Football betting tips: World Cup qualifying
1.5pts England win to nil at 10/11 (BetVictor)
0.5pt Marc Guehi to have 1+ shots on target at 17/4 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
0.5pt John Stones to have 1+ shots on target at 9/2 (Ladbrokes, Coral)
0.25pt Guehi to score anytime at 9/1 (General)
0.25pt Stones to score anytime at 9/1 (General)
It's near enough impossible to predict either an England XI or performance since Thomas Tuchel became head coach.
Listless 3-1 home defeat by Senegal and wonderful 5-0 away win over Serbia aside, it's been a largely forgettable 2025.
So underwhelming were England in the German’s opening five matches that there were even some creeping doubts over whether this change in direction after years of Gareth Southgate stability was in fact the right course.
But all of that was washed away in a first-half blitz in Belgrade where the potential of this Three Lions squad was unleashed, chiefly through fresh blood, with Noni Madueke, Morgan Rogers, Elliot Anderson and Tino Livramento delivering particularly eye-catching displays.
Injury forced the former and latter out of this camp, but their impact appears to have emboldened Tuchel to give less tried and trusted players a chance once again, leaving out Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish.
It feels likely the backbone of the team, or what’s left of it, that thrashed Serbia will be tasked with trying to do the same first to Wales in a friendly at Wembley, before aiming to clinch World Cup qualification in Latvia on Monday.
As for Wales, they will be keen to bounce back from a limp 1-0 home defeat by Canada in their last outing.
It was a rare blip in what has been an impressive spell for Craig Bellamy, whose W6 D4 L2 record has put them in a good position to qualify for next year's World Cup - most likely through the play-offs.
England will be confident of breaking through the Dragons rearguard however, with only Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein failing to score past Bellamy's side in their past seven fixtures.
And in terms of keeping them out, as painfully dull as most of Tuchel's wins have been, ENGLAND did at least keep clean sheets, with the end of season shambles of a display against Senegal at the City Ground the solitary match in which they have conceded a goal.
So for a game where the hosts are 2/9 favourites for victory, backing WIN TO NIL at a favourable 10/11 has to be the smartest way in.
Given that he was chosen to take on Wednesday evening press conference duty we can probably expect MARC GUEHI to keep his place in central defence. The Crystal Palace captain scored his first international goal in Belgrade, with Ezri Konsa also finding the net.
He is likely to be partnered by the fit-again JOHN STONES, who Tuchel has been desperate to get in his squad since taking charge.
Both players are 9/1 TO SCORE ANYTIME and worth a small play given how effective England were from set-pieces in Serbia, and how much Tuchel has spoken about this being an area he wants the team to focus on in the run up to the World Cup.
STONES is 9/2 to have 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET with GUEHI not far behind at 17/4, again prices that both feel worth taking to smaller stakes.
Guehi had three attempts on goal against Serbia, the second England centre-back to manage that in the Tuchel reign already with Dan Burn doing likewise on his debut against Albania.
Odds correct at 1530 BST (08/10/25)
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