The wait for one of the top soccer tournaments in the world is over as the 2024 UEFA European Championship begins on Friday in Germany. The host nation gets the competition started with a Group A match against Scotland at Allianz Arena in Munich. Euro 2024 includes 22 other nations and nine additional cities in which games will be played, with the final taking place on July 14 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin. The Germans, who are tied with Spain for the most championships in the tournament with three, are seeking their first title since 1996.
Defending champion Italy play their first match on Saturday when they take on Albania in a Group B showdown at BVB Stadion Dortmund. The Italians are looking to join Spain (2008, 2012) as the only nations to successfully defend the title. Italy are listed at +1800 to repeat, while England are the +350 favorite in the latest Euro 2024 odds. The top team in the FIFA rankings, France, is +400, while host Germany is +550. Portugal (+700) and Spain (+800) round out the top five Euro 2024 contenders. Before locking in any Euro 2024 futures picks or predictions, you need to see what SportsLine soccer insider Martin Green has to say.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper and has covered the game worldwide. Last year, Green was profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks, including the Champions League (+3.05 units), FA Cup (+3.07), EFL Cup (+4.47) and Euro 2024 qualifiers (+6.30), among others. He also was solid with his Premier League picks this year, going 30-22-1 (+7.07).
Now, Green has broken down Euro 2024 from every possible angle and revealed which teams you should back and which teams you should completely avoid. You can visit SportsLine now to see his Euro 2024 picks.
Top UEFA Euro 2024 predictions
Green is avoiding Germany, even though the three-time European champions are among the Euro 2024 favorites at 11-2. The Germans struggled after failing to advance to the knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, winning only three of their 11 international friendly matches the following year. They have performed much better thus far in 2024, however, allowing just two goals while recording three victories and a draw in four friendlies.
Germany could have trouble in the knockout stage of Euro 2024, but they shouldn’t have much difficulty getting there as they’ve enjoyed plenty of recent success against the other three Group A teams. The Germans have lost just one of their last 13 meetings with Scotland, with that setback coming in 1999, and are unbeaten in their last three encounters with Hungary. They also have been dominant against Switzerland, losing only one of their 21 matchups since 1956.
“The Germans are playing on home soil this time around, so it is easy to see why they are among the favorites to lift the trophy,” Green told SportsLine. “However, they lack firepower on attack and could struggle against Spain or Portugal in the latter stages of the tournament.”
Don’t miss CBS Sports Golazo Network’s Morning Footy, now in podcast form! Our crew brings you all the news, views, highlights and laughs you need to follow the Beautiful Game in every corner of the globe, every Monday-Friday all year long.
How to make Euro 2024 picks
Green has analyzed the Euro 2024 bracket from every angle and revealed which teams to back and fade, including a longshot who has a chance to shock the world and go all the way. He’s only sharing his top picks here.
Who is Green backing to win Euro 2024, and which longshot can go all the way? Check out the odds below and then visit SportsLine now to see Martin Green’s Euro 2024 futures bets and analysis, all from the soccer expert who has been profitable in multiple areas on his soccer picks.
UEFA Euro 2024 odds
England +330
France +400
Germany +550
Portugal +700
Spain +800
Italy +1800
Netherlands +1800
Belgium +2000
Croatia +3000
Denmark +4000
Switzerland +7500
Turkey +7500
Austria +8000
Serbia +8000
Hungary +10000
Ukraine +10000
Scotland +12500
Czech Republic +17500
Poland +17500
Romania +20000
Slovenia +30000
Georgia +50000
Slovakia +50000
Albania +75000