Euro 2012 Group D betting

England sit in a difficult looking group D, along with France, Ukraine and Sweden. Like many other groups, this one has two teams that look the strongest on paper. Those teams are of course England and France and they will be the favourites to progress to the knockout stages of the competition. However, Ukraine are the joint hosts which will give them an extra boost, and Sweden have the mercurial Zlatan Ibrahimovic, so they can never be ruled out completely. So will there be an upset in the group or will the two favourites progress through to the next round?

Euro 2012 Group D odds

There is a clear gap in the odds between the two sides that won their respective groups and the two that didn’t. Of course the Ukraine didn’t have to qualify, but it remains to be seen if they could have. England are the favourites to both win the group and qualify for the next stage with bookmakers in this country, with France at slightly longer odds. Fabio Capello’s men are priced nicely at 2.6 to win the group and at 1.56 to qualify in either first or second. France are slightly longer, and a bit better value with odds of 2.71 and 1.48 respectively. These odds to win the group look particularly good, as the French team qualified easily from their group and are a completely different side under Laurent Blanc than the one that had a disaster at the 2010 World Cup. In terms of England, there isn’t much value in pure qualification, so if you think they really have turned the corner under Capello then betting on a group win should give a decent return. Ukraine’s odds are a little longer at 2.27 to qualify from the group, as this looks the most likely for the co-hosts. The home advantage should give them an extra boost, but will the pressure of playing in their first European Championships take its toll? Sweden are the final side to make up the group and are the longest odds to qualify or in fact win the group. It would take a lot for the Swedes to win the group with other good teams, but they do have a chance of qualifying. Odds of 2.65 could give a good return if they could get Zlatan Ibrahimovic firing, but after conceding 11 in qualifying, could their defence let them down?

The bet of this group goes on a straight forecast of France to finish first and England to finish second, with odds of 3.23 available. The logic behind this being quite simple, England will be without Wayne Rooney for the first two games of the competition and have struggled recently at major tournaments. Whereas, France have a good young squad and Karim Benema is having a good season for Real Madrid. Add to this an attacking midfield three of Gourcuff, Nasri and Ribery, and the French could be a real force.