Live on ITV: Mon 19.45: England will be happy with a goalless draw (13/2, BetVictor) from their Euro 2016 encounter in Switzerland.
Whether it was down to the timing of the game, which came right at the start of the domestic football season or the fact that the team performed so badly at the World Cup over the summer that supporters are a touch disillusioned, England’s friendly contest against Norway failed to capture the public’s imagination, attracting a meagre crowd to Wembley.
Also playing a part of course could’ve been the fact that a far more important assignment lies in wait for Hodgson’s team, who travel to Switzerland on Monday for the first of their Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Bet365 feel it’s unlikely, at 20/1, that England will fail to reach the finals in France and indeed they’re just 2/5 (Stan James) to top Group E, however their opening encounter in Basel is a fixture that bookies are struggling to decipher, perhaps because they’re unsure how England will respond in a competitive encounter, to their disappointing showing in Brazil.
Consequently, there’s little between the sides in the markets, although after the lacklustre display against Norway, a few firms report a trickle of cash for the Swiss, now bet365’s marginal 8/5 favourites and Stan James quote a triumph for the Three Lions at a slightly bigger 9/5.
It’s not surprising then, that the stalemate has been all the rage in the early exchanges, Paddy Power’s 11/5 the top price for the duo to share the spoils at St Jakob-Park, where it’s just 13/2 (BetVictor) to be a cagey goalless encounter.
Simply avoiding defeat, an outcome Winner.com offer at 4/9, will be a decent enough result for Hodgson’s troops in what is undoubtedly their toughest clash on paper but for confident travelling fans, Skybet’s 3/1 about them nicking it by one might catch the eye.
Alternatively, It’s double the odds at 6/1 (William Hill) for the Three Lions to return with a valuable 1-0 victory under their belts, England are 9/10 in Stan James’s ‘Draw No Bet’ market and Ladbrokes make them 5/1 to secure the points following an even first half.
Punters fond of goal-related wagers can tackle betway’s 23/20 about Hodgson’s charges breaking the deadlock, Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge is BetVictor’s 6/1 favourite to fire that opener but the clash still looks a banker at 8/15 (Stan James) to generate fewer than three goals.
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Switzerland v England to be 0-0 – 13/2 (BetVictor)
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