Meanwhile, Holland take on England in a mouth-watering tie
The inaugural edition of the UEFA Nations League is reaching its climax, with the semi-finals set to be played next week in Portugal. And on Wednesday evening (5 June) hosts Portugal will take on Switzerland with a place in the final at stake, while the following evening a resurgent Holland side take on England who of course made it all the way to the semi-finals at the FIFA World Cup in Russia just 12 months ago.
First things first
Before you go any further, head on over to the Oddsshark website, find your favourite betting site and get your own account up and running using your credit card. As a new customer and with the UEFA Nations League semi-finals set to take place next week, there should be a wide range of promotions and special offers available to you.
Where should I be investing my money?
First up, let’s start with the match between Portugal and Switzerland on Wednesday evening. Portugal come into this match unbeaten in their last eight matches, although their last four have ended in draws – they will need to find a more cutting edge if they are to progress against this Swiss outfit.
Switzerland, by way of comparison, are unbeaten in their last three matches but we have seen some inconsistency from them over the last few months or so. There was a hugely disappointing 1-0 loss to Qatar in a friendly match back in November of last year, and in knock-out football and error, however slight, could end up having dire consequences.
And it is indeed Portugal who come into this match as the clear favourites to progress to the final. You can back the hosts to win at just 1.66, while Switzerland are out at 5.25 to do the same – a draw is priced in the middle at 3.60, according to Oddsshark.
Alternatively, you can make a more straightforward bet based solely on who will qualify for the final. Again, Portugal are the clear favourites to do so at 1.33, with Switzerland out at 3.25 to make it through.
And we believe that home advantage will be a decisive factor in this fixture. A comfortable, 3-1 win for Portugal is priced competitively at 13.00, thereby offering more than a ten-fold return on any investment, while you can more than triple your money by backing a combo bet of a Portugal win, coupled with both teams to score, at 3.60.
In terms of goal scorers, it will come as no great shock to learn that veteran Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be Portugal’s main threat in the final third. The Juventus forward is at just 1.61 to get on the score sheet, while you can more than triple your money by backing him to score either the first or the last goal of the match at 3.20.
Holland meet England in close clash
And the following evening, Holland host England in a match which should well be worth keeping an eye on. Having failed to qualify for both Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup, the Dutch have been enjoying something of a resurgence of late – they may have lost their last match to Germany in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, but prior to that they had gone five games unbeaten, including a 3-0 win over Germany and a 2-0 victory over France in this very competition.
England, by way of comparison, are unbeaten in their last seven and have won their last five matches in a row. They have scored 10 goals in their last two outings, five in each match against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.
And while the betting is close, it is England who come into this match as the slight favourites to progress. You can more than double your money by backing the Three Lions to progress at 2.40, while Holland are only slightly higher at 2.90 – a draw would appear to be the least likely outcome and is priced accordingly at 3.25.
Again, you can more a simple bet based on who will reach the final and England are only slightly ahead at 1.75. Holland are at 2.00 to qualify.
And while this should be a closely fought affair, we believe that England’s better form should make a difference. A narrow, 2-1 win for the Three Lions comes in at 9.50, meaning that a US$5 bet would lead to a US$47.50 pay out, while you can more than quadruple your money by backing a combo bet of an England win, coupled with both teams to score, at 4.75.
UEFA Nations League semi-final fixtures:
Wednesday, 5 June
(1.66) Portugal v Switzerland (5.25); draw (3.60)
Thursday, 6 June
(2.90) Holland v England (2.40); draw (3.25)
