* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Wales v Estonia – Wales to win & over 4.5 goals
TV: S4C and Sky Sports Main Event
Wales avoided calamity against Belarus thanks to Gareth Bale’s last-gasp winner and find themselves in a healthy position just one point behind second-placed Czech Republic with two games in hand. They now have an excellent opportunity to move into the play-off place with what should be a comfortable home win over group whipping boys Estonia on Wednesday night.
Estonia have lost all three games in Group E, conceding a staggering 15 goals in the process. But they do boast a peculiar record of scoring two goals in each of their three games so far, including in their recent 5-2 defeat to runaway group leaders Belgium.
They also scored twice in a 6-2 home defeat to Czech Republic and in a 4-2 defeat in Belarus. Wales, on the other hand, appeared as though they were actively trying to help Belarus score on Sunday evening and were incredibly fortunate to be only 2-1 down when Gareth Bale was handed a chance to equalise from the spot.
Estonia may well keep up their impressive scoring record in Group E when they take on the Welsh in Cardiff on Wednesday, but their defensive frailties are too great to ignore. They should lose another high-scoring affair and Wales to Win and Over 4.5 Goals kicks us off here.
Northern Ireland v Switzerland – Switzerland to win to nil
TV: Sky Sports Football
Northern Ireland kept their slim hopes of reaching the play-offs alive with a crucial win in Lithuania last week, and they now most avoid defeat against Switzerland on Wednesday night if they are to have any hope of overtaking the Swiss. It is also a chance for Northern Ireland to exact some revenge for their heart-breaking World Cup play-off defeat in 2017 when a contentious penalty separated the sides.
It will not be easy, however. Switzerland showcased their quality at Euro 2020 with hugely impressive performances against France and Spain, while they recently held European champions Italy to a scoreless draw in a World Cup qualifier. They may have conceded three against both France and Italy at the Euros, but they are still an extremely capable defensive unit. On the other hand, scoring goals has been Northern Ireland’s biggest problem.
Their four-goal performance against bottom seeds Lithuania last week was the first time in more than two years that they managed more than one goal in a competitive fixture. They have also failed to score two goals or more in a competitive game against a side ranked above them in the FIFA World Rankings for four years.
They failed to score against both Bulgaria and Italy earlier in their qualifying campaign and will struggle to break down the Swiss on Wednesday night. They could slip to a similar home defeat that saw them miss out on a place at the 2018 World Cup as Switzerland Win to Nil here.
Wednesday double
Wales v Estonia – Wales to win & over 4.5 goals
Northern Ireland v Switzerland – Switzerland to win to nil
These two selections in a double will give you odds of around 12/1 with Paddy Power.
* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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