Live on ITV: Thurs 20.00: We’ve flagged up three bets including one at 18/5 (Ladbrokes) ahead of England’s World Cup clash with Uruguay.
Despite going down 2-1 in their World Cup opener against Italy, England should still progress to the knockout phase according to bookmakers, bet365 making Roy Hodgson’s troops odds-on at 10/11 to qualify from Group D.
In part this is because their performance in defeat in Manaus was encouraging but Uruguay’s shock reverse against Costa Rica also aided the cause of the Three Lions, whose fate remains in their own hands.
Winner.com’s 5/4 favourites to finish as group runners-up, England would put themselves firmly in the qualification driving seat with a victory against the wounded Uruguayans in Sao Paulo and William Hill chalk them up at 13/10 to collect a vital three points.
Paddy Power price La Celeste at 5/2 to bounce back from their Fortaleza horror show and it’s also 5/2, this time at betway, for the spoils to be shared, a result that would see both teams retain hopes of reaching the last 16.
That’s an outcome many neutrals will fancy, alongside BetVictor’s 18/5 about a score draw while a 1-1 scoreline is 13/2 courtesy of the same firm and cautious England supporters, perhaps concerned about the possible return of Luis Suarez for the South Americans, can back their team at 8/15 in Stan James’s ‘Draw No Bet’ market.
Neither side looked particularly convincing at the back in their respective fixtures on Saturday and on that basis, BetVictor’s 17/20 for both teams to get on the scoresheet looks a safe enough bet.
Subsequently, punters fancying Hodgson’s charges to do the business might tackle Ladbrokes’s 10/1 marked against them shading it 2-1 in a contest that’s 11/10 (BetVictor) to produce three or more goals and less specifically, bet365 offer 11/4 about an England success by a one-goal margin or it’s 18/5 (Ladbrokes) for them to win but also concede.
In what looks set to be another tight affair for the Three Lions, it’s 4/1 via Stan James for them to emerge triumphant on the back of an inconclusive first period and Skybet go 13/2 about the score being one-each at the break, as it was against the Azzurri at the weekend.
In terms of goals, Stan James make England 4/5 to bag the first and Wayne Rooney, rated at 1/5 by William Hill to start the game in the Arena Corinthians, is 13/2 with BetVictor to justify his selection by breaking the deadlock. Daniel Sturridge is a skinnier 6/1 at Ladbrokes to notch first and at the other end it’s also 6/1 (bet365) for his Liverpool colleague Luis Suarez to open the scoring. Bet365 make Suarez 2s to strike at any stage.
Elsewhere, with so much at stake, it could be a busy game for the referee, who is 3/1 with Paddy Power to award a penalty at some stage. Hodgson’s team are 7/1 via bet365 to strike from the spot and the man-in-the-middle is 5/2 courtesy of BetVictor to show a yellow card to Suarez, the same price they post against a Rooney caution.
BetVictor meanwhile, also quote a generous 5/1 for Raheem Sterling, dismissed in a pre-tournament friendly, to be booked on this occasion.
Recommended Bets:
England to win and both teams to score – 18/5 (Ladbrokes)
Luis Suarez to score at any time – 2/1 (bet365)
Raheem Sterling to be booked – 5/1 (BetVictor)
Compare all World Cup odds and bet at the best prices.
