The UEFA European Championship, better known as Euro 2024, will kick off this Friday (14th) in Germany, promising football fans a month full of excitement. Some of the world’s top national teams will compete in the second most-watched football tournament globally, second only to the World Cup.
The competition features 24 teams, equally divided into six groups. Teams within each group will face off, with the top two from each group advancing to the Round of 16, along with the four best third-placed teams. From there, the matches are knockout rounds leading to the grand final on July 14 at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.
If Euro 2024 excites sports enthusiasts, its impact on sports betting is equally significant. Beyond betting on various options for each match, there are numerous betting markets involving group performance, individual team performance, the tournament champion, the best players, and more. Here are some of the main betting options.
Euro 2024 Champion
This is perhaps the most popular market, especially among those who prefer future bets. Among the major betting houses, Jude Bellingham’s England is the favorite, with odds ranging from 4 to 4.7 on average. Close behind is France, led by Kylian Mbappé, with odds varying from 4.7 to 5.
The host nation, Germany, is the third favorite (average odds of 6.5), followed by Portugal (average odds of 7.5), Spain (average odds of 9), and Italy (average odds of 15). On the other end of the table, teams like Albania and Georgia offer odds of more than 800 to 1, which would represent one of the biggest “upsets” in sports history.
Group Performance
Believe in one of the less favored teams but don’t think they’ll win it all? Then betting on group performance might be an option. Most sites allow users to predict which teams will qualify and lead each group. For instance, Albania advancing to the Round of 16 can pay over 30 to 1. If you doubt one of the favorite teams, you can also bet on a specific team not advancing past the group stage. For Germany not to qualify from Group A, for example, the odds exceed 10 to 1.
Team Performance
On some sites, you can bet on specific aspects of a team’s performance. These bets can include the stage at which a team will be eliminated and which player will score the most goals and/or assists, for instance. For those with in-depth knowledge of a team, this can be an interesting option.
Best Players
In addition to betting on a player’s performance relative to their teammates, you can also place bets on the entire competition. Many sites offer bets on the top scorer of Euro 2024, a market led by Mbappé and Harry Kane with odds over 5, or the player with the most assists. In this category, one of the favorites is Belgium’s Kevin de Bruyne, who has odds over 10.
Special Bets
Another type of bet offered by sites is “Special Bets.” These options vary widely between platforms, but the idea is that this group includes more unusual bets. For example, you can bet on who will referee the final or whether the record for most goals scored by a player in the tournament will be broken. Other curious options include whether a player will bite another during a match.
