I have travelled to many different galaxies and I can assure you, there’s little that matches the pride that Earthlings feel for their beloved football. As such, it felt only fitting that I provide you with an utterly cosmic guide on Euro 2024.
Here at PlayersBest we always intend to give our crewmates the best possible start in their online betting adventures. This means I won’t just be providing a telescopic view of the tournament for newcomers, but also Euro 2024 tips for your general strategy, as well as Euro 2024 predictions locked in on specific
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Here’s our mission briefing of all the key knowledge you need to understand this tournament: 24 teams have qualified and they are split across six groups of four teams. Each team will play each other, so that’s three games each. A win nets them three points, a draw one point. A loss doesn’t get them anything.
The top two teams of each group advance to the knockout stage of the tournament. If two teams have the same number of points, tie breakers have 10 criteria for ranking from goal differences to fair play conduct. There will also be four teams that placed third in their group based on their stats.
At the knockout phase, there will be 16 teams, and there must be a winner. If no one has won at the end of normal time, there will be extra time, then penalties until one comes out on top. Teams are then knocked out as we make our way through the round of 16, the quarter finals, the semi finals and the final, until a champion is crowned. And that’s a simple enough blueprint for even a martian to follow.
So, now you know what the Euros are all about. The question then, is how to approach it from a strategic point of view. Let me tell you, I’ve been in some wars over the years. I’ve fought Gombers in order to help free the people of the sunshine nebula. I’ve battled Plutonians over their secret plan to turn the moon against us (classified, please do not let that leave this room) and I’ve stared into the nine eyes of the beasts of M6215XP-Delta.
What combines all these battles with PlayersBest tips? The understanding that those who fail to plan must plan to fail. With that in mind, here’s my magnificent seven Euro 2024 tips to help you approach these markets with a rocket boost.
Euro 2024 isn’t just any old tournament. It’s the second most prestigious in the world after the World Cup, and the third in the universe after the one held on Jupiter. Different teams react differently to that kind of pressure. Some thrive, some decline.
When you’re doing your research and checking out how these international squads have performed, keep that in mind and try to notice not just general patterns, but big game patterns. Also pay attention to how teams have performed outside of normal play as that is going to have a huge impact in those knockout rounds.
The last Euros may seem like lightyears away but for many of these teams, the squads and strengths behind them haven’t changed all that much. It depends on the team, but the performances from the last Euros – and certainly the World Cup – remain largely very relevant. So, don’t be afraid to dig deep when researching and refreshing yourself about these teams. Research and an ability to turn those stats into predictions is so important to making strong bets.
Also, this doesn’t end as the tournament goes on. Watch as much as you can, especially when it comes to the top teams. If you want to go even further, you can check out how some players have fared in domestic leagues like the Bundesliga. More knowledge makes your predictions shine brighter like stars in a clear night sky.
Excitement and passion are two things which make these big international tournaments so engaging. They’re like taking your love of football to hyperspace. However, as a captain, I do have to say, that doesn’t necessarily make for the best Euro 2024 predictions.
Often, what you want to happen and what is likely to happen are two very different things. Now, bet however you like and however you think will improve your enjoyment of the game. But if we’re talking about Euro 2024 predictions for accuracy, I would say try and detach yourself and to think as objectively as you can.
If my last piece of advice came as a bit of a downer, there’s an upside to it. There’s a great selection of markets for such big games, meaning you should always be able to find a market which satisfies both your heart and your head.
Let’s say your favourite team is the underdog, but you want to back them. Handicap markets are perfect for that kind of scenario, meaning they don’t even have to win for your bet to be a success. You can also go completely left-field, betting on corners, booking points, over/under goal markets and more. Think of these extra markets as like using a telescope and expanding what you can see as possibilities. This variety insurance you can find markets that not only make logical sense, but also improve your enjoyment of the beautiful game
One of the really cool side effects from a strategic point of view of the popularity of the Euros is that it can provide some very compelling odds. Bookmakers are tied to the ebbs and flows of the betting markets like you’re tied down by gravity. That means if one team is getting an enormous amount of bets, that will impact the odds.
Because those trends are often pushed by passion rather than logic, it can mean you can find some generous odds opportunities. Remember that in essence, betting is about you trying to find inaccuracies in the predictions of the bookmaker and correctly predicting the market yourself. Anything that might sway the odds away from accuracy is an opportunity. On occasion, the hype supernova of big sporting events like the Euros can provide exactly that.
It’s not just what goes on the pitch but off the pitch that matters as well. While many teams do try and maintain an element of surprise, the immensity of football news coverage means that you can find out an awful lot about potential line ups, tactics and injuries from staying on top of the headlines. Just consider how many times potential player deals have been spoiled well in advance in domestic leagues as an example of the power of the media here.
Not only is all the information available to you, but avoiding it can be an absolute asteroid field. So, I say, embrace it, and use what’s out there to the best of your advantage. That said, make sure you question the validity of any and all stories. Just like sniffing out quality odds, being able to tell baseless rumour from serious possibility is vital to an effective betting battle plan.
