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Italy target pre-Euros lift

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Italy take on fellow Euro 2012 qualifiers Russia in an international friendly on Friday night as the Azzurri look to get in shape for the summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Once the powerhouses of European football, Italy now sit in the shadows of the likes of Spain and Germany, so what chances of success do they have this summer? (Italy 14/1 – Euro 2012 Outright)

Cesare Prandelli’s side won their group to make it to Euro 2012 but it was not without a few dodgy moments, the goalless draw with Northern Ireland and only a 1-0 win over the Faroe Islands raised a few eyebrows and let’s not forget the Serbia game, where they were awarded a 3-0 win after the opposition fans rioted.

They take on Russia on Friday night and will be looking for a real confidence boost on the eve of the tournament, especially vital as their scheduled friendly with Luxembourg in Parma on Tuesday was cancelled due to the earthquake near the region earlier that day. (Italy 23/20, draw 21/10, Russia 9/4 – 90 Minutes)

Dick Advocaat’s Russia are going to be no push-overs and are themselves preparing for Poland and Ukraine, with the Dutchman’s side built on a solid defensive unit and that is exemplified by the fact that – bar their 6-0 win over Andorra – they scored only 11 goals in nine qualifying games.

The Group A side possess talent like Andrey Arshavin, Alan Dzagoev and Roman Pavlyuchenko, so Italy cannot under-estimate them as they look to get their camp in order before starting their Euro 2012 campaign against defending champions Spain on June 10th. (Spain 4/5, draw 12/5, Italy 10/3 – 90 Minutes)

Italy are traditionally strong in defence and their narrow formation, which Prandelli usually packs with four central midfielders, means they retain possession well. But it is up-front where things could go well, or very wrong, for the Italians this summer.

Antonio Cassano is just back after having heart surgery in November and he led the way during qualifying and then there is the wildcard that is Mario Balotelli, who looks likely to play a lead role after being given the number nine shirt.

The Manchester City man, who this week vowed to walk off the pitch if he suffers racist abuse, was recently left out by Prandelli but the boss now claims the trust for forward “100%”. With veteran forward Antonio Di Natale, Fabio Borini and Sebastian Giovinco the other options, Italy need Balotelli to have a big tournament.

Italy have the hardest start possible against the defending European and World champions Spain, but following that they should fancy their chances against fellow Group C sides Croatia and the Republic of Ireland.

But they could run into the Spanish again at the quarter-finals and that looks about the level Italian fans should expect to see their side progress this summer. (2/1 Quarter-Finals – Italy Stage of Elimination)

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Yarmolenko key to home hopes

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Euro 2012 co-hosts Ukraine – priced 40/1 with totesport in the outright betting – can make it seven games unbeaten when they take on Austria at Tivoli Stadion Tirol in Innsbruck on Friday.

In a week when Germany and the Netherlands both crashed in friendly fixtures it is always wise to err on the side of caution when treading the path of non-competitive matches, but it is safe to suggest this outing means more to Ukraine than Austria.

The Austrians will not feature in this summer’s showpiece tournament having failed to qualify off the back of a wretched qualifying campaign which yielded just three wins, although they were thrown in at the deep end in a group with Germany, Turkey and Belgium.

Ukraine have enjoyed the benefit of not having to qualify but a kind pre-tournament itinerary, which has included friendly wins so far against the likes of Estonia, twice, and Israel is questionable when put under scrutiny.

The two sides met last November and Marko Devic earned 10-man Ukraine a stoppage-time 2-1 win. Since then the Ukrainians have scored seven goals in two further friendlies, including a 4-0 romp against Estonia on Monday. Andriy Yarmolenko ended an impressive season for Dynamo Kiev with 12 goals in the Ukraine top-flight and can be backed at 5/1 to end the tournament Top Ukraine Goalscorer.

Veteran striker Andriy Shevchenko (10/1 – Top Ukraine Goalscorer) made a cameo appearance in the second half and captain Anatoliy Tymoshchuk played just nine days after suffering Champions League final heartache with Bayern Munich.

The influential pair will be key to Oleg Blokhin’s hopes of leading Ukraine out of a Group D including France, England and Sweden (Ukraine 5/4 to qualify).

Ukraine can be backed at 11/8 to collect maximum points in a crucial opening game against Sweden (15/8 to win, draw 11/5 – 90 minutes), but, priced up at 4/7 stage of elimination – Group, are not expected to reach the knockout stages.

