What a thrilling ride the UEFA European Championship has been in June and July. With so many teams hopeful of winning it all, we’re now down to two: England and Italy. This is all set to be a historic showdown, with the two squads ready to chase the glory. In this piece, we have our Euros Final picks for England vs. Italy. Which country will end up lifting the trophy come Sunday?
Entering the Sunday tilt, England is the slight favorite over Italy for the Final, which is pretty much expected. Italy has been the surprise of the tournament, as no one really expected them to make it this far. Not only did the Italians stun Belgium with a 2-1 win, but then they defeated Spain in penalties during the semifinals. To beat Belgium and Spain in back-to-back games is remarkable.
Now, Italy will look to stay red hot and defeat England. This of course is going to be an incredibly difficult task. England is playing sensational soccer these days, with Gareth Southgate’s men impressing each time they take the pitch. England beat Ukraine in the quarterfinals 4-0, truly dominating them from start to finish. Then in the semifinals, they survived a major scare from Denmark to win 2-1.
Euro Final odds | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
England to win | +165 | +165 | +165 | +165 |
Italy to win | +195 | +195 | +195 | +195 |
Kane to score | +450 | +450 | +450 | +450 |
Immobile to score | +550 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
With the Final around the corner, England indeed is a small favorite, holding +165 odds. Meanwhile for Italy, they hold strong odds as well, as they’re +195. Remember, these are the odds for winning within 90 minutes and not needing extra time or penalties to do so. The odds for the two sides to be tied at the end of the 90 minutes has also been set at +195.
Will Italy’s magic continue, or will England be able to come away with a huge win and send a worldwide message? We think this match will surely be one to remember. With that said, it’s time for the Three Lions to step up and get things done. We think Harry Kane, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Pickford and the other stars will do so. England is our pick.
With the crowd at the Euros Final rocking from start to finish, we think they should grow in cheers with the first goal. And with that, we think Harry Kane should find the back of the net first for England, giving the Three Lions a much-needed early lead over the Italians. There’s no denying Kane has been under plenty of fire in this tourney, but he’s really stepped his game up of late. It’s been amazing to see.
In order for England to come away with a win, they’ll really need to start off hot and put pressure on the Italian defense. That of course is much easier said than done, but the Three Lions’ offensive attack has been brilliant. Luke Shaw has been tremendous with his crosses, while Raheem Sterling continues to fly down the pitch with ease. Those two should create chances for Kane.
The Las Vegas sportsbooks have given Kane +450 odds of being the game’s first goal scorer. The Tottenham star helped send England to the Final in the dramatic win over Denmark with his goal in extra time. After Sterling was brought down in the box, Kane went to the penalty spot and had his first shot saved, but he kept his cool and powered in the rebound attempt.
Come Sunday, we indeed think that Kane will be the one to score first. Not only that, we think it will come in the first half as well. This has the makings to be a memorable day for England. They’ve been dreaming of winning a major tournament for so long now. For that to happen, Kane will indeed have to play one of his best games of the tournament. We think he will. He’s our pick to score first. Agree? Use one of our soccer betting sites to get a bet in.
When the game does arrive, don’t think Italy won’t make this one a heart-stopping match, as this team has most definitely impressed so much. Who would have thought they’d be able to beat Belgium and Spain in back-to-back games? That alone is eye-opening. Now, while we think that England is going to come away with a win here, that doesn’t mean we don’t believe Italy will make things interesting.
If we had to make a selection on what the final score might be, we’d go with 2-1. This isn’t going to be a 1-0 or 2-0 England win. No, no, Italy has showcased just how strong they are on the counter attack to allow something like that to happen. England very well could open up the scoring and take an early lead, but we think Italy will find the back of the net to even things up at some point.
The odds of both team’s scoring has been set at +110, while only one side scoring is at -140. Clearly, Las Vegas thinks that this will end up being a 1-0 win for either Italy or England. That wouldn’t be a complete and total shock, but again, we don’t think that will happen. Both offenses feel like they’re destined to score. Our pick is certainly for the two countries to do just that, so we’re taking the +110 odds.
Chris Wassel is someone who has covered a little bit of everything: business, writing, sports, food, grilling, the Olympics, injuries, politics, and more. He has climbed mountains like Mount Washington and Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California, and for those who don’t know, he is also big into food challenges. With friends like Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has tackled eating feats like finishing a 16-pound turkey or a 32-inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, he has focused on fitness, fishing, and sports while managing to fit in running, hiking, rock climbing, and even the occasional mini-triathlon. He can lift more than his body weight with ease and is the person you turn to when you want to know if a NASCAR rain delay means a Monday race. Over his career, Chris has worked at places like Amazon, USA Today, and various rumors and fantasy sports sites. He has been nominated for awards such as the Fantasy Sports Writers Association's Hockey Writer of the Year and has a collection of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings on display at home. With all this, Chris sums it up best with his motto: "Shut up and play."