Could France’s status as 2nd favorites be their secret weapon to triumph at Euro 2024?
Can Germany leverage homefield advantage to clinch glory in Euro 2024?
Euro 2024 kicks off in just a few days, with 24 of Europe’s best teams split into six groups of four, with each country playing the others in their section once.
The top two from each of the Euro 2024 groups qualify for the Round of 16, and they are joined by the four best-performing third-placed teams. Teams are encouraged to top their section, as it ensures they face a second—or third-placed team in the first knockout round.
Who can we expect to finish where in each section? Here are our Euro 2024 group previews and the very latest Euro 2024 group odds to help guide your betting selections.
Euro 2024 hosts Germany will kick off the tournament in Munich on June 14 with a match against Group A longshot Scotland. The home side is odds-on to win the match to nil, and as four points ensured qualification in the two previous 24-team editions, Germany will likely be in the knockout phase before any other team has kicked a ball.
The Scots have famously never qualified from a group at a major tournament, and it is hard to think they will here either. On the assumption that Germany strolls through the section as the Euro 2024 group odds suggest, the match between Hungary and Switzerland in Cologne on June 15 looks pivotal.
Murat Yakin’s Swiss side is expected by sportsbooks to finish second in Group A, yet they were seeded in qualification and won just four of 10 matches to finish runners-up in their group. Hungary, by contrast, went unbeaten through eight qualifying games and topped its section. With a pair of wins to nil in March friendlies, the Hungarians can approach Euro 2024 in a confident mood.
Of course, if Hungary and Switzerland draw and both beat Scotland, they’ll be separated by goal difference, and anything can happen there. The Magyars look like a good value pick to finish second in Group A, though.
Group A favorite: Germany
Team to watch: Hungary
Player to watch: Florian Wirtz
Euro Group A odds
Group B
This is the most difficult of the Euro 2024 groups to forecast, and the odds reflect this. Spain is the longest priced favorite for any of the six sections, while this is the only group with three teams no longer than +450 to win it, while A and E only have one each.
The strength of Italy and Croatia explains this, as with the Spanish, this group contains three teams from the top 10 in the world (according to the FIFA Rankings of April 2024). You feel for Albania, an irregular presence at major tournaments, who is very unlikely to last long among this level of esteemed company.
Their recent head-to-head history does not help our hope of predicting the order of the top three. Spain also drew with Italy and Croatia at the last European Championship and has since drawn with the latter in the UEFA Nations League. Similarly, the previous three meetings of the Italians and the Croatians all ended in 1-1 draws.
The opening game of the section between Spain and Croatia on June 15 in Berlin may be the most important of the six as it will set the tone. With Italy likely to beat Albania in Dortmund later in the day, group favorite Spain would be quickly up against it if Zlatko Dalić’s Croatians beat it.
Gareth Southgate has led Euro 2024 favorite England through the Group Stage at three major tournaments. Each time, his side has failed to win one of the three matches, and that pattern may continue here.
That’s because the Three Lions will take on Denmark, which is always a tricky customer. England have faced the Danes three times under Southgate and have only scored once in regular time, with that being their own goal.
Like the English, Denmark topped its group in qualifying and can be confident of finishing second at the very least. By opening Group C against outsiders Slovenia on June 16, from whom they took four points in qualifying, Kasper Hjulmand’s Danish side should make a strong start.
Serbia’s route to the finals does not suggest it can prosper in its first European Championship under that name. It failed to beat Bulgaria and lost twice to Hungary in qualifying, while a recent 1-0 friendly win over Cyprus won’t have convinced anyone either.
The Serbs take on Slovenia in Munich on June 20. Repeating the 4-1 win it enjoyed when the nations met in 2022 would give it a chance of making the knockout phase. It will need a point elsewhere, though, which will prove tricky to obtain.
On head-to-head history alone, France should breeze through this group. Having beaten Austria and Poland in 2022 and the Netherlands home and away in qualifying for this tournament, the Euro 2024 group odds rightly predict the French to top this section.
They face Netherlands in Leipzig on June 21 in the second round of matches after starting with Austria on June 17. The Dutch face Poland in Hamburg the day before to get the group underway. Ronald Koeman’s side can be confident of at least finishing second in the group as they have a good record against the lesser-fancied sides within it.
