Scotland, Euro 2024: can the Tartan Army beat the bookmakers and win their bet?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Véronique MASUAKU
Scotland seeking first European Championship success
Scotland’s history in the European Championships has been a painful one for their followers. Despite their incredible footballing pedigree and passionate fan base, Scotland have fallen short on the continental stage, but the Tartan Army have assembled one of the best sides we’ve seen in recent history for the upcoming event in Germany and there is a belief that the side will be able to shed the tag of perennial underachievers.
The Scots are set to compete in their fourth European Championship this year but they have never progressed beyond the group stages in the past, and doing so this time will be their primary goal. At Euro 2020, the Tartan Army’s tournament ended in disappointment, as they finished at the bottom of Group D and managed just a single point from their matches against Croatia, the Czech Republic and England.
Indeed, their performances in previous editions have been a bitter pill to swallow but there is reason for optimism this time around with the side drawn into a group that will be challenging, but not impossible to overcome.
Can Steve Clarke guide the Tartan Army to the Euro 2024 title?
The combination of Steve Clarke and the Scotland national team is a match made in heaven, and under his guidance, the team has experienced a resurgence in both form and belief. Clarke, who took up the role back in 2019, has instilled a sense of confidence that has lacked in the side for many years, and the Tartan boss will now lead his army to back-to-back Euros for only the second time in their history.
During qualifying for Euro 2024, Scotland showed the improvements they’ve made since the last competition by recording impressive victories over Norway and European giants Spain. Across their eight qualifying matches, the Scots suffered only a single defeat, which saw them secure qualification in second place behind Spain, while holding off Norway, Georgia and Cyprus.
Now drawn into Group A for Euro 2024, Scotland are set to face formidable opponents in Germany, along with Switzerland and Hungary. At first glance, this looks like a daunting task, but one that Clarke and his side will relish as they look to defy the odds. The importance of Scotland getting off to a positive start cannot be overstated, especially considering that they are set to face hosts Germany in the opening match of the competition at the Allianz Arena.
As Scotland look to etch their names in history at this upcoming Euro 2024, you can check out our experts’ analyses of each of the Tartan Army’s matches via our Euro 2024 predictions, which will be available throughout the tournament.
Euro 2024 - Scotland’s fixture list
Scotland face a tricky route to the knockout stages, but it certainly isn’t insurmountable. With Germany, Switzerland and Hungary standing in their way, every match will be crucial.
The top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed finishers will progress to the round of 16. From then on, it is a straight shootout with the winners of each match moving on to the quarter-final, semi-final and grand final, which will be held at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on July 14.
Here are Scotland’s group-stage fixtures :
- Friday, June 14 - Germany vs Scotland - Allianz Arena
- Wednesday, June 19 - Scotland vs Switzerland - RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne)
- Sunday, June 23 - Scotland vs Hungary - MHP Arena (Stuttgart)
Don’t forget to check out our Euro 2024 Livescores, to keep right up to date with every moment of this year’s tournament.
What Bets to Make on Scotland at Euro 2024?
Scotland will enter Euro 2024 ranked 39th according to FIFA’s most updated World Rankings, making them the lowest-ranked side in Group A. Germany are ranked 16th, Switzerland are 19th, and Hungary are currently 26th. Indeed, the Tartan Army are a long shot to win Euro 2024 and the odds reflect the same, with Scotland currently showing up at 100.0 (Bet365) to lift the trophy.
Therefore, it’s unsurprising to see the Scots also considered the biggest underdogs to win Group A, currently priced at 12.0 to top the group and 7.0 to qualify for the last 16, according to Betway.
The Tartan Army’s first match of the competition is expected to be their most difficult against the host nation Germany. The German national side have been tipped by many to go all the way in this competition and are currently the third favourite to win Euro 2024, which is why Scotland are priced at 11.0 to get off to a winning start.
Matches two and three in the group represent much better chances for Scotland to pick up points. Switzerland reached the quarter-final of Euro 2020 where they were beaten by Spain, and are second-favourite to qualify from Group A. Hungary, on the other hand, failed to make it out of the group stages in the last edition of this competition and will surely be the match that Scotland have earmarked as one they absolutely must win.
A victory for Scotland against Switzerland can be booked in at odds of 2.50 with Unibet, while William Hill are offering 2.00 for the Tartan Army to overcome Hungary in the final match of the group.
One market that could prove to bring excellent value for punters is Goalscorers. During qualifying, Manchester United’s Scott McTominay was a standout performer for Scotland, as he racked up the fourth-most goals only behind Romelu Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappe. Scotland will be relying heavily on McTominay to continue bombing on from midfield, and given their outsider status, the odds attached to goalscoring are extremely tempting. Vbet has priced McTominay at 8.00 to score anytime in the opening match against Germany.
Don’t hesitate to take a look at our live Euro 2024 odds comparator to help guide your betting decisions!
