* 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.
Sunday’s football accumulator has us checking in on a World Cup qualification game occurring in Group J, where North Macedonia can secure their place in the play-off round with a win over Iceland. We’ll also be looking in on two games from Group A, where it’s winner takes all between Portugal and Serbia – with both level on 17 points and a much-improved Ireland are away to Luxembourg.
Our final game then features Spain taking on Sweden, where again we have the top two teams battling it out for automatic qualification. Time to roll up our sleeves then and go looking for some value in the markets.
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17:00 North Macedonia v Iceland: Both Teams to Score
With Romania just a point behind North Macedonia and having the far easier task of beating Lichtenstein, the home side must win against Iceland here to make it into the next round. They’ve had a very good qualification campaign, winning four of their nine games, , scoring 20 and conceding 10. Iceland have had a horrid time of it, winning just two games.
North Macedonia have been strong on home soil, losing just one of their last 10 played there, and that was a 0-4 thrashing from Germany a month ago. Of the other nine games, they won five and drew four. Iceland have improved of late it must be said, they’ve only lost one of their last five in all competitions. Meanwhile, away from home they’ve also only lost one, drawing two and winning two – scoring a respectable eight goals.
The market has very much sided with the home side here, but Iceland have little to fear and absolutely nothing to lose. So, with their recent scoring record, they could cause a problem or two here.
19:45 Portugal v Serbia: Both Teams To Score And Over 2.5 Goals
There’s something off about this Portugal team. In their tougher games in the group, against Ireland and Serbia, they were pretty average in both – taking just five points from a possible nine. They played for a draw against Ireland and got it, but that could backfire here. They don’t really seem to function as a solid unit. Serbia are the absolute opposite, they’ve very much a well-oil machine where everyone knows his roles and plays accordingly.
Saying that, Portugal have a ridiculous amount of talent in Christiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva and Diogo Jota. However, Serbia’s strikeforce of Dusan Tadic and Aleksandar Mitrovic are more than good enough to cause a commotion in front of Rui Patricio’s goal.
The teams have both scored 16 goals over their respective group games and we should see both scoring, but both can go at least one better too. Both Teams to Score and Over 2.5 Goals has some pretty decent value here.
19:45 Luxembourg v Ireland: Ireland To Win
While Ireland seem to be on an upswing, currently being unbeaten over their last five games, the market still isn’t so sure. Luxembourg have won just one of their last five games and at home they’ve also won just one of their last five games.
Ireland have won two of their last five, drawing the other three. Away from home, they’ve won two, drawn two and lost one of those. Ireland are becoming difficult to beat again and have now gone three games in-a-row with a clean sheet.
Luxembourg rarely keep a clean sheet at home, with just two over their last 10. Ireland, for their part, have scored in four of their last five on the road and nine over their last five overall fixtures. With those scoring records, we have to go with Stephen Kenny’s Ireland here.
19:45 Spain v Sweden: Spain To Win And Over 1.5 Goals
Spain are obviously enough odds-on favourites to take the three points and the automatic qualification place ahead of Sweden here. The Spanish have won four of their last five, losing the other one, while Sweden have won three of their last five, losing the other two. On Spanish soil, the home outfit have won three and drawn two of their last five. On the flip side, Sweden have won just one of their last five on the road, losing four.
Of course, Sweden held Spain to a frustrating 0-0 draw in the Group Stage of the Euros over the summer, before going on to a semi-final defeat to eventual winners Italy. Sweden have conceded two or more in three of their last five away games, while Spain have scored at least two in three of their last five overall games. Spain should have more than enough here and we’re liking the odds here for Spain to Win and Over 1.5 Goals here.
FIFA World Cup qualifiers tips summary:
17:00 North Macedonia v Iceland: Both Teams to Score
19:45 Portugal v Serbia: Both Teams To Score And Over 2.5 Goals
19:45 Luxembourg v Ireland: Ireland To Win
19:45 Spain v Sweden: Spain To Win And Over 1.5 Goals
* An accumulator on these four best bets pays at approximately 15/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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More International Football tips
- World Cup qualifiers tips: Our best bets throw up this huge 48/1 4-fold acca
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