Austria could prove to be a dark horse in this group, though. Its only loss between November 2022 and March this year was a 3-2 defeat to Belgium, and it thumped Turkey 6-1 in a friendly earlier this year.
Having qualified from a group featuring the Netherlands at Euro 2020, the Austrians will look for a repeat. However, Poland will have an extra day to prepare for their clash on June 21 in Berlin, which could prove crucial.
The Poles qualified via the play-offs, which history shows does not normally lead to a good tournament. Finishing third when seeded in a qualification group behind Albania and Czech Republic does not change that view either. This section will likely finish in the order of the odds.
Group D favorite: France
Team to watch: Austria
Player to watch: Kylian Mbappe
Euro Group D odds
Group E
No team is a shorter price to top a group than Belgium is in Group E, and its plethora of attacking options should ensure it topples the relatively mediocre competition in this section.
Romelu Lukaku was the top scorer in qualifying, having bagged at least four goals more than any other player. While concerns regarding Belgium’s goalkeeping options and defense are merited, that shouldn’t prove a problem here, even if they likely will in the knockout phase.
It is hard to see why Ukraine is more highly fancied than Romania. The Ukrainians came through the play-offs, albeit they were drawn into a tough qualifying group with England and Italy. Serhiy Rebrov’s side held both on home turf, though form on the road is a distinct concern ahead of this tournament.
If Romania is to upset the odds, it will do so via a solid defense. The center-back pairing of Andrei Burca and Radu Dragusin started all ten games in qualifying and ensured only five goals were conceded.
Much will depend on the outcome of Group E’s first match, Romania vs. Ukraine, in Munich on June 17. If either side wins, they will be well set for the Round of 16.
It feels unlikely that Slovakia will advance, as its price dictates. The standard of side it finished ahead of in its qualification group is well below what it will face in Germany. A likely defeat to Belgium in game one in Frankfurt will mean an immediate uphill struggle.
The last of the Euro 2024 groups commences with Georgia’s first match at a major tournament. It faces Turkey on June 18 in Dortmund. It will be an immensely proud day for the nation, who qualified thanks to a play-off penalty shootout victory over Greece.
But as the Georgians’ only wins in regular qualifying came against Cyprus, its stay in Germany looks inevitably to be a brief one.
That won’t be the case for Portugal, who won 10 out of 10 qualifying matches. As such, it deserves to be in what the FIFA rankings from April deem to be the weakest of the six groups. Assuming it tops the section, it won’t face a fellow group winner until the semi-final at the earliest. The Portuguese should perhaps be shorter than fifth favorite in the outright market.
The real interest in this section will come from the battle between the Czech Republic and Turkey, particularly as they clash on June 26, the final day of the group stage. They met in November 2022, with the Turkish winning 2-1.
Turkey should finish ahead of the Czechs here, too. While it topped a qualifying group ahead of World Cup semi-finalist Croatia, the Czech Republic finished behind Albania. A heavy loss to Austria in March likely dented Turkish belief, but it should take the second spot behind Portugal.
New 21+ customers only. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. FanDuel Sportsbook available in AZ, CT, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, NC, PA, OH, TN, VA, VT, WV, WY only. Full T&Cs apply.
Soccer holds a high stake for sportsbooks, with the best sportsbooks in the US eagerly preparing for Euro 2024. They are set to capture your attention with some of the best sportsbook promos that will run in 2024. With an abundance of games – a hefty 51 matches scheduled over 22 matchdays – there are plenty of opportunities to settle your first bet with a brand new sportsbook. You can capitalize on their welcome offers, utilizing bonus bets for other matches in the subsequent days, or placing your wager on the anticipated champion of Euro 2024.
To ensure you get the best value on soccer odds and Euro 2024, check out the top soccer betting sites. Don’t forget to read our latest Euro 2024 predictions before placing your wagers throughout the tournament.
Andrew has been a freelance soccer writer for over seven years, mostly covering the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. He has written betting previews and strategy guide articles for multiple outlets, as well as appearing on podcasts. As a stat head, he uses data to identify value in the market.
