Group E is tough to forecast. Belgium is the favourite at -105, but Italy isn't far behind at +150. Sweden is a +650 fringe contender, but might have the best player out of the four squads. As for Ireland, they’re +1100, but could qualify if they get a couple of breaks. Here are three matches to look forward to in Group E.
Belgium (+150) vs Italy (+205) – Monday, June 13, 3 PM ET
Belgium hasn't qualified for the last three Euro tournaments, but they made it to the quarter-finals at the World Cup. The midfield is stacked with Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard, and they have a good goaltender in Thibaut Courtois. However, Vincent Kompany will miss the tournament with yet another injury and while there are options at the back, none are as good as Belgium's often-injured captain.
Italy’s keeper Gianluigi Buffon marshals a solid defensive core – one that plays together at Juventus. The problem is up front. The decision to leave Sebastian Giovinco at home might come back to haunt Italy, who will also miss Claudio Marchiso and Marco Verratti in midfield. Italy has 13 wins and four draws in 21 meetings with Belgium, who beat Italy 3-1 in a friendly in November. The draw for Monday’s game is +210.
Sweden (+350) vs Belgium (-120) – Wednesday, June 22, 3 PM ET
Belgium faces Sweden in what could be 34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s final major tournament. The Swedish striker is one of the best players in this group and as long as he’s firing on all cylinders, Sweden has a chance – especially if Belgium secures the top spot in the group and rests players for this game. Regardless of who plays, Ibrahimovic against the Belgian defense is going to be very fun to watch. Ibrahimovic's 62 goals is the most of all time in Sweden and he’ll need to put more on the board to give his country a chance to get to the next round.
Italy (-140) vs Ireland (+425) – Wednesday, June 22, 3 PM ET
Ireland is expected to finish last in Group E after losing all three group-stage games in 2012. If nothing else, they're going to be scrappy. Robbie Keane is no longer the first-choice striker with Shane Long in the mix, but he can add something off the bench. Losing Irish goaltender Rob Elliot to a knee injury isn’t going to help matters, but it gives Darren Randolph an opportunity to show what he’s made of. In the last five games between Italy and Ireland, each squad has won once and drawn three times.
*Odds as of June 8, 2016