Ukraine squad:

Goalkeepers: Oleksandr Goryainov (FC Metalist Kharkiv), Maxym Koval (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Andriy Pyatov (FC Shakhtar Donetsk).

Defenders: Bohdan Butko (FC Illychivets Mariupil), Olexandr Kucher (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Taras Mikhalik (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yaroslav Rakitskiy (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Yevhen Selin (FC Vorskla Poltava), Yevhen Khacheridi (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Vyacheslav Shevchuk (FC Shakhtar Donetsk).

Midfielders: Olexandr Aliyev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Denys Garmash (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Oleh Gusev (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Konoplyanka (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Serhiy Nazarenko (SC Tavriya Simferopol), Ruslan Rotan (FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk), Anatoliy Tymoshchuk (FC Bayern München), Andriy Yarmolenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv).

Forwards: Andriy Voronin (FC Dinamo Moskva), Marko Devic (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Artem Milevskiy (FC Dynamo Kyiv), Yevhen Seleznyov (FC Shakhtar Donetsk), Andriy Shevchenko (FC Dynamo Kyiv).

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Pick of the Euro friendlies

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More Euro 2012 hopefuls are in friendly action on Thursday evening, with France, Germany and Greece all taking the chance to put their players through their paces with the countdown to Poland and Ukraine now on.

France v Serbia
Les Bleus take on Serbia in Reims and then Estonia in Le Mans on Tuesday as they look to bounce back on the world stage after a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign in South Africa.

Coach Laurent Blanc has axed Lyon’s Yoan Gourcuff and Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa of Montepellier from his pre-tournament squad as he gears up for the Group D opener against England in Donetsk on June 11.

France imploded in spectacular style two years ago but Blanc led them to the European Championships despite opening their qualification campaign with a home defeat to Belarus.

However, that setback turned out to be their only loss although they came close to another poor result at the weekend when coming back to beat Iceland 3-2 in Valenciennes.

Match Odds: France 8/15, draw 13/5, Serbia 5/1 – 90 Minutes

Germany v Israel
The Germans made it a perfect 10 in qualifying, scoring 34 goals and conceding just seven, to underline their credentials to go all the way this summer.

However they were not given the best draw and will take on Holland, Portugal and Denmark in the tournament’s Group of Death.

Joachim Loew’s men have also lost their last two friendlies with seven goals against and four for them, with France (1-2) and Switzerland (5-3) the opposition.

But they will be stronger for the clash with Israel after which the focus will be the clash with the Portuguese in Lviv on June 9.

Match Odds: Germany 2/11, draw 5/1, Israel 11/1 – 90 Minutes

Greece v Armenia
Greece were the 2004 European champions and were undefeated in qualifying for Euro 2012, having crashed out four years ago in Switzerland and Austria following three defeats in the group stage.

However, the fact they made the 2008 UEFA showpiece was an achievement given the fact the Greeks were unable to qualify successfully for the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.

Surprisingly, Armenia won half of their Euro 2012 qualifiers before coming up short behind Russia and the Republic of Ireland, however do not discount them to pile tragedy on the Greeks on Thursday night.

Match Odds: Greece 7/10, draw 23/10, Armenia 19/5 – 90 Minutes

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Dutch eye Slovakia sign-off boost

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Following defeats in their previous two Euro 2012 warm-up matches, the Netherlands will be looking for a positive performance and result when they host Slovakia on Wednesday evening.

The Dutch were defeated 3-2 by Champions League finalists Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on May 22 and were beaten 2-1 by Bulgaria four days later on home turf.

Coach Bert van Marwijk and team captain Mark van Bommel insist that preparations ahead of next month’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine remain on track, but the Oranje will be eager to silence their doubters when they take on Slovakia.

The Eastern European side failed to qualify for Euro 2012, and were defeated 1-0 by tournament co-hosts Poland on Friday, but their squad boasts some considerable talent and experience of competing at a high level.

Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik captains the side and he is ably supported in the middle of the park by Manchester City fringe man Vladimir Weiss and Fenerbache’s talented former Chelsea prospect Miroslav Stoch.

The Slovaks will look towards Bursaspor hitman Stanislav Sestak for goals, but it is difficult to see the number 34 ranked side in the world upsetting the 2010 World Cup finalists.