As your captain, it’s important that I help you realise when you’re in an advantageous position in any kind of strategic situation. Most people don’t realise this, but a big event like the Euros provides them with a huge advantage. All of those great bookmakers want you to pick them for this event – and they’re willing to offer very generous promotions in order to make that happen.
This means you can get things like acca insurance, free bets and even just straight up better odds through bet boosts across many operators throughout this tournament. Not all promotions are equal, but the best out there are absolutely cosmic.
Just to be clear, these are my personal five predictions. There is no guarantee any of these things will come true. The golden rule of this space corp is to never bet more than you can afford to lose and that is in full effect here.
As someone who has gazed upon international football from all the way up here in the stars, these represent not only what I think will probably happen at Euro 2024, but also what I believe are likely to provide decent odds value.
If you watched the World Cup – especially if you did so as an English football fan – you don’t need me to tell you of the heartbreak on one side, and the elation on the other, when it comes to that classic semi-final spectacular. Croatia won, ending England’s World Cup dreams.
However, I think the young English side has improved a great deal since then, and although not quite as big news, England did defeat Croatia mere months later in the UEFA Nations League. Both these teams are top contenders in their group, and I expect both to go through, but for England to get that crucial, and historic, first victory.
Even considering their less than out of this world showing at the World Cup, this still feels like an odd prediction, but one I think will hold true. Germany have looked very good lately and do have a sense of direction following improvements made by long-term manager Joachim Löw. However, they have had the misfortune of landing in a group with defending champions Portugal and World Cup winners France.
Against such interstellar competition, I see them falling at the first hurdle. I just haven’t seen anything in their domestic leagues of the likes of the DFB Pokal to make me think they have that extra gear, although I am open to being proven wrong here. I think if they do get through to the knockout stages, it will be from the third position, but even that appears doubtful.
Like the ever-expanding nature of the universe – and what exactly it is expanding into – some things may always be a mystery. One such example that particularly confounds this old spacedog is how Belgium remains underrated by so many. Sure, bookmakers may rate them, but I still think they are underrated by much of the public, giving them generous odds considering their abilities.
Bearing in mind that they beat England handily twice since an incredibly strong World Cup showing, I may view them as favourites to win the whole thing were it not for questions surrounding star defender Jan Vertonghen as a starter.
They’ve made steady progress since failing to make it to the World Cup in 2018, in a showing that seemed lightyears away from the glory days of old. Great domestic performances and making the final of the UEFA Nations League though appears to have turned things around with incredible grace and speed.
Similar to England’s rejuvenation, their rise has come from the gamble on a young, hungry team to wash away the pains of recent years. Combine all that with a goal scoring machine in Memphis Depay, and a favourable group stage, Netherlands are not to be overlooked this year.
As I suggested earlier in my Euro 2024 tips, it’s important not to forget that there’s a whole lot of other markets out there aside from match, tournament and group winners. Arguably the most interesting, thanks to a night sky’s worth of goal scoring stars, is top goalscorer for the whole of the Euro 2024 competition. This is also known as the Golden Boot and you may remember it being won by Harry Kane at the last tournament.
However, I think there’s just too much competition for lightning striking twice to be the most likely outcome. You’ve got Kylian Mbappe, Romelu Lukaku, Christiano Ronaldo and Memphis Depay all nipping at the Englishman’s heels, with plenty of greats like Eden Hazard and Timo Werner also presenting a serious challenge.
When you get down to it, there really is an awful lot to consider when it comes to Euro 2024 predictions. That said, I want you to always remember that betting should never take priority over your enjoyment of your favourite sports.
A big tournament like the Euros should be a blast, and betting can indeed enhance that. You can make one-sided matches more interesting with handicaps, or get invested across the tournament by making bets across the group stages. There’s lots of different kinds of bets from a complicated accumulator and left-field options which can make things more intriguing, with that variety meaning there should be a market for pretty much everyone.
But you’ll only have fun if you stick to your limits, which is why this is the captain’s most important rule.
I don’t want you to think of Euro 2024 as something in the vacuum of space. The fact is that all of the great football tournaments – from lower domestic leagues like Bundesliga 2 or the Championship to other huge international meetings like the World Cup 2022 – are all interconnected. Both your predictions and your enjoyment of the tournament can be improved by an appreciation of how each of these tournaments tells you something about the other.
Following as many as you care to can also provide threads of interest like light beams from many shining suns. You may find yourself rooting for a team who struggles in the last tournament, or being invested in players you’ve seen come up from the domestic leagues. Of course, the more research you do, the smarter your bets are likely to be.
It’s like I always tell the boffins down in the navigation room: the more you know, the likelier you are to reach your desired destination. I’ve talked a lot about how improving your understanding of a sport can not only help your predictions, but also how much you enjoy a big tournament like this. I can think of no better example than by putting Euro 2024 in the context of one of the many out of this world football tournaments available.
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