The European Championships kick off on June 10 in France. Spain will look to defend their title as returning champs, but they're not favoured to win the Cup. With the tournament just days away, we'll check out the lay of the land for Euro 2016.
France and Germany are tied at the top of the futures market as +325 co-favourites. Germany won the 2014 World Cup, but France has a great record when hosting major tournaments, having won as the host of the 1998 World Cup and the 1984 UEFA European Football Championship. That being said, Les Blues didn't fare well at the 2014 World Cup, losing to Germany in the quarter-finals. On top of that, the drama surrounding the decision to leave Karim Benzema out of the tournament could distract the team.
Available at +550 in the Euro Cup futures market right under France and Germany sits Spain – the defending Euro Cup champs. They have a lot to live up to after losing 1-5 to the Netherlands in the first stage of the World Cup two years ago.
England is the next favourite at the futures market at +750. While they have some good, young players who can score, the midfield and defense could be a problem. Belgium might have a better shot at winning even though they’re +1000 fringe contenders. They finished sixth at the World Cup and this is the first time they've qualified for the European Championships since 2000. If Eden Hazard finds his form, he and Kevin de Bruyne could be a major problem for the bigger countries.
As we delve further down the list, there are a few teams offering value for those looking to take a flier in France. Italy is +1400 to win the Cup and they're going to be stout at the back end with Gianluigi Buffon in goal. However, the players may lack motivation with Antonio Conte set to leave after the tournament to manage at Chelsea. Portugal is listed at +2000 and has Cristiano Ronaldo, but he limped through the Champions League Final (despite scoring the winning penalty), and putting everything on him hasn’t worked in the past.
Croatia is a very intriguing team at +2800 because of the midfield duo of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. These two went head-to-head at Real Madrid and Barcelona, respectively, but if they can put that aside for this tournament, Croatia could have one of the best midfields in the tournament. Wales comes in at +5000 and Sweden at +8000, and they each have a star player capable of winning games on their own. Gareth Bale is one of the best players at Real Madrid, and he'll be extra motivated as his home country is qualifying for the European Championships for the first time ever. Meanwhile, Sweden has Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is a phenomenal player, and this will likely be his final tournament for the national team.
*Odds as of May 31, 2016