Wales vs. Switzerland Odds, Picks, Betting Predictions: Back the Swiss at Plus-Money in Euro 2020 Opener (June 12)
Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images. Pictured: Switzerland striker Breel Embolo.
- Switzerland and Wales meet in Euro 2020 soccer championships group play on Saturday morning (9 a.m. ET, ESPN).
- The Swiss, ranked 13th in the latest FIFA world rankings, are one of the tournament's dark horses.
- Jeremy Pond breaks down his Switzerland vs. Wales pick and betting prediction below.
Wales vs. Switzerland Odds
| Wales Odds | +320 |
| Switzerland Odds | +110 |
| Draw | +205 |
| Over/Under | 1.5 (-180 / +148) |
| Day | Time | Saturday | 9 a.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds as of Friday evening via DraftKings. | |
Things get started bright and early Saturday at the 2020 Euros, with Switzerland taking on Wales at Baki Olimpiya Stadionu in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Swiss, who have only advanced out of the group stage of this tournament once in four tries, hope they can continue a red-hot patch of form in their opener. They've won all five of their matches in 2021 across all competitions, including a 2-1 victory over the United States in a May 30 friendly.
In contrast, Wales has been anything but spectacular entering this Group A showdown. The Welsh have just two wins in their last five outings, which includes a 3-0 shutout defeat against tournament favorite France and a disappointing scoreless draw with Albania less than a week ago.
This should be a cagey affair between nations who are difficult to break down, so let's see where the betting value sits entering this meeting.
Wales Hoping to Find Similar Magic From 2016 Miracle Run
The Welsh enter this showcase in pretty poor form, having suffered back-to-back friendly shutouts against the French and Albanians. I totally understand getting steamrolled by France, but when you're sitting 17th in the latest FIFA rankings and get blanked by the 66th-ranked country, that's a problem.
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid) leads Wales, but his finest moments might have come and gone. Suffice it to say, if the Welsh are going to have any chance of getting out of a quartet that also features powerful Italy and Turkey, it's going to need at least a point from this affair.
Wales did enjoy a historic, memorable run to the semifinals of the 2016 edition of this event, so it knows how to make the magic happen on the biggest stage. Unfortunately, that was five years ago, and this group hasn't gotten any younger to say the least.
If you're wondering what kind of tactical approach manager Ryan Giggs might implement against Switzerland, Wales played a 4-2-2-2 formation against France and Albania. My feeling is we could see Giggs tweak things a tad and switch to 3-4-3 or — more realistically — a 4-2-3-1 for the opener.
Switzerland Not Sneaking Up On Anyone
If you thought the Swiss were flying under the radar entering this competition, you're completely wrong in that assessment. Fans and soccer analysts alike have targeted this experienced, talented side as one of those nations capable of doing some serious damage at long odds in this 24-team field.
Sure, Switzerland is going to have to deal with fellow Group A combatant Italy — an impressive 3-0 winner against Turkey in Friday's opening match — but a runner-up or even third-place finish is all it needs to reach the knockout round for just the second time in its history.
As previously mentioned, the Swiss have been on point of late during its current win streak. Prior to those victories, they put together some solid performances against Spain (win and draw) and Germany (two draws) to prove they can more than hang with the better countries in the world.
Sitting 13th in the FIFA rankings, Switzerland is led by winger Xhedran Shaqiri (Liverpool) and striker Breel Embolo of Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach. Manager Vladimir Petković usually sends out his squad in a 3-4-3 formation, with the hope of controlling the middle of the pitch, so I don't see him straying much from that look.
Needless to say, that tactical approach seems to be working for the Swiss. They looked fantastic in their June 3 friendly against lowly Liechtenstein, which resulted in a 7-0 blowout victory. Veteran Mario Gavranović was especially good, recording a hat trick in his quest to secure a starting role.
Betting Analysis & Pick
Switzerland continues to see its moneyline odds drop leading up to this match. And honestly, this number will probably wind up closer to +100 prior to kickoff. The Swiss have a legitimate shot to do some damage in this tournament, so picking up a big win against the Welsh would be an ideal start.
For that reason, I'm going to ride one of the field's dark horses and back Switzerland at+110 odds via DraftKings as my top pick. The Swiss just have too many players that can wreak havoc on this Welsh defense, so I will take my chances with them to pull out the low-scoring triumph.
Pick: Switzerland ML (+110)
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