Italy was supposed to be the team that was a mess. They are embroiled in a match-fixing scandal and the roster had to be adjusted for players under investigation. It looked awful. Instead, they have looked pretty darn good, getting draws against Spain and Croatia.
Meanwhile, poor Ireland. They were so excited to be back at Euros, only to show why they hadn't qualified for Euro in 24 years. Poor Ireland.
Lines: Italy, -1.5 (+100). Ireland, +1.5 (-120).
Odds: Italy, -350. Ireland, +900. Draw, +425.
Over/Under: Over 2.5, -130. Under 2.5, +110.
The +900 on Ireland is incredibly tempting, mainly because +900 is always tempting. Seriously, talk yourself into betting on them because it would be super fun. On the sanity side, remember that Ireland are really bad and should never be bet on ever. Italy at -1.5 isn't too shabby, even if it is a big number because, well, poor Ireland.
The under on this one looks smart, though. Yeah, Italy will probably get two, but a third? That is dicey. Call it a hedge bet and go under.
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