Wales and England have been 101 times on the pitch in their respective histories, and to say that it's been basically all one-way traffic would be an understatement. The Three Lions are 66-21-14 all-time against their fellow UK mates, and they're +155 in goal differential in those matches. Few fixtures between these two though, have been as important as the Group B clash in Lens coming up on Thursday morning.
Soccer Odds at BookMaker.eu
England -160
Wales +600
Draw +290
Over/Under 2.5 (under -135)
ODDS ANALYSIS
With history that damning, it's tough to believe Wales can actually stay in this match with a shout. The Welsh are 6 to 1 underdogs to get the three points which could win them this group if Russia and Slovakia draw in a match played on Wednesday.
England is the -160 favorite, and it became all the more important for it to snare these three points after only drawing against Russia on Saturday.
The total is somewhat high at 2.5 and -135 vig on the under, but with as many superstars as there are in this match up front, it's tough to not see at least a couple goals getting home.
TOURNAMENT UPDATE
Wales did everything it had to do against Slovakia in the opening match in Group B. The Welsh were moving the ball up and down the pitch, and more than just Gareth Bale was in on the action. Bale was the man of the match for sure, especially after his cracker of a goal in the 10th minute to open his ledger, but he wasn't at it all alone. The play in the midfield wasn't spectacular, but the 2-1 victory could be attributed to some good, gritty 'D' in the dying moments of the match.
England had chance after chance to put the Russians down both early and late, and it just couldn’t finish off the job. We've seen it time and time again in international soccer. If you let a team hang around, even if it's an inferior team, it only takes on moment of magic for fortunes to change.
The Brits surely should've left their opening match with three points after Eric Dier opened up the scoring in the 73rd minute, but a late equalizer on a great header in the box was the end of that dream and left both England and Russia with a point apiece.
LIVE BETTING
Wayne Hennessey was really the only keeper Wales knew in the lead up to this tournament. He started all 10 qualifying matches for the Euros, and he was quite good at that. However, a back problem caused him to be a late scratch from the lineup, and that forced Danny Ward into his first ever start for his country on the biggest stage.
To his credit, Ward dealt with much of what came his way. He did allow the goal to Slovakia, and he also only had to make one save, but for the most part, he didn't make any vital errors.
This, of course, is a much different battle, and it'll be up to Ward to maintain composure. If he does in the face of Raheem Sterling, Wayne Rooney, Harry Kane, Dele Alli and the likes, the Brits could be in a lot of trouble.
QUICK PICK
We think this match is going to be decided in the first half hour. If England can't get one home in that span, Wales is going to grow in confidence and ultimately get a result, perhaps even an upset.
However, we're banking on the Three Lions being at their best. If they can find a way to score early as we suspect will be the case, doubt could creep into the mind of Ward, and that might be a big problem for a Welsh team which has had no luck against England over the years.
Remember that the Three Lions were in good form heading into this soccer tournament. They'll get back on track, hold off Bale and ultimately finish the job they started and couldn't complete against Russia.
Euro 2016 Odds: England 1, Wales 0
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The fixture between England and Wales is scheduled for Thursday, June 16, 2016, at 9:00 a.m. ET at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis in Lens. The match will be televised live on ESPN.
