The first international break of the domestic campaign is officially underway, with Euro 2024 qualifying taking center stage. A plethora of big countries will be in action this week, including Euro 2020 finalist England, whotravel to Wroclaw, Poland Saturday to face Ukraine. The kick-off is scheduled for 12 PM ET. This clash will occur in Poland due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. The Three Lions already beat the Blue and Yellow on matchday two at Wembley by a score of 2-0. Below, we’ll look at the odds for this affair and preview the form for both sides. Keep reading for the England vs Ukraine picks.
As you can see, the Ukrainians aren’t being given much of a chance here. They sit at +550 moneyline odds for an implied win probability of 15.38%. England, meanwhile comes back at -215 and has a 68.25% chance of coming out victorious. In nine all-time meetings, the Three Lions have six wins, two draws, and one defeat. Other than the win on matchday two, they also hammered Ukraine 4-0 in the Euro 2020 quarterfinals.
Ukraine in a Respectable Spot
After never making the Euros previously, the Ukrainians have qualified for the last three editions in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Most notably, they made the last eight in the latest tournament two summers ago before the loss to England, which ended their Cinderella run. And by the looks of it, Ukraine has a solid chance of making the competition next summer.
Serhiy Rebrov’s men are second in Group C behind the English with two victories and a defeat in three games, beating Malta and North Macedonia. A pair of meetings with Italy will follow this year, however, which is going to be a big difference-maker as to where they ultimately end up in this pod. In fact, Ukraine locks horns with the Italians next Tuesday.
As for current form, the Ukrainians have won two in a row and have lost just once in their last four outings. Following the England defeat, they played to a gritty 3-3 draw in a friendly with an inconsistent Germany outfit, with Viktor Tsyhankov scoring a brace.
In all honesty, this is going to be a very tough encounter for Ukraine. England is clearly a much stronger team and has the resume to go with it. The best possible result for the hosts will be a draw. That would put them in a respectable spot heading into the Italy match.
England Flying High
By no surprise, England is sitting pretty at the top of Group C with a perfect four wins from four, bagging 15 goals and conceding just once. Gareth Southgate’s group convincingly took care of Italy, Ukraine, Malta, and North Macedonia, hammering the latter 7-0 back in June at Old Trafford, with Arsenal star Bukayo Saka notching a hat-trick. Harry Kane also hit the back of the net twice.
The Three Lions are one of the favorites to lift the grand prize next summer, and for good reason. The talent in this squad is unmatched, and they were in the final two years ago before losing to Italy in penalties. Plus, England was in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup, falling to Kylian Mbappe and France in a nail-biter after Kane missed a crucial spot-kick late in the second half.
However, since that heartbreaking defeat in Qatar, Southgate’s boys have won every single game. There has been no shortage of motivation for them. That being said, the Three Lions are dealing with numerous absences on this international break. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish just withdrew on Monday after picking up injuries with Liverpool and Manchester City, respectively. Luke Shaw, John Stones, and Tyrone Mings are also sidelined with health issues. That leaves Southgate’s depth at the back relatively thin. Nonetheless, England should be able to take care of Ukraine, considering just how strong this attack is.
Ukraine vs England Picks
This is a no-brainer. England is flying high at the moment and will more than likely produce the goods on Saturday in Poland. Take the moneyline at BetOnline.
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Quinn Allen is a journalist who specializes in writing sports betting previews. He holds a senior editor position at ClutchPoints. He has been contributing to Vegas Betting as a writer since 2022.