EURO CUP: ROUND OF 16

SportsBeat!

Written by Aaron Cantin

The unofficial halfway mark of the Euros is upon us. The Euro 2020 knockout stage gets underway this Saturday and kicks off with Wales facing Denmark and Italy taking on Austria. The Euros knockout stage is exciting enough on its own but if you’re looking to make money off your locks, make sure to get your bracket in right here at Sports Tree LTD.

Denmark made a late push in the final group stage match to qualify for the knockout round while Austria beat Ukraine 1-0 to secure its spot in the bracket. Italy won the group comfortably and Wales did enough in three matches to remain in second despite losing to the Azzurri in the final game.

The rest of the field was settled today, with a knockout stage that is sure to produce the drama from the beginning. Now the real games begin. I’ll break down each game heading into the round of 16 and as always, give my predictions.

Source: Sports Illustrated | Photo fromUEFA

Wales vs. Denmark

Wales: +430

Tie: +220

Denmark: -118

Denmark is favored, but Wales is a good value at +450. Gareth Bale is showing why he’s still one of the top talents in the world and Aaron Ramsey is taking charge in the midfield. Denmark may be past its early struggles after Christian Eriksen’s collapse, but still only has one win in the last three contests. -118 seems to be too big a margin to favor the Danes. I still think the Danes will advance but it may take more than 90 minutes. If you’re looking for an upset take a draw in this one. A draw in the knockout stages means a tie after 90 minutes.

Italy vs. Austria

Italy: -195

Tie: +295

Austria: +650

I’m not going to overthink this one. Italy has raced past everyone in the group stage so far, showing why they are considered one of the favorites in the tournament. Austria has a solid backline with David Alaba and Stefan Lainer, but the Italians are rightfully favored here at -195.

The Netherlands vs. Czech Republic

Netherlands: -150

Tie: +285

Czech Republic: +450

This game made me think. Netherlands is unsurprisingly favored to win this one after they cruised through the group stage with three straight victories, winning Group C in the process. Georginio Wijnaldum led the way with three goals while Memphis Depay added two goals and two assists of his own. That’s not to say the Czech Republic is already down and out before it even starts, though. They finished the group stage with a 2-0 win, a 1-1 draw, and a narrow 1-0 loss against England, and should put up a fight against the Dutch even though they’re the clear underdogs. Patrik Schick finished the group stage with three goals, including one absolute world-class wonder goal in the opening match. Pick the Netherlands to advance with both teams to score.

Croatia vs. Spain

Croatia: +400

Tie: +275

Spain: -143

No surprise here that Spain is the favorite to win over Croatia, especially after their 5-0 shellacking of Slovakia in their third and final group stage match. Spain finished in second place, just two points behind Sweden, and will take on the second-place team from Group D which ended up being Croatia. The Croatians finished the group stage 1-1-1, winning their third and final match with a 3-1 scoreline over Scotland, just barely edging out the Czech Republic on a tiebreaker. Luka Modric and his squad will look to upset the Spanish giants despite the odds being stacked against them. The Spaniards are interesting this year. One more good performance and they can be a favourite. At the same time, they might be my least confident pick when it comes to taking the favorites.

England vs. Germany

England: +155

Tie: +215

Germany: +205

England fared better in their group standings than Germany did, but then again England wasn’t drawn into the group of death, either. Three Lions finished top of Group D, logging wins over both Croatia and Czech Republic while ending their match against Scotland in a scoreless draw, scoring only two goals through three games. Germany finished second in Group F, narrowly escaping elimination at the hands of Hungary before they found a late-game equalizer. They were able to take down Portugal 4-2 in their second game after opening the group campaign with a 1-0 loss to France. Now, these two sides will face off against each other in the Round of 16, and while England is only slightly favored here at +155 to Germany’s +205, I would argue it could be flipped as Germany definitely has the talent to move on.

This game could easily go either way and will be an exciting affair to watch. This is the game to watch in the round of 16 and you can make a solid case for both sides. England has the better squad this year, which I am confident of. But Germany is Germany. It seems whenever a British team is expected to do well they struggle and when Germany is supposed to be bad, they exceed expectations. For history alone, give me Germany.

Belgium vs. Portugal

Belgium: +120

Tie: +245

Portugal: +240

This is without doubt the next best matchup in the round of 16. Portugal, after escaping Group F in third place, will have to take on a very good Belgium side who went 3-0-0 in Group B, locking up the top spot without much trouble. Belgium only allowed one goal through three games — their 2-1 win over Denmark — while scoring seven of their own. Romelu Lukaku was a standout as he notched three goals for the Red Devils while several other players added one each. Portugal also totaled seven goals through the group stage, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the way with an impressive five. Belgium is favored to win at +120, and I think that’s the right call, but Ronaldo and the Portugal squad could be poised for an upset. Still, give me Belgium to find a way.

France vs. Switzerland

France: -195

Tie: +290

Switzerland: +675

The reigning World Cup champs are riding high after finishing first in Group F. Karim Benzema led the way with two goals as Kylian Mbappe surprisingly didn’t get even one. They’re heavily favored to beat Switzerland at -195 — and rightfully so — as the Swiss sneaked through in Group A’s third-place spot. Switzerland has some big players in Kevin Mbabu and Xherdan Shaqiri, but France is the obvious choice for the win here. This is my lock of the round. Take France to win outright.

Sweden vs. Ukraine

Sweden: +125

Tie: +220

Ukraine: +255

Sweden finished at the top of Group E thanks to a stoppage-time goal from Viktor Claesson in their third and final group stage game, giving them a 3-2 win over Poland. Striker Emil Forsberg scored the other three goals in the opening stage while their defense was able to keep two clean sheets including a scoreless draw with Spain. While Ukraine didn’t fare too well, they slipped through with the third-place spot in Group C thanks to the three points they collected from North Macedonia in a 2-1 win. They lost their other two outings, and honestly, their +255 odds to win don’t seem low enough, as Sweden (+125) should definitely be expected to win this contest. Maybe the bookies know something I don’t. But from what I see, take Sweden to win.