England Vs Russia 2016 Copa America Game Analysis

Summer is usually a bit of a bore for soccer fan the world over, but this summer is proving to be a big one for lovers of the beautiful game. The Copa America is already in full swing, and Friday, June 10 sees the start of the 2016 European Championships in France. The host will get the ball rolling on opening day, and that will be followed by a 3-game calendar on Saturday. The pick of the bunch from those three games has to be the afternoon tilt that sees England go head to head with Russia in Group B action. England have a young side, and are considered a pretty solid bet to make it all the way to the final 4, while many are looking at Russia as a bit of a longshot even just to get out of the group stages. This should be a good opening game for the Three Lions, but there are always a lot of nerves in the opening game of the group stages for each team. The betting odds have England as favorites here, but may we be in for a bit of a surprise?

England Vs Russia 2016 Copa America Game Analysis

When: Saturday, June 11 at 3 PM EST Where: Stade Velodrome, Marseille TV: ESPN Euro 2016 Odds: TBA    

Why bet on England

England have an embarrassment of riches to choose from at the striker position, with Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, and Wayne Rooney all legitimate threats. By all accounts, it is going to be Vardy who is the odd man out for this game, but he is a great option to have on the bench. England flexed some real offensive power in qualifying for the Euros, winning all 10 of the games, and scoring 31 goals in the process. They also look good on defense, and only gave up 3 goals in the qualifying stages. There is an injury concern with Chris Smalling at the heart of that defense, but they have plenty of cover there should he not be able to go.

Why bet on Russia

Russia are a team filled with veteran talent, many of whom will be taking their final bow in a major tournament. The Russians took the hard route to the Euros, and actually had to switch coaches after stumbling out of the gate in the early going. The coaching switch had the desired effect, as they were able to win their final 4 games in qualifying to pick up a second place finish in the group. The bad news is that they have not looked very good in their preparations for the tournament, having recently lost to France, Croatia, and the Czech Republic. Not very many soccer fans consider them a threat to do much damage here.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

England are the clear betting odds favorites for this game, and they will be looking to get their campaign off to a winning start, with hopefully a few goals notched in the process. It’ll be comfortable, but not a blowout. England 2 Russia 0