Euro 2024 outright predictions, tips and best bets: Formidable France bound for Berlin triumph

Betfair are offering £40 in free bets when you bet on Euro 2024. You can grab your free bets here. 

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When does Euro 2024 start?

Euro 2024 gets underway on Friday June 14 at 8pm when hosts Germany take on Scotland in Munich. 

Euro 2024 outright predictions & best bets

France to win Euro 2024
3pts 4-1 general

Portugal to win Euro 2024
2pts 15-2 Betfair, Paddy Power

You can bet on Euro 2024 here and get £40 in free bets with Betfair

Euro 2024 tips & predictions

England let slip a glorious opportunity to be crowned European champions three years ago, losing on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 final and they could be heading for another near miss.

Gareth Southgate’s side suffered a similar fate in the 2018 World Cup semi-final against Croatia, who battled back to win in extra-time after falling behind to a Kieran Trippier free-kick in the fifth minute.

And England’s most recent tournament tilt also ended with an agonising defeat as Harry Kane missed a late penalty in a tight 2-1 quarter-final loss to France at the 2022 World Cup.

After several close calls under Southgate, England have been well backed to get over the line at Euro 2024 and there is no danger of them being underrated by bookmakers.

Record goalscorer Kane should feel at home in Germany after his prolific, if trophyless, debut campaign at Bayern Munich and former Borussia Dortmund hero Jude Bellingham had a stunning season for Real Madrid.

Phil Foden was outstanding for Premier League champions Manchester City, Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice shone for runners-up Arsenal, Ollie Watkins powered Aston Villa to Champions League qualification and only Erling Haaland scored more top-flight goals than Chelsea’s Cole Palmer.

The quality of England’s attacking players helps to explain their status as Euro 2024 favourites but there are question marks over the make-up of the defence.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford tends to rise to the occasion at major tournaments but Harry Maguire, another Southgate stalwart, has lost his fitness battle and the manager admits selecting Luke Shaw as the only specialist left-back in the squad is “a gamble”.

There are plenty of parallels between market leaders England and France. Both have long-serving managers – Southgate and Didier Deschamps – who have been criticised for playing too conservatively given the attacking talent at their disposal.

And, like England at Euro 2020, Les Bleus suffered penalty-shootout heartbreak in the 2022 World Cup final, losing to Argentina after a pulsating 3-3 draw.

France did not muster an attempt at goal until the 80th minute but Kylian Mbappe’s late brace took the final to extra-time and Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez made a crucial save to deny Randal Kolo Muani in the 123rd minute.

Such fine margins add to the drama of international tournaments. Croatia, for example, won four penalty shootouts during their last two World Cup campaigns, as well as scoring a 109th-minute winner in the 2018 semi-final against England.

They went on to lose 4-2 to France in an entertaining final in Russia, where Deschamps became only the third man to lift the World Cup both as a player and a manager.

He captained Les Blues to European Championship glory in 2000, when David Trezeguet’s Golden Goal settled the final against Italy, and has a great chance to complete another double this summer.

The Real Madrid-bound Mbappe, who scored the winner against Spain in the 2021 Nations League final, is the continent’s biggest star and Antoine Griezmann, now a midfield schemer for the national team, had a fine season for Atletico Madrid.

The 37-year-old Olivier Giroud remains an excellent foil for Mbappe while Milan keeper Mike Maignan is a class act and France’s emerging talents include Arsenal centre-back William Saliba, Real Madrid midfielders Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga and PSG teenager Warren Zaire-Emery.

France took 22 points from a possible 24 in qualifying, beating the Netherlands at home and away. Winning the Euros is unlikely to be as straightforward as November’s 14-0 victory over ten-man Gibraltar but Les Bleus undoubtedly pose a serious threat to favourites England.

The top two take out a decent chunk of the market, reflecting the shortage of convincing contenders.

Spain, Belgium and hosts Germany are rebuilding under relatively new managers after their disappointing efforts at the 2022 World Cup.

European champions Italy failed to qualify for the Qatar finals, losing to North Macedonia in the playoffs, and Euro 2020-winning coach Roberto Mancini was replaced by Luciano Spalletti in August 2023. 

Germany’s Hansi Flick departed a month later, following a 4-1 friendly defeat to Japan, so former Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann has had only a handful of non-competitive fixtures in charge.

Nagelsmann’s squad includes four players who featured in the Champions League final, as well as a host of Bayern stars, three members of Bayer Leverkusen’s double-winning side and in-form Arsenal forward Kai Havertz.

With home advantage, Die Mannschaft should go well but they make limited appeal at the prices considering their lacklustre displays at Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup.

Portugal look the best of the rest despite doubts over the tactical prowess of manager Roberto Martinez. Having overseen Belgium’s shock group-stage exit at the World Cup, Martinez’s appointment as Portugal boss in January 2023 was something of a surprise.

It has worked out well for the Euro 2016 winners thus far, though. They cruised through qualifying, winning all ten of their matches in Group J and finishing with a goal difference of +34.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe, aged 39 and 41, are preparing for yet another major tournament but there are fresher legs elsewhere in the squad.

Twelve of Portugal’s other 21 outfield players are aged 25 or younger and Premier League stars Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes and Joao Palhinha are in their prime.

Ronaldo’s presence is a mixed blessing – Portugal demolished Switzerland 6-1 in the World Cup round of 16 after he was left out of the starting 11 – but Martinez has a deep, well-balanced squad who could prove to be serious contenders in Germany over the next month.

Spain reached the semi-finals at Euro 2020 and won last summer’s Nations League but they were knocked out of the World Cup by Morocco in the last 16 and still lack a cutting edge up front.

Barcelona youngster Gavi is an injury absentee while club teammate Pedri has had a tough season and La Roja, European champions in 2008 and 2012, may come up short this year.

Ronald Koeman, sacked by Barca in October 2021 with the club ninth in La Liga, was an uninspiring managerial appointment by the Netherlands and Euro 2020 semi-finalists Denmark finished bottom of their World Cup group, scoring only one goal in matches against Tunisia, France and Australia.

Read more Euro 2024 predictions from our team of football experts . . .

How to back every team at Euro 2024 + get £40 in free bets with Betfair 

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Euro 2024 best bets for the group stage + get £40 in free bets with Betfair 

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