Croatia, Bosnia and Italy to win and keep clean sheets

Backing certain teams to win to nil is the best way to bet on the remainder of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying program.

Croatia and Malta kick off their UEFA Euro 2016 Group H campaigns in Zagreb in a match that the home team is short odds to win, which is unsurprising given that it is ranked 16th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking and its out-of-form opponent is languishing in 150th position, making it the fifth lowest ranked member of the UEFA confederation. Also, Croatia and Malta have met six times for five Croatia wins and one draw, with the three games on Croatian soil ending 2-1, 3-0 and 3-0 for the home side. For punters who like to bet short-priced accumulators, Croatia is banker material.

But one thinks that there is value in backing Croatia to get off to a UEFA Euro 2016 Group H flier with a win and a clean sheet. Croatia beat a team ranked similarly to Malta 2-0 at home last week, Mario Mandzukic scoring goals either side of half time to take care of Cyprus. And then there is Malta’s record in recent times. Malta has lost 10 of its last dozen matches, with its only respite from losing coming in a 3-2 home win over the Faroe Islands and a 1-0 away victory over Armenia. Since the beginning of 2012, Malta has played 20 games and only avoided defeat against the Faroe Islands, Liechtenstein (twice), Luxembourg, Northern Ireland and San Marino. And Malta has not scored a goal away from home since netting versus Armenia 532 minutes of road action ago.

One is left with a difficult UEFA Euro 2016 Group H betting decision. Does one back Croatia to beat Malta to nil at odds of 1.53Bet €100 to win €15353/100Bet £100 to win £153-189Bet $100 to win $1530.53Bet HK$100 to win HK$153-1.89Bet Rp100 to win Rp1530.5300Bet RM100 to win RM153 with BetVictor? Or does one back Croatia to triumph by one of a select group of scores? For example, dutching Croatia 2-0 (odds of 7.00Bet €100 to win €7006/1Bet £100 to win £700+600Bet $100 to win $7006.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$7006.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp700-0.1667Bet RM100 to win RM700 with BetVictor), Croatia 3-0 (odds of 6.50Bet €100 to win €65011/2Bet £100 to win £650+550Bet $100 to win $6505.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$6505.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp650-0.1818Bet RM100 to win RM650 with BetVictor) and Croatia 4-0 (odds of 7.50Bet €100 to win €75013/2Bet £100 to win £750+650Bet $100 to win $7506.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$7506.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp750-0.1538Bet RM100 to win RM750 with BetVictor) generates a bet with odds of 2.33Bet €100 to win €233133/100Bet £100 to win £233+133Bet $100 to win $2331.33Bet HK$100 to win HK$2331.33Bet Rp100 to win Rp233-0.7519Bet RM100 to win RM233. One is leaning towards the latter option, although one would not be against anyone who chose to take the all-covering win-to-nil option.

One mentioned Cyprus earlier in this article and its kicks off its UEFA Euro 2016 Group B campaign away to FIFA World Cup finalist Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cyprus lost 0-2 in Croatia last week and one expects that it will suffer a similar fate in Bosnia and Herzegovina because there is little to choose between the two former Yugoslav republics.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is ranked 19th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, three places below Croatia and 121 places above Cyprus. While one acknowledges that Bosnia and Herzegovina has not kept many clean sheets recently – it has conceded at least one goal in 10 of its last 13 matches – the scoring record of Cyprus and the gulf in class between the teams is sufficient to maintain one’s interest. Cyprus has not scored a goal in any of its last nine games and it has not though it has been playing global heavyweights.

Sky Bet is offering odds of 1.83Bet €100 to win €18383/100Bet £100 to win £183-120Bet $100 to win $1830.83Bet HK$100 to win HK$183-1.20Bet Rp100 to win Rp1830.8300Bet RM100 to win RM183 that Bosnia and Herzegovina wins its UEFA Euro 2016 match versus Cyprus without leaking a goal. With regards to dutching several scores, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0, 2-0 and 3-0 feels like the right way to play at odds of 8.00Bet €100 to win €8007/1Bet £100 to win £800+700Bet $100 to win $8007.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$8007.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp800-0.1429Bet RM100 to win RM800 with BetVictor, 6.10Bet €100 to win €61051/10Bet £100 to win £610+510Bet $100 to win $6105.10Bet HK$100 to win HK$6105.10Bet Rp100 to win Rp610-0.1961Bet RM100 to win RM610 with 888sport and Unibet and 7.50Bet €100 to win €75013/2Bet £100 to win £750+650Bet $100 to win $7506.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$7506.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp750-0.1538Bet RM100 to win RM750 with Paddy Power respectively. The dutched bet produces odds of 2.37Bet €100 to win €237137/100Bet £100 to win £237+137Bet $100 to win $2371.37Bet HK$100 to win HK$2371.37Bet Rp100 to win Rp237-0.7299Bet RM100 to win RM237. Again, one’s lean is towards betting at odds against on the dutched score options.

