Live on ITV: Tues 17.00: England are 4/1 (Ladbrokes) to limp away from the World Cup with a score draw against buoyant Costa Rica.
Eliminated from the World Cup already, England probably wish they were already on the plane home but Roy Hodgson’s beleaguered troops have one final Group D assignment, against surprise package Costa Rica, before they can return from Brazil.
Los Ticos are already through to the last 16 having beaten Uruguay and Italy but they still see England as a scalp and with their players aiming to secure lucrative moves to Europe they insist they’ll be going all out for victory. Nevertheless, Hodgson’s men are odds-on at 5/6 with Stan James to grab a consolation victory in Belo Horizonte, where the Central Americans are BetVictor’s 7/2 outsiders and bet365 post 29/10 against it finishing all square.
It will be a much-changed Three Lions line-up as Hodgson gives a chance to some younger players and that allied with their opponents’ form makes England a particularly risky bet. Costa Rica might shuffle their pack too though so they too are hard to recommend and accordingly it might be worth sitting on the fence by backing a score draw at 4/1 (Ladbrokes).
More accurately, bet365 offer 14/1 about a 2-2 scoreline, it’s 5/1 courtesy of BetVictor for scores to be level at the end of each half and for England supporters, their team can be backed at 4/11 in Stan James’s ‘Draw No Bet’ market.
Punters believing Los Ticos will have half an eye on the knockout stages can tackle Skybet’s 11/4 about the Three Lions restoring some pride with a victory by one, it’s 9/1 at Ladbrokes for Hodgson’s side to shade it 2-1 and betway price England at 14/5 to prevail in a match that sees both teams find the net.
Where goals are concerned, a tally of three or more is 10/11 at William Hill, Winner.com go 21/20 about most of them arriving in the second half and it’s 8/13 via Stan James for England to grab the first for the first time in the competition. Daniel Sturridge meanwhile, is bet365’s 5/1 favourite to break the deadlock, ahead of Wayne Rooney at 6/1 with BetVictor, who also rate Ross Barkley as a 12/1 chance.
Recommended Bets:
Score draw – 4/1 (Ladbrokes)
