Will Scotland secure a place in the final against Denmark?
In Group C of the European World Cup qualifiers, the top two spots have already been secured by Denmark and Scotland. In the long-distance duel with the Danes for the only direct qualifying spot in the group, the Bravehearts will have to play in Athens this coming Friday. The bookies’ odds for a Greece vs. Scotland tip only see the visitors from the British Isles as underdogs.
Given the completely different form curves of both teams in recent months, we find this assessment by the betting providers somewhat difficult to understand. In any case, the probability that the bookmakers have misjudged the odds distribution for the upcoming match seems high according to our Greece vs. Scotland prediction.
This is especially true given that Scotland is still in contention for first place in the group, while Greece is only playing for pride. After three consecutive defeats, Ivan Jovanovic’s team has already squandered its chance to qualify for next summer’s World Cup finals.
Greece – Scotland Head-to-head record / H2H balance
With three wins from five encounters, Scotland leads the head-to-head record in this duel. Greece has won twice, and there has never been a draw in this fixture. On Greek soil, there has been one win each for both teams, with Scotland winning the most recent encounter in the Nations League play-offs in Piraeus in March this year.
Nevertheless, the Greece vs. Scotland betting odds show that the bookies consider the Greeks to be the favorites in the upcoming match. If the supposed underdog Scotland triumphs in Athens this Friday, betting on the underdog could more than triple your stake.
Greece – Scotland betting tip
The Greek team was actually in good form in last year’s international matches. In the Nations League, “To Piratiko” won five out of six games and finished second in their group behind England. In the playoffs, the Greeks then prevailed in two games against their upcoming opponents Scotland. Ivan Jovanovic’s team won 3-0 in the second leg after losing the first leg at home 0-1.
Does this mean that the odds for a Greece vs. Scotland prediction will favor the Greeks? In any case, the Greek team’s performance has inexplicably slumped in recent months after their opening victory in the World Cup qualifiers against Belarus. This was followed by two defeats in the home and away games against Denmark and a defeat in Scotland, which won two of the last three matches.
This means that their chances of qualifying for the World Cup next summer are already gone. In the two remaining games, Jovanovic’s team will simply be looking to bow out of the qualifiers with their heads held high. Their opponents from the British Isles, on the other hand, have a completely different motivation for the upcoming game.
Steve Clarke’s team has its sights set on its ninth World Cup appearance. If possible, of course, by direct route, i.e., as group winners. To have a final match for direct World Cup qualification at home against group leaders Denmark next Tuesday, the Bravehearts must win in Greece. It is highly unlikely that the Danes will slip up against Belarus, who are bottom of the table with no points.
The motivation to win again in Greece, as they did in March this year in the Nations League, is correspondingly high. And in our Greece vs. Scotland prediction, we firmly believe that the Greeks, who have numerous internationally experienced players from the Premier League and Serie A in their ranks, have a much better chance of winning than the bookies’ odds suggest.
Accompanied by the Tartan Army, as the fans of the Scottish team are called, they will be aiming for three points in the cauldron of Athens.
