Football Tips: The 3 best bets for Belarus v Wales includes a 14/1 punt

* 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.

I know some people have plans at the weekend. Maybe you like going to the shops. Some even take in an outdoor activity. Perhaps you’ve a rich aunt living on the coast who can afford you the chance to sunbathe on her ‘weekend boat’.

Well, the rest of us will be watching Wales and Belarus, so get off your high horse fine and quickly.

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Sunday 2pm: Belarus v Wales
S4C and Sky Sports Football

The form of that draw against Switzerland at Euro 2020 got stronger in retrospect, and the thrashing by Denmark might sting, but these are the weird outliers that naturally come with football at international football. Wales certainly benefited from it in their previous appearance at a European Championships.

But the problem now is it very much feels like the end of an era for Wales as Gareth Bale turns 32 and there isn’t an outfield player under 30 bar Dan James that’s likely playing regularly in a top-end-ish side. For all that it’s somewhat of a philosophical crisis, they’re playing f***ing Belarus and will absolutely stroll to a comfortable success because they’re absolutely woeful. Happy days, eh? Here’s your three best bets ahead of this Group E contest.

Short-Price Punt: Wales to Win

Love this. Simply because it can put a smile on faces, as well as pennies in your pocket.

I’m not arguing that the Welsh are in flying form, and there are countless scenarios that the rust shown against Finland will continue and become a narrative around post-Euros hangover – but Belarus are just so bad at managing games of football that there are countless avenues for Wales to win this game even if they’re operating at half-full.

Value Play: Half-Time/Full-Time – Draw/Wales

One fact you may have missed here is that this game is taking place in Kazan and not in Minsk. I don’t know whether that’s because they decided the world didn’t need to see Minsk, or that a load of farmers from ‘near England’ weren’t worthy of a post-Soviet experience, but either way this is a slight inconvenience for both sides.

Wales will either be cagey in the opening 20 minutes and refuse to play any forward passes, or they’ll turn to Bale shooting from range too early, but it’ll take an acclimatisation period for them to show their best form. Ultimately it won’t matter, but don’t be expecting the most riveting opening 45 minutes of your life as we see Half-Time/Full-Time Draw/Wales.

Long Shot: Chris Mepham to Score Anytime

There’s a part of me that wanted to hand you Gareth Bale scoring a free-kick as some sort of insight given how trigger-happy these Belarussians are to take yellow cards from wide areas – but an alternative angle is available to us.

With all of those crosses coming in from wide, there’s every chance that, while the hosts possess more six-footers than your local Christmas market, they’re woefully disorganised and clumsy with second balls.

Chris Mepham might not be besting them in the air, but he’ll be in the box for dead balls, and given the price on Mepham to Score Anytime, I don’t think it’s a waste of a few quid.