Kick-off: 1400, 14/06/2021
Stadium: Hampden Park
TV: BBC One
With England and Croatia favourites to advance from Euro 2020 Group D, Scotland and Czech Republic know a solid start is imperative.
These teams are evenly matched on FIFA rankings, with Steve Clarke’s side four spots lower at 44, despite winning both Nations League meetings last term.
A draw would not be a disaster for either outfit, so 19/10 for that outcome is our first Scotland vs Czech Republic prediction.
A Look At Scotland’s Betting Odds
Scotland came from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1 in Olomouc last September and then obliged 1-0 here at Hampden in October.
However, it was their opponents who had the last laugh by topping the table, courtesy of four wins over Israel and Slovakia.
The hosts were a distant third behind Belgium and Russia in qualifying for this tournament but battled through the play-offs in dramatic fashion.
Both Israel and Serbia were edged out on penalties after stalemates, ending a 23-year wait to feature at a major finals.
“I think it has been a feel-good story and it is great to be involved in the tournament,” beamed Clarke. “But now we want to be competitive.
“When the boys won the match in Serbia on penalties, everyone got a great lift, it was a fantastic feeling. All the boys became heroes overnight.
“If we can get out the group stages in the summer, they can become legends, so why not aim for that?”
This year’s World Cup qualifiers featured draws with Austria (2-2) and Israel (1-1), before a facile triumph over Faroe Islands (4-0).
In warming up for this event, the Scots did well to draw 2-2 with Netherlands and then edged out Luxembourg 1-0.
Looking at the Scotland vs Czech Republic odds, we feel 17/5 for a score draw is worth the extra risk.
A Look At Czech Republic’s Betting Odds
Czech Republic finished runners-up to England in their pool, with a 2-1 home win over the Three Lions the pick of the results.
The fact that only three of their 15 points were secured on the road is worrying, though, with a 5-0 drubbing at Wembley one of three away defeats.
A 1-0 World Cup loss in Wales at the end of March only adds to the concerns, although Jaroslav Silhavy’s men did kick that campaign off with a 6-2 romp in Estonia.
In between, Belgium were held to a 1-1 draw in Prague, so it is clear they can compete with the best when on song.
West Ham duo Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek are familiar faces, along with Burnley’s Matej Vydra.
Hertha Berlin midfielder Vladimir Darida is captain and leads by example while Bayer Leverkusen forward Patrik Schick is a proven marksman.
There is every chance this contest will be cagey early on, though, with both sides adopting a safety-first approach and easing their way into the tournament.
Let’s finish of our Scotland vs Czech Republic betting tips by taking 6/5 for more goals to be scored in the second half than the first.
Head-to-head: Scotland 1-0 Czech Rep, Czech Rep 1-2 Scotland, Czech Rep 0-1 Scotland, Scotland 2-2 Czech Rep
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