Group C has one team well above the rest. Germany, the defending World Cup champions, are heavy favourites to win the group at -300. Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland are all expected to fight for second, third and fourth, but can any of them catch Germany off-guard and make this race a little more interesting? Here are the best matches from Group C.
Ukraine (-135) vs Northern Ireland (+450) – Thursday, June 16, 12 PM ET
Ukraine went out at the group stage in 2012, so they’ll try to make it one step further this time. They were very strong at the back during qualifiers, allowing just five goals. The defense has to be sharp as keeper Andriy Pyatov played poorly in a 4-3 friendly win over Romania in May. But the biggest problem might come in midfield, where Taras Stepanenko and Andriy Yarmolenko have had a long-standing rivalry as they play for Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev, respectively. Can they put that behind them for the national team?
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland are in the Euros for the first time, and this is their first major tournament since the 1986 World Cup. Kyle Lafferty is responsible for goals, but he also needs support. Northern Ireland has two losses and two draws in four meetings with Ukraine.
Germany (-165) vs Poland (+450) – Thursday, June 16, 3 PM ET
Germany's Manuel Neuer is one of the best keepers in the world, but he may struggle without the support of defender Mats Hummels, who could miss the group stage with an injury. To make matters worse, Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan will also miss the tournament. But Germany has a wealth of talent in midfield, led by Mesut Ozil, and Thomas Muller leading the strikers will help up front.
Poland is powered by Robert Lewandowski, who plays with a lot of Germans at Bayern Munich. His national team have yet to make it past the group stage in two Euro appearances. Poland and Germany have split their 2014 and 2015 matches in the UEFA European Championship quarter-finals, with one win each.
Ukraine (+170) vs Poland (+175) – Tuesday, June 21, 1 PM ET
This game should decide who finishes second to Germany and who finishes third; with the new tournament format, third-place teams have a chance to advance. The Ukrainians have more talent than Poland, and if they have a shot at the next round, this will be an entertaining match. If Ukraine's midfield and goaltending – which are in question going into Euro 2016 – fail them in their opening matches, they'll have nothing to play for here, which could lead to a big game for Polish midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski. Ukraine has won three and drawn two of their seven meetings with Poland, whose last win came in 2000.
*Odds as of June 7, 2016