The Dutch head into the game as 1/4 favourites to win the match, the draw is available at 21/5, while Slovakia are out at 9/1 to cause an upset and boost team morale ahead of their qualifying campaign for the 2014 World Cup.

But despite losing their last two internationals, the Netherlands have found the net in both matches and should rack up the goals in Rotterdam tomorrow night.

A 4-0 win for van Marwijk’s men is not beyond the realms of possibility and, at 12/1, that particular selection represents excellent value for money. 3-0 is available at 11/2, while the Dutch are at 16/1 to hit five past their visitors and keep a clean sheet.

Those who fancy the favourites to stutter ahead of their European Championship test might fancy the 2-2 draw selection, which can be bought at 16/1, although given that there have been 16 goals scored in the Netherlands’ last four out outings, the 0-0 or 1-1 selections, though available at tempting prices respectively, should be avoided for this one.

A Dutch half-time/full-time win is available at 8/13, but there is better value to be found elsewhere. A tie at the interval followed by a home victory after 90 minutes can be bought at 3/1, while a Slovakia half-time lead followed by a come-from-behind win for their opponents is available at 22/1.

And, given the Netherlands’ obvious issues at the back in recent matches, that last selection looks a very attractive prospect indeed.

“You should never give away a goal like that,” said a rueful van Marwijk, reflecting on Bulgaria’s winner against his side earlier this week.

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Germans ready to peak

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Punters considering an outright wager on Euro 2012 should not be deterred by a second straight friendly defeat inflicted on 3/1 tournament second favourites and three-times European champions Germany on Saturday.

Joachim Loew’s charges fell to a shock 5-3 defeat at the hands of Switzerland but it is safe to suggest a much-changed Die Mannschaft will be ready for their Group C opener against Portugal on June 9 (Germany 4/5, draw 9/4, Portugal 3-1 – 90 Minutes).

The fact that Loew cancelled a trip on Sunday to watch the Monaco Grand Prix with the rest of the squad should also be taken as a sign that he will leave no stone unturned.

“Many things did not fit, but I am not too concerned as I know that we will improve in the next week and the one after that. We will be ready,” he said.

The Germans were runners-up to Spain in the same tournament four years ago and finished third in an encouraging World Cup campaign in 2010.

There is genuine belief that Loew has assembled a squad ready to peak and usurp a La Rojas squad perhaps suffering from heavy legs.

They qualified for the Poland and Ukraine showpiece winning an astonishing 10 games – scoring 34 goals – and in Mario Gomez (6/1 – Euro 2012 Top Goalscorer) boast arguably one of the most potent strikers in European football.

A midfield containing Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Toni Kroos has to merit the utmost respect, while Thomas Muller, Lukas Podolski and tournament specialist Miroslav Klose beef up an impressive attacking department.

Key to Germany’s chances will be getting out of a tough Group B containing Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark (Germany 1/4 – To Qualify).

Loew is also charged with the task of lifting the morale of the squad’s Bayern Munich contingent off the back of a heart-wrenching domestic season in which the Bavarians lost on penalties to Chelsea in the Champions League final on home soil, were pipped to the Bundesliga title by Borussia Dortmund and lost the DFB Pokal final to the same opponents.

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Hodgson faces more questions

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Roy Hodgson’s reign as England (10/1 – Euro 2012 outright) manager got off to a solid start on Saturday evening with a 1-0 win over Norway in Oslo, but as usual with the Three Lions, there are more questions than answers heading into Euro 2012.

For the opening half hour of the match, England dominated their Scandinavian opponents, stringing a number of impressive moves together. They were justifiably rewarded when Ashley Young scored the only goal of the game after just nine minutes.

Furthermore, the troublesome midfield area seemed to be working itself out, with Scott Parker providing enough protection for the defence to allow skipper Steven Gerrard to produce his trademark surging runs. This provided a number of opportunities for both Young and strike partner Andy Carroll.

However, the performance certainly tailed off in the second half when the players looked fatigued and Egil Olsen’s side were unlucky not to grab what would have been a deserved equaliser.

England now have just one more warm-up game – against Belgium – before travelling to Eastern Europe for their first match of Euro 2012 against France on June 11th (France 6/4, draw 11/5, England 6/4 – Match Betting).

The game against the Belgians will certainly provide a fairer indication of where the team currently stands as a number of players who missed the game in Oslo are set to return to the fold. Furthermore, the players will be desperate to secure their place in the side to face Laurent Blanc’s men in Donetsk.

