England face Malta at Wembley in their penultimate Euro 2024 qualifier having already booked their place at the finals but Gareth Southgate’s side need three more points to nail down top spot in Group C.
Odds of 1/80 about the home win suggest the three points required are near enough a foregone conclusion but there’s plenty of value lurking beyond the win/draw/win market.
England vs Malta predictions
England (-4) to beat Malta @ 6/4
Harry Kane to assist a goal @ 6/4
Harry Maguire to score anytime @ 9/2
Bet on the latest England Euro 2024 odds at Betzone
Hosts can hop the handicap hurdle for a return at odds-against
Handicap bettors need to go as far as England (-4) before they’re offered a price above evens, but that line seems more than manageable even in the absence of nailed-on future Ballon d’Or winner Jude Bellingham.
Southgate’s men are more than capable of racking up a big score without Bellingham having eased to a 4-0 win in the reverse fixture before thrashing North Macedonia 7-0 at Wembley a few days later in his absence.
Malta are unlikely to complicate the handicap bet by scoring having netted just twice in their seven group games so far and, having lost 4-0 away to Italy, they will struggle to frustrate an England side who are a far more incisive attacking force than the Azzurri.
Tip: England (-4) to beat Malta @ 6/4
Kane can deliver value by turning provider in Malta thrashing
The boring but reliable Harry Kane to score anytime wager has turned up in one of our England previews after another – it’s simply too good an opportunity to turn down if he’s odds against.
Kane has bagged 10 goals in his last 10 appearances for his country but given the opponents here he’s priced up at an unbackable 2/9 to score and 6/5 to score at least twice.
At 6/4 there may be more value in backing him to assist. A big England goal haul is expected and Kane is the only player to have set up more than one goal for one of his teammates since qualifying began (source: Whoscored.com).
Tip: Harry Kane to assist a goal @ 6/4
Much maligned Maguire one of the better England scorer bets
Harry Kane (2/9), Olly Watkins (4/11), Marcus Rashford (47/100), Bukayo Saka (3/4), Jarrod Bowen (3/4) and Phil Foden (5/6) are all shorter than evens to score against the Maltese.
Yet few, maybe even including Kane, can be considered as likely to play 90 mins as Harry Maguire, who continues to command unstinting loyalty for his national team manager.
In Southgate’s current squad only Kane, Rashford and Saka have scored more international goals than the Manchester United centre half – who also has the fifth highest shots per game average among England players this season (source: Whoscored.com).
At 9/2 to net he’s a far better bet than the majority of his 13 teammates trading at shorter anytime scored odds.
