A growing injury and unavailability list is likely to be a worry for Republic of Ireland head coach Giovanni Trapattoni as his side take on their northern neighbours on Tuesday night.
Having said that, the Republic remain firm favourites to win the Carling Nations Cup match and can be backed at 1/2 on bwin.com.
Alternatively, football betting enthusiasts wanting to back the underdog can do so at 19/4, while the draw offers odds of 63/20.
The Republic have a raft of injury problems, with Kevin Doyle and Damien Duff already ruled out and Caleb Folan and Ciaran Clark also unable to play.
Shane Long, John O’Shea, Darron Gibson, Kevin Kilbane and Aiden McGeady will miss the match due to club commitments.
Stoke trio Jonathan Walters, Glenn Whelan and Marc Wilson are not due to arrive in Dublin until Tuesday morning, so their chances of figuring are also slim.
In spite of this, the Republic are likely to prove too much for their rivals, with Trapattoni’s side still boasting some quality players.
Shay Given will definitely start tomorrow and Keith Andrews is also in line for a return. West Brom’s Simon Cox should win his first cap and skipper Robbie Keane is another with a point to prove.
The Irish captain is likely to use tomorrow’s game to put himself in the shop window following a disappointing Premier League season which has seen him start just 16 games.
Keane will be eager to get on the scoresheet and it could prompt punters to take a look at the goal betting markets.
A successful £10 stake on the game producing exactly two goals returns £37, while betting on three or four to be scored will see £41 and £60 collected respectively.
Newcastle’s Leon Best is also due to link up with the squad if he is able to shake off a knock he picked up on his comeback against West Brom.
Nigel Worthington’s Northern Irish side find themselves without the same problems as their southern counterparts.
However, a 3-0 loss to Scotland back in February showed their defensive frailties, as well as their attacking shortcomings.
Carling Nations Cup betting fans could be tempted to back Northern Ireland not to score in the match at 6/5.
A successful £10 bet on this outcome returns £22. New customers can register here to receive a £25 free bet.
