For those who are not familiar with the competition, sixteen of the best national football teams in Europe will compete for the Henri Delaunay Trophy.
The competition includes four four-team groups, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the knockout stages.
Once you reach the knockout stages, also known as the quarter-finals, it’s win or go home.
Draws will no longer get the job done. As a result, nerves will play an even bigger part, and understandably so.
Now then, let’s take a look at the four groups for this summer’s European Championships.
Euro 2012 Betting Odds: Group Qualification
Group A: Poland, Greece, Russia, Czech Republic
Russia and Poland are the favorites to advance to the quarter-finals according to the bookmakers.
Russia are 4/9 to advance in the competition, while the co-hosts are 5/6 to reach the knockout stages.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic are slight underdogs at 6/5 to reach the final eight, meaning that the Euro 2004 champions are 11/8 to survive Group A.
Group B: Holland, Denmark, Germany, PortugalGroup B is undoubtedly the “Group of Death” of Euro 2012. With that said, any of the four teams could technically maneuver their way to the quarter-finals.
However, “technically” does not cut it for some, myself included. Subsequently, Germany are the bookmakers’ favorites, at 1/4, to carry on in the competition.
Die DFB-Elf are closely followed by Holland, who are 1/2 to finish in the top two of Group B.
In contrast, Portugal and Denmark are the underdogs, with the Portuguese given 6/5 odds to achieve a top-two finish, while Denmark round out Group B at 9/2.
Group C: Spain, Italy, Republic of Ireland, Croatia
Defending European and World Cup champions Spain are gigantic favorites, to the tune of 10/1 odds, to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2012.
Italy, who will be looking to avenge their poor performance in the 2012 World Cup, are next in line at 8/13.
Subsequently, Croatia and the Republic of Ireland have been marked as the underdogs.
The Croatians are 7/4 to reach the final eight, while the Republic of Ireland are 7/2 to make an improbable appearance in the quarter-finals.
Group D: Ukraine, Sweden, France, England
In a rather peculiar decision, the bookmakers have designated England, yes the Three Lions, as the favorites in Group D.
After failing to qualify for Euro 2008, England are 1/2 to survive Group D, despite Wayne Rooney’s two-match ban.
Furthermore, France are 8/15 to reach the quarter-finals, whilst co-hosts Ukraine are 11/8 and Sweden 7/4 to advance to the next phase of the competition.
