Poland Vs Portugal Soccer Odds Analysis

The first round of the knockout stages is now in the books at Euro 2016 in France, and it has to be said that there are a few surprise teams getting ready to play in the quarter-finals. There is no-on that can top the job being done by minnows Iceland, but there are more than a few soccer fans who are surprised to see both Poland and Portugal still playing at this stage of the tournament. That may not have been the case at the start of the proceedings, but the way in which both of these teams have played so far suggests that both would very much be longshots to make it to the final. One of them is going to go into the semis, though, and the bookies have the Portugal as slight soccer odds favorites. There is a better than average chance that the winner of this one will be moving on to meet the hosts France in the next round, so they are both going to have to find a way to play much better than they have been to this point if they want to avoid this game being their last hurrah.

Poland Vs Portugal Soccer Odds Analysis

When: Thursday, June 30 at 3 PM EST Where: Stade Velodrome, Marseille TV: ESPN Live Stream: Watch ESPN Euro 2016 Odds: TBA    

Why bet on Poland

Despite having one of the most feared strikers in the world in Robert Lewandowski, Poland have reached this stage of the tournament in large part because of their defensive play. They have only given up 1 goal through the 4 games that they have played, and that just happened to be a wonder strike from Shaqiri of Switzerland in the previous round. That Round of 16 game was one where Poland were quite literally hanging on at the end, and they need a win on penalties in order to advance. If the defense can find a way to shut down Nani and Ronaldo, they may just be able to come up with the same sort of result.

Why bet on Portugal

Portugal, much like Poland, have not really made the most of their offensive talents, unless of course you count the 3-3 tie that they had against Hungary, where Ronaldo took control of the game in the second half. That game is actually a perfect example of all that is ailing Portugal at the moment. This is a team blessed with offensive talents, but if they open up, they become woefully exposed at the back. Portugal played things very tight against Croatia in the Round of 16, but probably just deserved their 1-0 ET win. With Nani and Ronaldo on opposite sides of the field, Portugal has the means to stretch the Poland defense. Whether or not they choose to do so remains to be seen.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This has all the makings of a tight, edgy affair, but it’s a match-up that has been favorable to Portugal down the years, as they have gone 4-3-3 in their last 10 meetings with Poland. A single goal may be enough to win this one.

Poland 0 Portugal 1