EURO 2012

This overall tournament guide will talk through the main markets including the tournament Winners, as well as previewing each group and its qualification markets. We also look at some of the more creative markets on offer which you can bet on to really test your knowledge, and ensure every game matters including the all important Golden Boot.

Odds and markets are taken from across our partner bookmakers, with main markets available with all. Where markets are specific to one or two bookmakers this is signposted. As always visit our free betting offers page to find out about the free new customer offers available from each www.howtobet4free.com/free-betting-offers. Many of our offers give a free matched bet, meaning if you deposit and stake on the tournament winner, your golden bet choice for the same stake would be risk free!

As this is a bumper edition of our betting preview we have left out all odds calculation. Remember you can check our ‘how to place a bet guide’ for a detailed explanation of how the odds work, and also an odds calculator so you can try for yourself.

The Teams

Europe’s Premier Football tournament kicks off in just one week’s time. 16 teams contest 31 matches over a 3-week period.

Expectations in England are for once fairly low key, perhaps a good thing, but elsewhere the weight of national pride rests heavy on other competing teams. Spain, the defending Champions, looking to win an unprecedented 3^rd straight major international title and 3^rd European Championships title overall. Germany, looking to extend their record to 4 titles in 7 finals appearances. While let’s not forget the co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, with home advantage pressure adding to their already immense task of reaching the latter stages.

Tournament Winner

Here are the best priced odds with just 2 days to go before the tournament starts. Remember to keep checking the howtobet4free.com homepage for the very latest best priced odds. Any team whose odds are getting longer is not being fancied; while shortening odds reflects what the punters think is a value bet.

Spain 11/4
Germany  3/1
Holland 7/1
France 11/1
EnlgandI 12/1
Italy 14/1
Portugal 20/1
Russia 25/1

All other 40/1 or greater

When backing a team to win the tournament there is always an option to lay your bet and protect your profit should your team make the later stages. As an example if you are backing England at 12/1 for £50 this would mean £600 profit. Should England make the final against, oh lets say…. Germany, there would be an opportunity to then back Germany in the two horse race for part of the £600 profit, in order to guarantee a return regardless of whether England won the final or not (but then would you really want to bet on the Germans???)

The Groups

No group appears easy this tournament. Several high profile teams will definitely be falling at the first hurdle, particularly in group B where all four of Germany, Holland, Portugal and Denmark could consider themselves worthy of a top 8 in Europe tag.

Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Russia and Poland are the favourites to advance to the quarter-finals according to the bookmakers. Russia are 4/9 to advance in the competition, while the co-hosts are 5/6 to reach the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic are slight underdogs at 6/5 to reach the final eight, meaning that the Euro 2004 champions Greece are 11/8 to survive Group A.
Group B: Holland, Denmark, Germany, Portugal
Group B is undoubtedly the “Group of Death” of Euro 2012. With that said, any of the four teams have good cases for making their way to the quarter-finals, with Holland, Germany and Denmark all easily winning their qualifying groups to be here.
Germany are the bookmakers’ favourites however, at 1/4, to advance to the last 8. They are closely followed by Holland, who are 1/2 to finish in the top two of Group B.
In contrast, Portugal and Denmark are the underdogs, with the Portuguese given 6/5 odds to achieve a top-two finish, despite having to come through a tricky play-off to reach this stage, while Denmark are the least fancied out of Group B at 9/2.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Defending European and World Cup champions Spain are naturally heavy favourites to reach the quarter finals stage, with odds of 1/10. They are also 5/2 favourites for the tournament itself.
Italy, who will be looking to avenge their poor performance in the 2012 World Cup, are next in line at 8/13.
Croatia and the Republic of Ireland are definitely the two teams with the most difficult task of all in the group stages. Both are rated very much as underdogs to advance. Croatia are at 7/4 and the Republic of Ireland 7/2. If there is going to be a major upset in terms of group stage qualifiers, it will come from group C
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England
Despite the low key build up and a sense of realism to the expectations of the masses, England are still favourites to qualify from Group D, at 1/2 to reach the quarters, despite Rooney’s absence from the first two matches.
France are close in behind at 8/15, whilst arguably the better of the two co-hosts, Ukraine, are in at 11/8, with Sweden, so often dark horses, in at 7/4

Other Tournament Markets

For our other markets listed below dead heat rules would apply. This means potential winnings will be cut should several selections finish equally.