Despite the unconvincing nature of the win, there were plenty of positives to draw on from Saturday’s game, most notably the performance of Andy Carroll (50/1 – Euro 2012 top goalscorer), who once again proved his doubters wrong and now looks certain to lead the line in Wayne Rooney’s absence.

Furthermore, his combination play with Young certainly looks promising and combined with Gerrard’s new-found freedom in the midfield, could provide the X Factor that England (13/8 to win Group D) have missed in years gone by.

Despite these positives, there are still a few questions hanging over the squad, most notably in defence where Everton’s Phil Jagielka, who is currently on stand-by, performed admirably and was arguably England’s best player.

The former Sheffield United man has been one of the Premier League’s stand-out stoppers over the last few seasons and his display will only raise further questions over the positions of slower defenders such as Gary Cahill and the out-of-form John Terry.

With all these quandaries still surrounding the camp, the game against Belgium certainly takes on extra significance and with Roy Hodgson still to finalise his squad, don’t be surprised if he decides to leave yet more established stars at home.

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French fancy for Euro 2012?

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Ahead of Euro 2012, there have been some pundits who believe France can go all the way and take the title this year, but coach Laurent Blanc was quick to downplay expectations and his side’s chance of glory.

France, who are 12/1 to take the top prize, have been drawn in Group D with England, Sweden and co-hosts Ukraine and there is a growing confidence amongst the French public that they could impress this year.

However, Blanc is quick to point out that his side have failed to navigate their way beyond the group stages in the last two tournaments (Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010) and believes reaching the quarter-finals would be an achievement for his side.

“We’re hoping to reach the quarters first and foremost,” said Blanc. “As you all know, once you’re in the knockout phase of a competition anything can happen over 90 or 120 minutes, and I can remind you that France hasn’t gone passed the first round the last two times. That’s the reality of the situation.”

Indeed, the French boss claims he cannot see his side winning the tournament and believes defending champions Spain, who are the 5/2 favourites ahead of Euro 2012, will take the top prize.

He added: “I can see Spain winning the Euros. I can’t say the same about us.”

Blanc’s caution should perhaps be taken with a pinch of salt, however. Les Bleus are on an 18-game unbeaten run, which includes away victories over England and Germany, and they finished top of their qualifying group.

France are missing a number of key players for the tournament through injury, with Loic Remy, Eric Abidal, Bacary Sagna, Abou Diaby and Younes Kaboul all sidelined, but they do possess plenty of talent amongst their ranks.

France are 7/4 to fall in the quarter-finals, but there is every reason to suggest they can go further than the last eight based on recent form and the players at their disposal.

The star names in the French squad include Franck Ribery, who will be seeking to bounce back from Champions League disappointment with Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, who is expected to start as a lone frontman in France’s opening group game against England.

There is also a strong Premier League contingent in Blanc’s squad, such as Manchester City pair Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, Newcastle duo Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabeye, Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny and Chelsea veteran Florent Malouda.

Ben Arfa will be eager to impress after a stop-start season with Newcastle, while Lyon’s Yoann Gourcuff will also be desperate to make his mark after a disappointing domestic campaign.

There are plenty of players who ply their trades in Ligue 1 and for some Euro 2012 offers an opportunity to put themselves in the shop window in order to try and secure a move to one of the major European leagues.  The likes of Olivier Giroud, Mathieu Debuchy and Marvin Martin all won plaudits for their performances in the French league this season and will be keen to show what they can do in international football.

Blanc may have played down France’s chances but they are one of the form teams heading into the tournament, they have a good mix of experience and younger players all eager to impress, and with players such as Ribery and Nasri to call upon they have some of the world’s most talented stars at their disposal.

So, at 12/1, Les Bleus are certainly worth some consideration.

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Powell the key for Alex

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The focus for Sunday is very much on the fourth tier of English football as Cheltenham and Crewe do battle at Wembley to earn the right to play in League One next season.

It is perhaps something of a surprise that these two will be striding out at Wembley given the fact that they finished the regular season in sixth and seventh place respectively.

However, the sides are there on merit with Cheltenham easing past Torquay 4-1 on aggregate and, although the scoreline was much tighter, Crewe missed a number of chances to wrap up a convincing victory as they saw off Southend 3-2 on aggregate.

Having led 1-0 from the first-leg, the Alex should really have sealed their Wembley place long before Southend equalised on the night and, although it set up a frantic finale, that could just work in their favour come Sunday.