Finally and a little more speculatively, one likes the look of Italy at odds of 1.83Bet €100 to win €18383/100Bet £100 to win £183-120Bet $100 to win $1830.83Bet HK$100 to win HK$183-1.20Bet Rp100 to win Rp1830.8300Bet RM100 to win RM183 with Bwin to beat Norway in UEFA Euro 2016 action in Oslo. The current Norway side is not one of the Scandinavian country’s best and its last 12 matches have resulted in one win (Moldova), four draws (the Czech Republic, Iceland, Russia and the United Arab Emirates) and seven losses (England, Denmark, France, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia and Switzerland). Italy belongs in the group of the teams that have beaten Norway in recent times and, if one does not want to back the Azzurri at odds on, BetVictor is offering odds of 2.62Bet €100 to win €26281/50Bet £100 to win £262+162Bet $100 to win $2621.62Bet HK$100 to win HK$2621.62Bet Rp100 to win Rp262-0.6173Bet RM100 to win RM262 that Italy keeps a clean sheet and takes three points. Alternatively, dutching Italy 1-0 at odds of 6.00Bet €100 to win €6005/1Bet £100 to win £600+500Bet $100 to win $6005.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$6005.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp600-0.2000Bet RM100 to win RM600with 888sport and Unibet and Italy 2-0 at odds of 8.50Bet €100 to win €85015/2Bet £100 to win £850+750Bet $100 to win $8507.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$8507.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp850-0.1333Bet RM100 to win RM850 with BetVictor produces odds of 3.52Bet €100 to win €35263/25Bet £100 to win £352+252Bet $100 to win $3522.52Bet HK$100 to win HK$3522.52Bet Rp100 to win Rp352-0.3968Bet RM100 to win RM352. Again, one’s preference is to take the longer odds on the dutched scores.

Tips Summary

Croatia to beat Malta to nil / dutched scores
9th September 19:45 GMT
Odds: 1.53Bet €100 to win €15353/100Bet £100 to win £153-189Bet $100 to win $1530.53Bet HK$100 to win HK$153-1.89Bet Rp100 to win Rp1530.5300Bet RM100 to win RM153 / 2.33Bet €100 to win €233133/100Bet £100 to win £233+133Bet $100 to win $2331.33Bet HK$100 to win HK$2331.33Bet Rp100 to win Rp233-0.7519Bet RM100 to win RM233
Where to Bet: BetVictor

Bosnia and Herzegovina to beat Cyprus to nil / dutched scores
9th September 19:45 GMT
Odds: 1.83Bet €100 to win €18383/100Bet £100 to win £183-120Bet $100 to win $1830.83Bet HK$100 to win HK$183-1.20Bet Rp100 to win Rp1830.8300Bet RM100 to win RM183 / 2.37Bet €100 to win €237137/100Bet £100 to win £237+137Bet $100 to win $2371.37Bet HK$100 to win HK$2371.37Bet Rp100 to win Rp237-0.7299Bet RM100 to win RM237
Where to Bet: Sky Bet, BetVictor, 888sport, Unibet

Italy to beat Norway to nil / dutched scores
9th September 19:45 GMT
Odds: 2.62Bet €100 to win €26281/50Bet £100 to win £262+162Bet $100 to win $2621.62Bet HK$100 to win HK$2621.62Bet Rp100 to win Rp262-0.6173Bet RM100 to win RM262 / 3.52Bet €100 to win €35263/25Bet £100 to win £352+252Bet $100 to win $3522.52Bet HK$100 to win HK$3522.52Bet Rp100 to win Rp352-0.3968Bet RM100 to win RM352
Where to Bet: Bwin, BetVictor, 888sport, Unibet