Euro 2020 qualification rolls on for two more days, and we can take advantage of four matchups Monday, including the defending World Cup champion.
France will host Iceland, with the teams 36 spots apart in the FIFA rankings. But this is more about the scintillating form of Les Bleus at the moment. The squad has superstars everywhere, including on the defense, midfield, and attack. Iceland comes into the match with just one win in six, a 2-0 win over Andorra Friday. But Iceland has some draw to weak sides over the last few months that seem to show the team has not kicked on from its 2016 Euro and 2-18 World Cup showings.
Turkey, number 40 in the FIFA rankings, hosts 170th ranked Moldova. As has been the case over the last week, when a team 100-plus spots below another goes on the road, that contest is usually one-sided. Moldova lost 4-1 at France at home Friday, while Turkey went on the road and knocked off Albania 2-0. Turkey should roll.
World Cup semifinalist England will head to Montenegro, after Raheem Sterling’s hat trick helped the Three Lions kick off qualification Friday with a 5-0 win over the Czech Republic. Montenegro is two spots behind the Czech side, at 46, but it gets the match at home. Can Sterling replicate his feat, or will one of the 18-year-old wingers get in o the action? Callum Hudson-Odoi is in line to get his first England start before he ever started a match for Chelsea, which is one of the reasons teams like Bayern Munich and Manchester United have been trying to buy the budding superstar.
In the final two matches, take Albania and Ukraine on the road. Albania visits Andorra (ranked 132nd) and Ukraine goes to Luxembourg (ranked 87th). Interestingly, Ukraine has beaten Luxembourg 3-0 in each of the last three times the sides have met in qualification. So if you are looking for a flyer on a correct score bet, that might be interesting.
Turkey (-550) vs. Moldova (+1800), draw (+550), 1 p.m. (ESPN3, Univision Deportes, and Fubo.tv)
THE PICKS:
Turkey first half -1 (+260)
Turkey to win and over 1.5 goals (-275)
Turkey ML (-550)
Andorra (+850) vs. Albania (-250), draw (+300), 3:45 p.m. ESPN3
THE PICK: Albania ML (-250)
France (-550) vs. Iceland (+1700), draw (+550), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN+, UniMas, and Fubo.tv)
THE PICKS:
France ML (-550)
France handicap -2 (+100)
Antoine Griezmann anytime goal scorer (-110)
Kylian Mbappe anytime goal score (-110)
France to score two or more goals (-333)
Luxembourg (+800) vs. Ukraine (-275), draw (+333), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN3)
THE PICKS:
Ukraine ML (-275)
Ukraine to win first half (-110)
Ukraine -1 first half (+380)
Montenegro (+1000) vs. England (-286), draw (+400), 3:45 p.m. (ESPN+, Univision Deportes app, and Fubo.tv)
THE PICKS:
England ML (-286)
England to win first half (-120)
England -1.5 (+110)