All the usual suspects are betting favorites to take home the European Cup title. Here's who online bookmakers are giving the best odds to win (as of June 8):
| Country |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| France | +450 | +450 |
| England | +500 | +500 |
| Belgium | +600 | +500 |
| Germany | +700 | +750 |
| Spain | +800 | +800 |
| Portugal | +800 | +850 |
| Netherlands | +1200 | +1400 |
There's a lot of ground to cover with a 24-team, six-group tournament so we'll jump right into our soccer betting picks. Notice how we said picks? When all of UEFA's best come together for this, you want to spread your bets around in case of an upset (it happens in this sport), injury, or plain old-fashioned bad luck.
France (+450)
Make no mistake about it, the 2018 World Cup winners and 2016 Euro Cup runner-ups are in the "group of death." In its Group F, it must survive Germany (No. 12 in FIFA world ranking), Portugal (No. 5), and Hungary (No. 37). Right there in one group, you have three of the top-5 betting favorites in the entire event.
Yet, we actually think that's going to be an advantage for one of these Group F entrants. If you believe that "iron sharpens iron" then it's reasonable to think that stiff competition early on will harden the teams for a more pressure-cooked knockout stage later on.
That's one reason we're betting with Les Blues. The other? These guys can just flat-out dominate on the pitch, hence it's No. 2 ranking by FIFA. Honestly, it's tough to find any weakness on the France side. Its starting 11 is as good as it gets, especially up front with Karim Benzema, Oliver Giroud, Antoine Greizmann, and of course, Kylian Mbappe.
It's never sexy betting the favorite, but it makes sense for at least one of your bets. Until they're beaten, we're not betting against the champions of the world.
Belgium (+600)
The Red Devils "golden generation" — featuring world-class stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, and Romeo Lukaku — fell to France in the World Cup semi-finals. With father time slowly closing their window, can they at least deliver Belgium a Euro title?
If qualifications are any indication, then the answer is a resounding yes. No team across UEFA rolled through the qualification stage easier than Belgium. Not only did they win 10 of 10 games, but the Red Devils outscored their opponents by an eye-popping 40-3 margin.
The big question for Belgium is health. De Bruyne left the pivot Champions League final with an eye socket injury, while Hazard, welp, he's seemingly always hurt since arriving in Madrid. Without those two up front, the Red Devils suddenly become very beatable.
See, this is why you make several futures bets. A healthy Belgium team is right up there with France in talent. But an unfit one? They become group-stage-exit worthy. As a bettor, you have to prepare for either outcome.
Poland (+8000)
As we always do with these picks, we like offering up at least one "longshot." A team in the middle of the pack that could run the table if things fall into place. In the upcoming Euro Cup, that's Poland.
Of course, any discussion about Poland's chances starts and ends with striker and team captain Robert Lewandowski. There's a strong — and we mean strong — argument to be made that the 32-year-old is the best footballer right now. His 41-goal season at Bayern Munich this season certainly supports that.
Poland drew Spain, Sweden, and Slovakia in Group E of the tourney. The Spaniards are the clear favorites, but all it takes is one upset to vault Poland into first and a better path in the knockout round. With a game-changing player like Lewandowski on the pitch, it's certainly plausible.
We're not in love with Poland outright — not over the likes of France and Belgium — but we are in love with Poland's steep odds. Once you get past the top-8 or so teams, there's a huge dropoff in betting lines. In that second-tier group, few teams provide as much "bang for your buck" as Poland. We'll take it!
So there you have it, those are our three best bets of the Euro Cup. Agree or disagree? If you want to put your money where your mouth is (like us), then lock in a bet at one of the bookmakers listed underneath. Like the countries participating in the event, these bookies are also the "cream of the crop."
What makes them so elite is their sign-up bonuses, offered to new bettors only. In the table below, you can see what deals are currently on the table. No, that's not a typo either, you do stand to earn anywhere from $1000 to $2500 in free play with any one of these deals.
To get in on the free play riches, all you need to do is create an account at one of the betting sites and fund it with your own money. That's two steps, which can be completed in under 10 minutes, and boom — you have yourself a small fortune in free play! Free play, might we add, that can be wagered right back into the Euro Cup!
