, the 2-3 goal range is sitting at 1.7, while over 2.5 goals is at 2.40

Jesse Brown12 said:I'm also leaning toward a French win today—though I have my doubts about the goal count. The Americans have been playing quite defensively in their recent friendlies under the new coach (both ended 1-0), but looking at the last five head-to-head matchups, they usually land in the 2-3 goal range.

11.17.10 INT USA France 1 : 2
03.26.08 INT France USA 1 : 0
06.13.04 WC France USA 2 : 1
09.02.00 INT France USA 1 : 1
02.10.99 INT USA France 0 : 2

At FanDuel, the 2-3 goal range is sitting at 1.7, while over 2.5 goals is at 2.40.

I realize they're playing more conservatively—they don't exactly have the roster to pull off a different style against top-tier opponents—but I wouldn't compare a World Cup match to a friendly; every single point matters there. Once that first goal drops, the game opens up significantly. The trailing side pushes forward to equalize, which inevitably leaves massive gaps for counterattacks.

The French are playing way too much style, just like the Spanish🙂🙂

England practically had two chances and almost scored both, but their midfield is honestly garbage compared to the French... let's go, France!🎉🎉

Honestly, you guys are hopeless. There is no way you’re taking down the English. 😠

I haven't exactly been a star in this Euro tournament—my record sits at 1W/5L/1 Void, leaving me down by 4.76 units.

The handicap gave us a bit of a lifeline; otherwise, it would have been a total disaster. 😁

driftingcrane27 said:02:00 LA Galaxy vs. Real Salt Lake

pick : (2,5) over 1,55 Over/Under

2 : 1 FT 👍

Injury Report:

Vitoria vs. Guarani
Vitoria: Leo and Mansur are both questionable to play.
Guarani: They're dealing with some depth issues—Domingos is doubtful, plus Clebinho, Mendes, Peres, Oziel, Monteiro, Fabricio, and Fumagalli are all out.
My Pick: Vitoria to win.

JEF United vs. Gainare Tottori
JEF United: Arata is sidelined.
Gainare Tottori: Missing Ozaki, Mizumoto, and Suzuki.
My Pick: JEF United to win.

USA

The Americans are heading into today's match after getting hammered by the Russians, and they have zero margin for error left. Aside from one brief moment of brilliance for a Pilar goal, they looked terrible—especially that midfield unit. They lacked any semblance of creativity. They need to step it up significantly today because if they think they can just coast against the Greeks, they’re in for a shock. They'll likely run out with

Cech--Gebre Selassie, Kadlec, Hubnik, Sivok--Hubschman, Rosick--Plasil, Pilar, Jiracek--Baros

GREECE

On the other hand, the Greeks started their game against Poland disastrously. They could have easily been down by more than 1-0, and once they picked up that red card, it looked like the game was over. But in the second half, bringing on Salpingidis for an invisible Ninis changed everything. They showed they actually know how to play, even grabbing a penalty and nearly pulling off a full comeback with two more chances. Today, I expect them to play their usual style: keeping possession and just driving the opponent crazy from the opening whistle.

With A. Papadopoulos out injured—and honestly, he's a liability anyway—K. Papadopoulos should step in. However, they also can't count on Papastathopoulos due to his yellow card suspension. They might swap him for Malezas, or potentially pull a midfielder like Katsouranis or Maniatis back into defense. Since Fotakis is likely banged up, that defensive shift is less probable, though still on the table.

Likely Greek lineup

Chalkias--Torossidis, Papadopoulos, Malezas, Holebas--Maniatis, Katsouranis, Karagounis--Salpingidis, Gekas, Samaras

Both sides realize they can't afford a loss here. Since it looks unlikely that Poland will take down Russia, a draw keeps both teams in the hunt for the next round. Given how uninspired the American offense has been and how much Greece loves to slow things down, my pick is under 3 goals @1.55 SS Stake 6/10

It might also be worth a shot on a Greek win at @3.40 in HL. Stake 4/10

James Taylor3 said:Man, my Frenchies... you guys aren't winning any awards for beating the English like that. 😠

Haven't really hit my stride this Euro yet, sitting at 1w/5l/1 void, down about 4.76 units...

The handicap kind of saved my skin, otherwise it would've been a total train wreck. 😁

Can't say I'm doing much better, 1w/3l
only nailed Russia, missed on Spain and France winning and that USA-Ireland game being under 2.5 goals...

Gonna try my luck with Russia again today, gotta grab that 2.5 coefficient since they looked so good in the opener. Poland might be playing at home, but they can't sustain it against Russia for the full ninety. You saw what happened against Greece—they look great in the first half, which is what I'm expecting today, but then they just fall apart in the second... On the flip side, the Russians played at a high level the whole match against the Czechs, pressing hard and bagging two early goals before cruising through halftime, then coming out and doing the exact same thing mid-way through the second half... We can't forget they conceded one, but it didn't really mess with their rhythm...

USA

I honestly expected more from them. After that first half against Greece, things looked promising, but then they completely fell apart in the second half. The attack looked solid, especially on the right flank—which makes sense given the Dortmund trio playing there—but the defense was a disaster. They were getting toyed with by the Greeks even when playing a man down. If they want any chance of standing up to Russia today, they need to tighten up that backline significantly. Besides losing Szczesny, who will be replaced by the hero from the last match, Tyton, there shouldn't be many changes to the lineup, though they might play more defensively, which could see either Rybus or Obarniak benched.

Tyton-- Piszczek, Wasiliewski, Perquis, Boenisc--Murawski, Polanski--Baszczykowski, Obraniak, Rybus--Lewandowski

RUSSIA

Russia absolutely dismantled the Americans. Aside from one momentary lapse in defense and several missed chances by Kerzhakov, they were perfect. Advocaat clearly has this Russian squad organized beautifully; that Dzagoev-Arshavin-Kerzhakov attacking trio is going to be a nightmare for the American defense to handle.

Malafajev--Anjukov, Ignašević, Berezuckij, Žirkov--Širokov, Denisov, Žirjanov--Dzagoev, Kerzhakov, Arshavin

My pick for this match is a Russian win at 2.60 on Hattricka stake 5/10

I also like the pick from Jesse Brown12, but I'm a bit wary of the American "park the bus" strategy, so I'll pass on that one. Plus, I'm getting better odds here.👍

USA - Mexico 1 (2.80)
I honestly have no clue why the Americans are being tipped as favorites tonight...
The Americans are totally being overlooked in this matchup, just like they were in that game against Canada.... A 2.80 price on an American win is nothing short of a massive underestimate—or if you want to put it bluntly, these Americans are way overrated!
Based on what I saw in those opening matches, I really think the odds should be closer to 2.20 for the Americans, but hey, the Vegas oddsmakers always seem to know something we don't.🙂
The Americans don't really have any room for gamesmanship here... they're going for all three points. But because of the wide-open style of play the Americans are going to use, I’ve gotta give the edge to Mexico in this one—their counterattacks are going to be lethal.

Cheers!