Nations League best bets: Dissecting the weekend's biggest matches
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The final round of Euro 2020 qualifiers was incredibly profitable for us, as we swept the board to take home a profit of +7.30 units. Not bad for a day's work.
The international break continues this weekend with the resumption of the UEFA Nations League. Let's dive into some of the weekend's biggest fixtures to see what bets we can churn out.
France (+220) at Portugal (+130), Draw (+225); Nov. 14 @ 2:45 p.m. ET
Portugal can essentially secure top spot in Group A3 win a win in Lisbon on Saturday and is good value to do so. The host has been in terrific form, keeping five successive clean sheets, conceding just once in its last eight, going unbeaten through 10 Nations League matches (winning seven), and last losing on home soil in March 2017.
Fernando Santos has a full selection of players at his disposal, and the competition for places is fierce. It continues to spur Portugal on, and with the Euros around the corner, opportunities to stake a claim to a starting place are running out. Didier Deschamps, meanwhile, will have to do some reshuffling in attack as Kylian Mbappe is a major doubt. Paul Pogba continues to struggle on international duty, and France has just lacked the sharpness required to get a result at the Stadium of Light coming off a shock 2-0 defeat to Finland on Wednesday.
Pick: Portugal (+130)
Bosnia & Herzegovina (+730) at Netherlands (-325), Draw (+400); Nov. 15 @ 12 p.m.
With Wednesday's draw against Spain, Frank de Boer has now failed to win any of his first four matches, the worst-ever start for a Netherlands manager. The Dutch are seemingly longing to have Ronald Koeman back, as it's all become rather stale and predictable in attack. They've scored just twice in those four matches but have conceded only three, remaining typically stout in defense.
We can expect more of the same on Sunday against a Bosnia side missing key personnel in attack, including star striker Edin Dzeko. The visitor's best chance here is to congest the final third and make life frustrating for the Oranje, who simply haven't shown the creativity under De Boer to break down a clustered defense. It's set to be a tense affair in Amsterdam; if you can find plus money on under 2.5, take that as well.
Pick: Under 3 (-145)
England (+190) at Belgium (+135), Draw (+205); Nov. 15 @ 2:45 p.m.
With a pair of home matches remaining, Belgium is well-positioned to clinch top spot in Group A2. The Red Devils have virtually a full-strength squad to chose from, with only out-of-form Eden Hazard set to miss out. They do have some weaknesses in defense, as they've failed to keep a clean sheet in five matches, but those issues are masked by an ability to outscore anyone.
Belgium is unbeaten in 27 matches on home soil dating back to September 2016 and will be seeking revenge after dropping the reverse fixture 2-1 at Wembley. The Red Devils largely dominated the affair and rebounded with a win at Iceland, while England was left shocked by a 1-0 defeat at home to Denmark. Expect a response from Gareth Southgate's side, but Belgium is incredibly tough to beat at home. A draw is enough for Roberto Martinez's side to remain in first, and with that result likely pleasing both managers, it seems inevitable here.
Pick: Draw (+205)
(Odds source: theScore Bet)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.