Euro 2016 betting: Goals won’t rain for Spain against miserly Italian defence
France, Germany, Spain: the top three in the Euro 2016 betting can all be found in the same half of the draw.
Being thrown into the dog-eat-dog section, which also features Italy, has helped push England’s outright price out to 10/1.
But the big boys have been kept apart, for now – except Italy and Spain.
The Mediterranean heavyweights meet in Monday's early evening clash, with Vicente Del Bosque’s men the 23/20 favourites to prevail in a re-run of the 2012 final.
Both teams come into the game with the same track record – they won their opening two games before taking their foot off the gas in the third, losing after qualification had already been secured.
I wouldn’t read too much into either county’s loss. Had either needed to get a result, I suspect they would have managed it.
The balance of talent undoubtedly sits with Spain, yet Italy showed that even with one of their weakest sides in more than a generation, they simply cannot be written off.
They impressively dealt with much-fancied Belgium on matchday one and, having conceded just the once in three games, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what their game plan will be here.
We could be in for a long night.
A stalemate definitely looks the call after 90 minutes, so take the 5/1 generally available on there to be no goalscorer.
It’s not often Sporting Index will quote total goals as low as 1.9-2.1, though I’d still sell at that price, with a goalless draw very much on the cards.
Pointers
No goalscorer 5/1, General
Sell total goals 1.9, Sporting Index