Euro 2021 is around the corner and the tournament is set to receive record viewing figures, with the expanded competition welcoming more countries than ever before.
The event has a rich history of providing celebration stories for underdogs, from Greece’s unprecedented win in 2004 right through to Portugal’s 2016 victory despite not winning a single group match.
With a whopping 24 teams taking part in this year’s event, there’s more chance than ever that favourites will be undone by surprise results and it’s wise to expect the unexpected.
There can be real benefits for bettors in backing longshots as the odds often outweigh the likeliness of the result. OLBG are masters at finding the best value Euro bets, and they’ve created a list of tempting enhanced offers for punters to back.
With bookies creating new markets for their sites daily, there’s often benefit to be found in some higher odds markets. Here we pick out which markets are the best outsiders to consider backing at Euro 2021.
Best Young Player – Declan Rice
At 20/1, there is real value on Declan Rice to be named the Best Young Player of the Tournament at Euro 2021.
England are one of the favourites for the tournament and Rice is a nailed-on starter at the heart of Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Rice himself has had a breakthrough campaign which has seen him lead his West Ham side into qualification for European football next season, despite being written off earlier on. Chelsea are poised to make an offer for Rice which will be a blow for West Ham, but it’s rumoured their scouts already have a replacement lined up.
Central midfielders are often preferred by panellists when awards are given for player of the tournament, too. The inaugural award was given to Portugal’s Renato Sanches, and the youngster had a similar role to Rice, supporting a talented attacking line. If England do well, that will be a direct reflection on Rice’s ability to control and dominate the centre of the pitch.
The same logic is applied to the Player of the Tournament award. Every Player of the Tournament has been a central midfielder, Rice’s natural position, with the exception of Euro 2016 which was won by Antoine Griezmann.
Concede Most Tournament Goals – Hungary
Hungary are priced at 4/1 to concede the most goals at the tournament and despite their relatively impressive recent form, this looks like a certainty.
Hungary have been unfortunate to have been drawn in Group F – this year’s Group of Death – alongside three genuine contenders for the Euro 2021 title. With fixtures against France, Germany and Portugal, Hungary will be lucky to get even a point from the three group games. Marco Rossi’s side will come up against some of the greatest strikers on the planet in Kylian Mbappe, Timo Werner and Cristiano Ronaldo, all of which will be eager to add to their bulging international goal records.
Hungary don’t have any players who are widely known and have an inexperienced backline with little history of playing against quality opposition. It is likely that goal difference will be a key factor when deciding who progresses to the knockout phase of the competition for this group and, as a result, it’s expected that Hungary will not be let off the hook at any stage.
Top Assists – Jack Grealish
Jack Grealish has benefited from an exceptional season as Aston Villa captain and the progress of the team is clearly down to his influence and ability.
Grealish is fleet of foot and full of flair – perfect for a creative force and one who can create chances from nothing. The 25-year-old was the most fouled player in the Premier League, and that’s testimony to his trickery. If a goal is scored directly from the free kick or penalty which Grealish has earned, the assist is registered to him and that’s one key reason why the lofty 16/1 odds bookies have on him to finish as the Top Assister are tempting.
England have a relatively simple group in Euro 2021 playing Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic in Group D. The talented forward line of Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Phil Foden should attract opposition defences and allow pockets of space for Grealish to operate in which he wouldn’t usually have when playing for Villa.
A good performance in Euro 2021 could also put Grealish in the shop window and attract a bid from one of Europe’s top clubs. The playmaker has already been linked with a summer move to Manchester City but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see other suiters try to acquire his signature.