Name the finalists

This is an interesting bet offered by all bookmakers, as not only have you got to pick two teams you think can go all the way, but they have to avoid each other in the quarter finals and semi finals. A repeat of the 2008 final between the two pre tournament favourites Spain and Germany is the shortest odds at 8/1, if they both win their groups they stay apart till the final too. Two teams quietly going about their business that may benefit from low expectations are France and Italy, a repeat of the 2006 World cup Final is 100/1. Although should France win their group and Italy come second to formidable Spain one would take the other out in a quarter final clash. For the patriots among us England vs Holland is a 50/1 shout

To reach the semi final

This might be a market for a dark horse team you fancy, but don’t think can go the distance and is widely available. Our favourite picks is hosts Poland at 5/1 who avoid any big guns in a group they could win which would pair them up with the runners up in group B. Republic of Ireland, very much up against it in their group with Spain and Italy are the long shot at 16/1

Lowest scoring team

This is a fascinating market offered by a number of bookmakers including Betfred and Boylesports, and could need a big fat zero to win (you definitely need your team to be heading home after the groups anyway). Denmark facing formidable opposition in each game they play are looking good at 5/1. Ukraine, who lost 2-0 to Turkey in their final warm up game and may try to keep it tight against England and France are a rather appealing 11/1.

Highest scoring group game

This market is offered by William hill and Bet Victor and could be won one of two ways. Either a team handing out a spanking (Spain vs Ireland is the 11/1 most fancied fixture) or one of those epic high scoring end to end encounters (we fancy Poland vs Czech Republic at 20/1, an evenly matched final group game where both teams may have to go for it).

Highest scoring club

This is a fascinating market offered by Ladbrokes, with all the usual suspects appearing at short odds. A goal is credited every time a player signed at your club scores for their country in the tournament. Bayern Munich, boasting a number of players in the much fancied German team are 5/2, Germany should get 5 or maybe even 6 games to top this up. We also like the look of Man City at 8/1, with players taking part across the tournament, although not all guaranteed a game.

Highest scoring group

This would keep interest for the whole 2 weeks of the group stages and available from all bookmakers. Group B is a clear favourite at 9/5 with a wealth of attacking talent on display from Holland, Germany, Portugal and Denmark, while Group A is a long shot 9/2, general expectation for teams to keep it tight in what is likely to be the closest group.

Most bookings per team

A spread betting favourite is now becoming more and more popular, with Paddypower offering this market for the tournament. As with any tournament long bet, remember if your team is knocked out they sit still while others in the knockouts top up their numbers. The odds reflect this with the tournament favourites at low odds here, we like the look of Italy at 11/1 who we think could kick their way to the semis.

Golden Boot

The Golden boot makes a very interesting bet, with some surprising winners over the years at long odds, making it a possibly very profitable bet for punters armed with good tips. There are two names that stand out in the Euro 2012 Golden boot betting markets and make our top picks: Robin Van Persie and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Van Persie has been in sensational form for Arsenal, finishing as the Premier League top goal scorer. He will also be looking to put in a good performance to help contract negotiations and or potential transfers this summer. With odds of 10/1 this looks like a great bet
Ronaldo has been in sensational goal scoring form for Real Madrid, and has previously eclipsed the 40 goals mark in a season for Man Utd. For Portugal, Ronaldo is on free kick and penalty duty where he will no doubt pick up a couple of goals. Ronaldo is also a threat from open play where his dazzling runs and finishing ability have helped him to 25 international goals – not bad for a player who will only be 27 years old come the start of Euro 2012. Ronaldo has what might seem like generous odds of 14/1

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