One of the most exciting international competitions on the globe is right around the corner. Euro 2024 officially begins on June 14th as hosts Germany lock horns with Scotland at the Allianz Arena in Munich, with the tournament wrapping up on July 14th. There’s a plethora of big-name sides labeled as contenders to lift the grand prize, led by Gareth Southgate’s England at +300 odds after losing in the final three years ago to Italy. France sits behind them at +400, while the Germans come in at +500. Portugal (+800), Spain (+850), Italy (+1400), and The Netherlands (+1800), are a few other nations that should be in the mix in the knockout stages, at the very least. Below, find our Euro 2024 picks.
It’s not a huge surprise to see England at the top of the list, but the question remains if they can live up to expectations. This is a squad absolutely loaded with top-notch talent. Their attack consists of players such as Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, and likely Cole Palmer, who are all coming off wonderful league campaigns with their respective clubs. In the middle of the park, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice are strong, reliable, and also have an eye for goal. Defensively, Southgate has so much experience in Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire, and Kieran Trippier. As previously mentioned, the Three Lions famously lost in the showpiece in penalties at Wembley in 2021. They will be hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.
France (+400)
You can never look past France, one of the most powerful footballing countries in the world. Kylian Mbappe just secured his move to Real Madrid and will spearhead this frontline in Germany. He’s a handful for any defender and he’ll surely be doing his part at Euro 2024 in the final third. While Les Bleus have had more success in the World Cup than the European Championships, they did finish as a runner-up in 2016 to Portugal. Didier Deschamps has a loaded squad with the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Eduardo Camavinga, Jules Kounde, and Antoine Griezmann, among many others. France is in a group with Poland, Austria, and The Netherlands.
Germany (+500)
Germany has been a disappointment in the last few major tournaments and expectations for the national team have lowered because of it. But with Euro 2024 on home soil, there is optimism that Julian Nagelsmann can guide his side to a deep run in the competition. From front to back, this is a strong team. Kai Havertz, Jamal Musiala, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, and Florian Wirtz will be the main options up front, while Toni Kroos is playing his final tournament before retirement. Antonio Rudiger is a rock defensively while Joshua Kimmich, Jonathan Tah, and others are capable at the back. Manuel Neuer is still wonderful in between the sticks, too. It’ll be interesting to see if the Germans can change the narrative surrounding themselves.
Portugal (+800)
We’re looking at essentially the same Portugal team from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although I don’t think you’ll see Cristiano Ronaldo benched in the knockouts. The legend is coming off a 35-goal, 11-assist campaign for Al Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Sure, it’s not the EPL, but scoring at that type of rate when you’re 39-years-old if ridiculously impressive. Selecao has a nice mix of youth and experience with players like Rafael Leao, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Goncalo Ramos, Joao Felix, and Diogo Jota, to name a few. Roberto Martinez is now in charge after years leading Belgium where he failed to capitalize on their golden generation. We’ll see if he can lead Portugal to glory, the 2016 Euros champions.
Spain (+850)
Spain was a semifinalist at Euro 2020 but bowed out in the Round of 16 in Qatar, a disappointing outcome for a national team with such a rich history of success. The strength of this current squad is their midfield, led by Manchester City’s Rodri. He will pair nicely with Barcelona prodigy Pedri, while Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo are important players in the engine room. In the final third, Luis De La Fuente has the likes of Alvaro Morata, Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal, and possibly even youngster Lamine Yamal, who just made history as the youngest player in La Liga history with Barca in 2023-24.
Italy (+1400)
Yes, we’re talking about the title-holders, but there isn’t much belief Italy will repeat. The Azzurri have a new manager after Luciano Spalletti left Napoli and replaced Roberto Mancini as the Italy manager while change has also happened elsewhere in the squad. Only about three or four players from the starting XI from Euro 2020 remain, which is why so much uncertainty surrounds the Azzurri. Oh, they’re also in a group with Croatia and Spain. It may be tough for the Italians to even progress to the Round of 16.
Euro 2024 Picks
England still hasn’t brought it home, but this is one of the best squads they’ve had in years and so many of these players just lit up domestically. You’d be a fool to make just one pick, though. I’ll take the Three Lions and France, who are still a powerhouse.
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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.