Breaking down odds for UEFA Euro 2021 favorites, sleepers after one game of group play

Every team competing in the 2020 UEFA European Championship has played one group stage game so far, and spectators are getting a feel for what teams have a good chance to go all the way and what teams seem destined to fall by the wayside. Some teams have lived up to expectations, some have fallen short of expectations, and others have them so far. Let’s take a look at the betting odds for each group now that every team in the tournament has played a game.

Group A

Italy opened the tournament as a -186 favorite and improved to -770 following its 3-0 victory over Turkey (+1900) in its first group stage match. Turkey doesn’t seem to be much of a threat after tallying three shots against Italy, so Switzerland (+950) and Wales (+4500) seem like the best betting options to finish second.

Group B

Group B is more wide open than it should be. Belgium jumped from -139 to -480 following its 3-0 victory against Russia and could continue to get stronger now that Kevin De Bruyne has returned to training. The 29-year-old playmaker takes an already world-class squad to another level with his distribution and shot placement. Denmark (+750), Finland (+1050), and Russia (+4000) will be playing for second place if De Bruyne gets back on the pitch soon. Denmark’s odds to finish inside the top two are -295 despite Christian Eriksen’s heart issues. They are the second-most talented team in the group, but their loss of a key midfielder could give Russia (+190) a good chance to creep in behind Belgium.

Group C

The Netherlands (-400) and Austria (+360) have the best odds to win Group C. The favorite won a 3-2 thriller against Ukraine (+3000) over the weekend, and its defense should get a bump for the rest of the group stage with the return of star center back Matthijs de Ligt. The 21-year-old missed the opening game because of a minor groin injury and will make his country far more formidable. North Macedonia (+20000) shouldn’t be much of a factor in this group. Ukraine’s odds to finish second (+100) are worth considering, though. If they beat North Macedonia easily in their second group stage game, a win against Austria will likely secure a spot in the next stage.

Group D

England (-455) and the Czech Republic (+500) are firmly ahead of Croatia (+2400) and Scotland (+4500) in Group D. The England side, which is loaded with notable Premier League faces, seems likely to go unbeaten now that it’s taken down its toughest competition. Croatia has a huge game against the Czech Republic on Friday, and trailing by three in goal differential could be problematic even with a win.

Group E

Only group F is more wide open than Group E at this point. Spain is still the favorite at -265 despite their draw against Sweden (+525) this week, but dominated possession and created plenty of quality chances. A lineup change might be needed to maximize their potential, as there’s no clear-cut, go-to finisher at forward. Slovakia (+575) turned heads by knocking off Poland and could be a sneaky good top two bet at +125 because of the upset. Playing for draws the rest of the way could even result in Slovakia finishing atop the table, so there’s plenty of value in placing a smaller bet on the underdogs now.

Group F

One team in the group of death took a giant step in the right direction on Tuesday. France was favored to finish atop the table and took down Germany courtesy of a Mats Hummels own goal in the first half of the match. France won 1-0 and Germany’s odds took a big hit with the loss. It seems like the winner of next week’s Portugal-France game will win the group. Portugal handed Hungary a 3-1 romping on Tuesday, and Christiano Ronaldo netted two goals in his team’s victory.

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