Football betting tips: Euro 2024 qualifiers
2pts Scotland to win and under 3.5 goals at 20/21 (BoyleSports)
- @MickeyBeardmore has recorded +26pts profit in the opening weeks of the football season
Four games, four wins. Nine goals scored, just one conceded. Eight points clear at the top of Group A of European Championship qualifying, with the stunning scalp of Spain already in their back pocket.
It’s fair to say Scotland are in dreamland right now, cruising towards Germany next summer, possibly as group winners if they can hold off an expected Spanish rally. What a job Steve Clarke has done.
With 23 victories from 45 games in charge, his win ratio (51%) and points per game (1.76) is the best of any Scotland boss in 50 years, other than Alex McLeish’s brief 10-match spell at the helm in 2007.
Their recent run is even more remarkable – since losing to Denmark on September 1, 2021, the Scots’ record is W14 D3 L3, with the Danes, Ukraine, Spain, Republic of Ireland and Norway among their victims.
What are the best bets?
Cyprus have been pretty poor in recent years, with a record of W4 D6 L20 from their past 30 competitive matches. They are bottom of Group A with three defeats from three games.
The Scots eased past them 3-0 in March's meeting at Hampden and it would be a surprise to see any other outcome here.
Clarke's men are short in the markets as a result but value can be found by backing SCOTLAND TO WIN AND UNDER 3.5 GOALS at virtually even money with BoyleSports.
Scotland tend to get the job done rather than blow teams away - of those 14 aforementioned wins, only two have featured four goals or more.
Additionally, only six of the 20 Cyprus defeats we spoke of have come in games with over 3.5 goals. They lose regularly but are rarely hammered, especially at home.
BuildABet @19/1
- Scott McTominay 1+ shots on target
- Both teams 1+ shot on target each half
- Scotland most booking points
- Scotland 6+ corners
SCOTT MCTOMINAY has been on fire for Scotland during the Euro 2024 qualifiers, scoring five goals from six shots on target.
While assuredly the underdogs here, Cyprus are no turkeys. They have registered two or more shots on target in each of their past 11 internationals.
The Scots have racked up 12 bookings in four qualifiers so far, at an average of three per game (just five in three for Cyprus, plus a red), while Clarke's side have racked up SIX OR MORE CORNERS in eight of their past 11 matches.
Score prediction: Cyprus 0-2 Scotland (Sky Bet odds: 9/2)
Team news
Pieros Sotiriou, the leading scorer in the Cyprus squad with 12 goals from 58 caps, should start up front for the hosts, while St Mirren midfielder Alex Gogic will be a familiar face to many of the Scotland players.
The Scots have no significant injury worries and are unlikely to spring many surprises with a number of Clarke mainstays - goalkeeper Angus Gunn, midfielders John McGinn and Scott McTominay and striker Lyndon Dykes - all likely to start.
Billy Gilmour was preferred to Ryan Christie in their most recent qualifier, a 2-0 victory over Georgia in June, and it would not be a shock to see Clarke name the same side.
Predicted line-ups
Cyprus: Mall; Antoniou, Gogic, Laifis, Ioannou, Correia; Charalampous, Kousoulos, Kastanos, Kyriakou; Sotiriou
Scotland: Gunn; Hickey, Porteous, Hendry, Tierney, Robertson; McTominay, Gilmour, McGregor; McGinn, Dykes
Odds correct at 1100 BST (07/09/23)
More from Sporting Life
- Fixtures, results and live scores
- Expert xG analysis and features
- Transfer news and done deals
- Football and other sports tips
- Download our free iOS and Android app
- Podcasts and video content
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.