The month of football has arrived! The whole of Europe will be looking on with eager eyes as the continent’s top 24 nations battle it out to be crowned the 2016 champions.
Fans of England, Northern Ireland, ROI, and Wales (sorry Scotland) will all be cheering their teams with pride. But even if the home nations don’t bring the trophy back from France, we hope that our bets will bring enough profit to put a smile on your faces.
Let’s get started with a winner on the opening night.
Friday’s Matches: France v Romania (8PM. ITV 1)
There’s only one match to sink our teeth into on Friday night, but it should be a cracking evening nonetheless as the hosts take on Romania in the tournament opener.
Following the opening ceremony (which we predict will be shit), Les Bleus will be looking to begin their home tournament with a big win. An in-form Romania will be hoping to frustrate the hosts, but all eyes will be on Didier Deschamps’ side here.
France should win, but that doesn’t really provide any value. So where will be putting our money? Let’s find out.
Toe Punter v The Bookies
With a total of 51 matches to look forward to over the next month, we don’t need to go crazy on the first match. Nevertheless, it’s hard to resist a punt on the opening night, especially as a winner would get our weekend off to a flyer.
France have been guilty of flopping at certain tournaments, but the squad finally looks united. This is arguably their most exciting group for over a decade too while home advantage should play a role – as it did in both 1984 and 1998.
There’s always a slight sense of unknowing when the hosts play their first game due to their lack of competitive action. Nonetheless, the likes of Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial should pose a constant threat.
France should want a quick start, and we’re backing them to break the deadline before half-time. Assuming they do, we’d be very surprised if they don’t at least match that after the break.
BET: France to score in both halves @ 13/10 with Paddy Power (£10 stake)
