Domestic leagues take a break for international football this week as the UEFA Nations League returns on Thursday night. We take a look at two of the standout fixtures from a betting angle, with England hosting Croatia and Italy taking on France.
UEFA Nations League Outright Betting
Spain head the outright betting at 3.00, narrowly ahead of France at 3.70, with England next at 5.50. Portugal are available at 6.00, followed by Germany at 11.00 and the Netherlands at 13.00.
Italy are priced at 21.00, with Greece at 26.00 and Belgium at 34.00.
Click here to bet on the outright markets
ENGLAND vs CROATIA – click here to bet
England sit second in Group 3 with three wins and one defeat from their opening four matches.
They have now won three consecutive Nations League fixtures, most recently seeing off the Czech Republic 3-0 at home. Before that, they had few problems disposing of Croatia, running out emphatic 7-0 winners on the road in October.
England’s defence has also been impressive, with three successive clean sheets in the competition.
Croatia are bottom of the group with one win and three defeats. They have averaged just one goal per game while conceding more than three goals per match.
Their most recent outing ended in a 2-1 home defeat to Spain, while their previous away fixture saw them beaten 4-1 by the Spanish.
Head-to-Head
England thrashed Croatia 7-0 away from home in October.
Prior to that, the sides met at the 2026 World Cup, where England claimed a 4-2 victory in June. That was their first meeting in six years.
Betting
England 1.26
Draw 6.75
Croatia 11.00
Verdict
England are understandably strong favourites and have already demonstrated their superiority with that 7-0 away victory. Their recent defensive record is equally impressive, while Croatia continue to struggle at the back.
England to win and both teams to score – No at 2.15 is worth considering, but I fancy the hosts to win comfortably and cover the bigger handicap.
BET: Asian Handicap – England -2.5 at 2.70
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ITALY vs FRANCE – click here to bet
Italy sit second in Group 1 with seven points from their opening four matches.
They began their campaign with a disappointing home defeat to Belgium but have since bounced back with a 4-1 away victory over Turkey, a 1-1 draw in France and a 3-1 home win against Turkey.
Both teams have found the back of the net in Italy’s last three Nations League matches.
France top the group and remain unbeaten after four matches, having recorded three victories and a draw.
They were convincing 4-1 winners at home to Belgium last time out, while their two away fixtures have both ended in 1-0 victories over Belgium and Turkey.
Three of France’s four Nations League matches have produced fewer than three goals.
Head-to-Head
The sides played out a 1-1 draw when they met in France earlier in the group stage.
In the 2024/25 Nations League, the away team won 3-1 on both occasions.
Both teams have scored in each of the last six meetings across all competitions, with five of those six matches producing over 2.5 goals.
Betting
Italy 4.25
Draw 4.00
France 1.83
Verdict
France are deserved favourites, but Italy have improved since their opening defeat and will fancy their chances of getting a result after drawing in France.
The head-to-head record points towards goals, with both teams scoring in the last six meetings and five of those producing at least three goals I like over 2.5 goals and both teams to score at just under even money.
BET: Both teams to score and over/under 2.5 goals, YES and Over at 1.98
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
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