EURO 2024 Gameday (June 18) – Portugal Headlines Last Round of Openers

A fantastic first week of EURO 2024 action is behind us, but the first round of Group Stage action still has a few fixtures left to go. While Monday’s trio of games wrap up, let’s look ahead to the final pair of opening games on the schedule.

3:00 p.m. ET Headliner: Portugal vs. Czechia

Portugal Win	-192	Czechia Win	+570	Draw	+360
Over 2.5 Goals	-133	Under 2.5 Goals	+107	Broadcast	TSN

Portugal always gets an outsized amount of attention in Canadian international soccer coverage, with both the large population with Portuguese backgrounds and the star power the team has had for decades. This generation of star power might be seeing a swan song this time around, as 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo plays what will likely be his last EURO and potentially his last major international tournament.

Much of the player-specific futures betting has leaned towards him, but hope is high for the entire group. Portugal was able to take their best possible roster into the tournament with no key players unfit to play and were one of the top teams in the qualifying rounds on both sides of the ball. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes is another key player to watch, as we expect him to be a key setup man.

On Czechia’s end, they find themselves as heavy underdogs in this game, though they remain hopeful for advancement out of Group F. Historical patterns go against them here, as they’ve consistently yo-yoed between making and missing the knockout stages, and EURO 2020 was an “in” year for them. Stealing a point or three here would go a long way in breaking that pattern.

The last game between these two teams was a 1-0 win for Portugal at EURO 2012. Portugal has won all four games they’ve played against Czechia in this tournament.

Game Bets To Consider

• Predictably, all eyes will be on Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored in both previous games against Czechia in this tournament, all the way back in 2008 and 2012. Can he strike again a decade later? If your answer is yes, you can get him at -154 on Betano. I could see him getting the party started quickly, making the First Goal prop at +230 enticing as well.
• Whether or not it’s Ronaldo scoring, I could definitely see Bruno Fernandes setting it up. Betano can too, as they’re offering boosted odds on the occasion. Normally +335, you can get a Fernandes assist at +370.

Other EURO 2024 Games On June 18

Turkey vs. Georgia, 12:00 p.m. ET

Also in Group F action, we see the lower end of the group face off against each other in what might be the most essential set of points for deciding qualification. Portugal and Czechia will both be clear favourites against these two countries, likely to get somewhere between four and six points across them. To ensure a shot at advancing to the group stage, one of these teams will need to take the full pie on Tuesday afternoon, not just a piece.

Georgia are making their first appearance in the tournament, and are the underdogs in this one. Turkey come in looking to make amends after entering EURO 2020 as a popular sleeper pick and faceplanting, going 0-3.

Game Bet To Consider: Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is Georgia’s great hope in this tournament, and you have to expect him to be active in this one. I like him for a shot on target at -167 on Betano. If you’re especially high on him, his anytime goal prop is boosted at +440, up from +400.

Away Team		Draw		Home Team	Time (ET)
Turkey	-133	+275	+440	Georgia	3:00 PM
Portugal	-192	+360	+570	Czechia	3:00 PM

Latest EURO 2024 Futures Odds

Here are the latest EURO 2024 Futures odds, heading into the matches on June 18:

Team		Yesterday	Team		Yesterday
France	+375	+400	Spain	+650	+650
England	+400	+400	Italy	+1400	+1400
Germany	+500	+500	Netherlands	+1400	+1500
Portugal	+600	+600	Belgium	+1700	+1900

France is still the outright betting favourite without having to kick a ball, with hype for the team continuing to snowball and England’s 1-0 victory over Serbia not creating much inspiration.