Crewe have been installed as very marginal favourites in the match betting as they are priced at 8/5, with Cheltenham a shade bigger at 17/10, while the draw is on offer at 12/5.

Cheltenham have been a surprise package this season, having started their League Two campaign as one of the market leaders for relegation, but defied the critics to make it to the play-offs.

Perhaps not one of the highest scorers in the divsion, the Robins were strong defensively at home – conceding just 16 goals – making life difficult for visiting teams at Whaddon Road.

The manner of their victory over Torquay was also impressive, winning 2-0 at home and 2-1 away, which should give them confidence after going into the play-offs with some indifferent form.

Crewe by contrast are enjoying an 18-match unbeaten streak which stretches back to February 18, gaining revenge for that loss by getting the better of Southend in the semi-finals.

A fair number of those games have been draws though, 10 in total with eight wins, but they should also be full of confidence as they have scored in every game since that defeat at Roots Hall.

What is also in the Alex’s favour is the fact that they won both regular season meetings between the two sides, winning 1-0 at Whaddon Road in October – albeit with an injury-time penalty – while the 1-0 at home came just three matches before the end of the season.

Those two matches suggest that Sunday’s clash could be a tight affair, although there is the obvious difference that this game takes place on the hallowed turf of Wembley in front of the cameras in a final.

Defender Luke Garbutt is available for Cheltenham after being released by England Under-19s after recovering from a hamstring problem, and he could displace the man who replaced him against Torquay – Keith Lowe.

Crewe are also able to welcome back a player as midfielder Luke Murphy has recovered from his own hamstring injury to give boss Steve Davis a fully-fit squad to choose from.

Jermaine McGlashan has hit form at the right time for the Robins with a goal in both legs of the semi-final and is on offer at 10/1 to score first/last and 11/4 anytime, although the big game atmosphere might bring the best out of Crewe’s Nick Powell.

The 18-year-old has been in fine form for the Railwaymen this term with 14 goals, and his displays have got the Premier League big guns circling for his services with Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton all linked with a move.

Providing he can handle the occasion, Powell looks a good shout at 11/2 First/Last Goalscorer and 3/2 Anytime, in what has been an effective partnership with AJ Leitch-Smith (6/1 and 13/8).

Cheltenham have not lost a play-off game in their history with five wins and three draws previously, but Powell can provide the key to unlock the Robins’ defence and seal promotion for the Alex.

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First look at Hodgson’s squad

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Now that the hullabaloo of the club season is finally over, England can begin their preparations for Euro 2012 in earnest, starting with Saturday’s trip to Oslo to take on Norway in their first of two warm-up games for the showpiece tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

It seems crazy that England are going into a major championships with a new manager who has had little time to prepare, given the fact that he only finished with his responsibilities at West Brom on May 13 – and the Three Lions are still fourth favourites at 10/1 to lift a trophy they have never won.

There have been a few talking points raised by the squad he named last Wednesday but the proof is in the pudding, and Hodgson – like the rest of us – will have a better idea of his starting XI following the warm-up games.

The first of two fixtures has been one that has caused England problems in the past with the team, which has had the better of the head-to-head record, not having beaten Norway since 1980 – albeit just five games ago.

Although there are one or two names recognisable to Premier League watchers, this Norway side does not look the strongest on paper – made evident by a 4-1 drubbing against Wales just last November.

England have been installed as the 11/10 favourites in the match betting, despite playing away, which is perhaps not surprising given Norway’s current resources with Fulham’s Brede Hangeland and John Arne Riise as well as Blackburn’s Morten Gamst Pedersen the better known faces in the squad.

It will be interesting to see the make-up of Hodgson’s first team selection for his country, particularly with just one other friendly (against Belgium at Wembley on June 2) to come before the tournament gets underway, but there are sure to be a host of substitutions as the former Switzerland and Finland boss tests his charges on the international stage.

That could give ammunition for those looking to oppose Hodgson’s men at the prices and Norway should not be under-estimated at 5/2 with the draw 23/10, given the fact that they only missed out on the play-offs for Euro 2012 due to a worse goal difference behind Portugal.

In fact, Egil Olsen’s men beat the Portuguese 1-0 on home territory in qualification, while they also held Group H winners Denmark 1-1 in an unbeaten campaign on home soil, suffering two defeats on their travels.

