GAME INFORMATION: 12 P.M., FRIDAY, JULY 2 AT KRESTOVSKY STADIUM, SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
TV: ESPN
BETTING ODDS: SWITZERLAND +475/SPAIN -155/DRAW +210
TO ADVANCE: SWITZERLAND +250/SPAIN -350
TOTALS: OVER 2.5 -110/UNDER 2.5 -120
One of these teams was always expected to be here. One was supposed to be long gone from this tournament by now. But Switzerland took full advantage when France went to sleep and stole a spot in the quarterfinals for its deepest push in a major tournament since the 1950s. For Spain, this quarterfinal is a return to the land where it all went wrong for them at the 2018 World Cup. Spain appeared to be one of the favorites to come out of the softer side of the bracket, only to turn in a tepid performance and lose to Russia on penalties. The Spanish have looked excellent on offense in their past two matches, but the defense has really gone to sleep at some of the worst possible times, which makes it anyone’s guess as to whether Spain will take advantage of the gift of not having to face France.
MATCH BET: BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE, -110
Reason: The Spanish defense is not to be trusted against a side that can attack, and Switzerland showed no fear of Spain when these teams met in the Nations League in 2019, with the result being a 1-1 draw. Switzerland has had no problems in attack unless the opponent is Italy, and Spain’s defense is nowhere near the level of the Azzurri. This match should be free-flowing, and that means opportunities should exist at both ends of the pitch. If you feel brave, take Spain to win and both to score at +250.
SCORE BET: SPAIN 2, SWITZERLAND 1, +750
Reason: The Spanish have looked the part of an attacking side in their past two matches, and there’s little reason to think Switzerland can stop La Furia Roja from finding the net. But the Swiss can score too; their four matches have featured a combined 15 goals, and they’ve put seven in the net themselves. There’s a good chance that they can get at least one goal here.
SIDE BET: FIRST GOAL BETWEEN 15:01 and 30:00, +290
Reason: In Spain’s past three matches and two of Switzerland’s past three matches, this is where the first goal has come, and in Switzerland’s one exception, the goal came in the 15th minute, one minute before this range. Spain has seen goals in the 26th, 30th and 20th minute in its past three matches, and when the teams met in Nations League, the first goal came in the 14th minute in one match and the 26th in the other. The numbers suggest this could be a great value play.
