Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo attempts a shot at goal during the international friendly soccer match between Slovenia and Portugal at the Stozice stadium in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
The knockout stage of EURO 2024 has already provided plenty of rollercoaster moments, and the fun continues on Monday with a real clash of gladiators on one side, and a chance for a true underdog fairytale on the other.
Here’s everything you need to know about the games from a betting perspective.
Date: Monday, July 1
Time: 12 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. BST
Location: Veltins Arena
TV channel: FOX Sports
Moneyline: France -110| Draw +225 | Belgium +360
As far as matchups go in the round of 16, they don’t come much bigger than this. One of international football’s longest documented rivalries sees two of the favorites for this competition battle it out for a spot in the quarter final.
France looked the better of the two sides during the group stage, with Belgium only just sneaking out of the group stage following a 0-0 draw with Ukraine. The Red Devils scored only two goals in 3 games in what was a very easy group, and they do look vulnerable coming into a matchup against a powerhouse like France, even with all the talent they have on their books.
Speaking of France, they’ve also been underwhelming by their own standards. However, they only allowed one goal all tournament and considering Belgium have struggled to convert scoring chances, it bodes well for a stout defense and an attack that should only be getting better as Mbappe finds his form.
As far as predictions go, betting the under 2.5 goals at -150 feels like a relatively safe bet. Neither side has been particularly threatening in front of goal and they’ve allowed a combined 2 goals through 6 games.
Date: Monday, July 1
Time: 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. BST
Location: Deutsche Bank Park
TV channel: FOX Sports
Moneyline: Portugal -300| Draw +400 | Slovenia +900
As expected, Portugal are the heavy favorites here. They would’ve likely gone unbeaten in the group stage had they not rotated the squad in perpetration of the group stage. 8 total changes to the squad destabilized things just enough for Georgia to somehow upset the world as +700 underdogs and pull out a win. That won’t be the case on Monday.
Portugal looked like one of the best sides in the competition through the opening two games and we can assume that they’ll be back for a comfortable lineup and formation against a Slovenia team that drew all three of its group stage games, including the crucial point against England that sent them through.
Slovenia play a very rigid system in a bid to frustrate the opposition. There aren’t a ton of huge attacks, so don’t expect a game of attacking brilliance. They’ll be playing for extra time and maybe a fluke goal if they can find one, but they’ll have to be at their most structured against such a creative Portuguese outfit.
As far as predictions go, betting on Portugal offers very little upside. I’m instead looking to Rafael Laeao to score anytime at +200. He’s yet to find the back of the net in this competition but did so in the qualifiers and twice in the World Cup two years ago. I like his chances here with his presence being vital to spreading out a tightly-bunched defensive unit.
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HughE Dillon is a Philadelphia-based photographer and creator of the PhillyChitChat blog. Follow him on Twitter…
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