However, that recent defeat to Wales still leaves doubt in the mind with their goal coming from a horrendous gaffe from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessy.

The Norwegians did bounce back with a 3-0 defeat of Northern Ireland in a friendly but England are a much tougher proposition and should have the tools to pick up a morale-boosting win – even with Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing in the squad.

It would be prudent to wait for team news, given the nature of the clash – a friendly ahead of a major tournament with a new manager’s first squad – before jumping in to the goal scorer markets, although Hodgson’s options up front are somewhat limited.

Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck have been struggling with niggling injuries so could miss out, particularly with the former suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012.

That could see Carroll indeed start up front with Jermain Defoe, seemingly a substitute at Spurs, and both are available at 11/2 First/Last and 3/2 Anytime Goalscorer, with Welbeck also priced up at those odds.

Whatever side England put out on Saturday night should be good enough to come away with the win but of course whether it is good enough to go all the way in Poland and Ukraine remains to be seen.

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Celts in for tough tests

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Both the Republic of Ireland and Scotland return to international action on Saturday with a couple of tough friendly matches.

For the Irish they face Bosnia-Herzegovina in their last home game before they turn their attention to the serious business of Euro 2012. Elsewhere, the Scots have no major tournament to prepare for but they will be keen to get a result across the Atlantic against the United States.

Republic of Ireland v Bosnia-Herzegovina – 3pm

There is bound to be a jovial atmosphere inside the Aviva Stadium on Saturday as Irish supporters look for their team to continue their Euro 2012 preparations with a win.

Coach Giovanni Trapattoni has done a fantastic job with what is predominantly an ageing Irish team to get them to Euro 2012. However, if Ireland are to make it out of Group C, with Italy, Spain and Croatia all in their way, they will have to up their game.

The clash with  Bosnia-Herzegovina is a good test of what this Ireland squad is capable of, with the Balkan nation narrowly missing out on a place in Poland and Ukraine this summer after a play-off defeat to Portugal.

Coach Safet Susic has a few talented players at his disposal, with Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic, Senad Lulic and Zvjezdan Misimovic all expected to start on Saturday.

Having just failed to reach the European Championships you’d expect Bosnia-Herzegovina to give a good account of themselves, even after a long, hard season. With Trapattoni naturally cautious the game is unlikely to be an open one, especially given all of Ireland’s injury concerns in defence.

Kieren Westwood will start in goal ahead of Shay Given as he recovers from a knee injury. Paul McShane has been called up to the squad because the central defensive trio of John O’Shea, Richard Dunne and Sean St Ledger are all unavailable.

In attack, Trapattoni has a big decision to make when it comes to who should partner Robbie Keane (11/10 to score anytime), with Shane Long (3/2), Jon Walters (7/4), Kevin Doyle (13/8) and Simon Cox (15/8) all in the reckoning.

Despite having something to play for and home advantage Saturday’s game could be something of an anti-climax, with a draw the most likely outcome.

The draw is 9/4, with Ireland evens and Bosnia-Herzegovina 3/1.

USA v Scotland – 1am

Even the most hardy of Scotland fans might give this game a miss given the kick-off time here as Craig Levein takes his team to Florida for this ’soccer’ match. You might be forgiven for thinking this is just a jolly for the Scottish players and if they treat it like that then they’ll be turned over by a strong USA team.

Levein has taken a weakened squad to Jacksonville for the clash, with Jamie Mackie, Kris Commons, Darren Fletcher, Steven Naisimth, James Morrison, Graham Dorrans and Charlie Adam all left at home. The uncapped duo of Blackpool winger Matt Phillips and Dundee United striker Johnny Russell have been called up to fill the void but are unlikely to feature against the States.

Despite failing to reach Euro 2012 Levein can be happy with the progress he has made in the national set-up, losing just one of his seven games in charge and that was against Spain. However, the USA have a strong squad and under current coach Jurgen Klinsmann recorded their most famous result to date when they beat Italy 1-0 in Genoa in February.

The States team boasts a number of familiar names, with Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan, Maurice Edu and Tim Howard all expected to feature against the Scots. Given the season Dempsey has had at Fulham he could be a good bet to score anytime at 11/8, or you could place him a scorecast with Dempsey first goalscorer and the USA to win 1-0 priced at 20/1.

The States have won the last four, three of which finished 1-0, and will be expected to roll over the Scots. A USA win is 8/13, with Scotland 9/2 and the draw 11/4.

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