Euro 2008 Betting
17th June 2008, by
Euro 2008 Betting – The Basics
Centrebet will offer odds on Euro 2008 throughout UEFA's premier international soccer competition. UEFA included 50 of its 52 member associations - Switzerland and Austria qualify for the tournament as hosts automatically - when officials from the football body conducted the Euro 2008 preliminary round draw in Montreux. UEFA split the 50 sides into six groups of seven teams and one group of eight, and decreed that the Euro 2008 preliminary games should take place on allocated international matchdays between August 2006 and November 2007. The seven group winners and runners up qualify for the Euro 2008 tournament.
Euro 2008 betting opportunities will commence with the tournament kick off in the Swiss town of Basle on June 7 and conclude in Vienna on June 29. Sixteen teams will compete in the first phase, with the top two teams in each of the four groups advancing to the quarter-finals, from which stage it will become a knockout competition.
Prospective punters will be provided with a full 2008 European Championship football betting schedule for planning their bets closer to the tournament date.
Euro 2008 Betting – Bet Types
Centrebet expects to quote hundreds of Euro 2008 betting odds on every game, allowing punters to wager on everything from the match result to the identity of the contest's first goal scorer, for the thirty-one fixtures which comprise the 2008 program. Euro 2008 Futures betting will also be available throughout the tournament, enabling punters to back one or more countries for title glory at any stage of the competition. Another popular long-term market is the Golden Boot, which pits the world’s top marksmen such as Thierry Henry, Milan Baros and Wayne Rooney against each other in the race to rack up the most goals.
Euro 2008 Betting – Favourites
Favourites for Euro 2008 include Germany, France and Portugal. Germany can expect a couple of young dynamos - namely Lukas Podolski and Bastien Schweinsteiger - to really come of age in this tournament, and they will certainly dominate if the 2006 World Cup is any indicator.
France is not without their prodigious talent however and a new generation has emerged which boasts the likes of Frank Ribery, who has been hailed as Zinedine Zidane’s most likely successor in the role of midfield Maestro.
Portugal were the losing finalists in 2004 and the flames of desire will be burning strong in what will surely be a revamped 2008 squad. The “golden generation” have been replaced with a “platinum generation” of talented youngsters fuelled by a nation hungry for international success.
Other countries that are expected to make an impact at Euro 2008 include England and Spain. England have never progressed past the semi-final stage of a European Championship, whereas Spain (1964 on home soil) are previous winners. Nine nations have won the competition down the years.
Denmark's defeat of Germany in the 1992 final was remarkable since the Danes were last-minute replacements for Yugoslavia following the outbreak of war in the Balkan region. Most of the favourites were knocked out before the semi-finals.
Greece’s winning run in 2004 after having never won an international finals match is testament to how form is more important than reputation in what is arguably the world’s most coveted continental championship.
Euro 2008 Betting – Past Winners
| Year | Champion | Runner Up | Final Score | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Greece | Portugal | 1 - 0 | Normal Time |
| 2000 | France | Italy | 2 - 1 | Extra Time |
| 1996 | Germany | Czech Republic | 2 - 1 | Extra Time |
| 1992 | Denmark | Germany | 2 - 0 | Normal Time |
| 1988 | Netherlands | USSR | 2 - 0 | Normal Time |
| 1984 | France | Spain | 2 - 0 | Normal Time |
| 1980 | West Germany | Belgium | 2 - 1 | Normal Time |
| 1976 | Czechoslovakia | West Germany | 2 - 2 | 5 - 3 Penalties |
| 1972 | West Germany | USSR | 3 - 0 | Normal Time |
| 1968 | Italy | Yugoslavia | 2 - 0 | Replay |
| 1964 | Spain | USSR | 2 - 1 | Normal Time |
| 1960 | USSR | Yugoslavia | 2 - 1 | Extra Time |
Euro 2008 Betting – Part Of A Bigger Range
Centrebet also offers online sports books on a wide range of European soccer fixtures, as well as offering online sports betting facilities on most major sporting codes and events. We've recently reviewed many of the upcoming European domestic football competitions, including English Premier League odds, German Bundesliga football betting, Italy's Serie A books and Danish Superliga Football betting odds. Centrebet also offers UEFA Champions League odds, and UEFA Cup odds.
Books for these events are now open for Centrebet customers. In order to bet on these sporting events, you first need to register to bet with Centrebet on our secure bet site. You can check our online sports betting calendar for more information on upcoming events.
last update : 17th June 2008 17:11