What is the Best Bet on the Finland vs Hungary Nations League Match?

Betting on the Finland vs Hungary Nations League match, which will take place on Sep 8 in Finland, is not as easy as it looks. The teams are of similar quality, which is reflected in their places on the UEFA’s coefficient list (the European version of FIFA’s world rankings). Currently, Hungary takes the 36th spot, while Finland is ranked the 38th. What, then, helps football enthusiasts betting on the Finland vs Hungary Nations League match?

One thing is for sure: both teams are going to take this encounter very seriously. A few years ago, this game would have been called a friendly. But the UEFA Nations League, a new tournament, is replacing the system of friendlies with matches that give a chance for low-tier squads to get into the European Championship.

Thus, the stakes will be relatively high: the only realistic hope for both Hungary and Finland to participate in the Euro 2020 is to win their Nations League group (they are in League C Group 2 with Greece and Estonia). This has already inspired a good number of European football fans to bet on the outcome of this game.

Which team do people choose when betting on the Finland vs Hungary Nations League match?

Vbet Sportsbook suggests that Finland is more likely to win than Hungary. The odds for the Nordic country’s win are 2.36; for Hungary’s victory, 2.80; and for a draw, 3.09.

Confusingly enough, the odds online sportsbook sites in Finland offer for the group winner paint a completely different picture. Hungary (2.62) is seen almost as likely to emerge on top as the champions of the Euro 2004, Greece (2.20). By contrast, Finland’s odds are significantly less realistic (6.50).

But gamblers betting on the Finland vs Hungary Nations League match should not worry too much about the group predictions of online betting sites in Finland. Recent developments and previous matches suggest that Finland could defeat Hungary.

Hungary at the Euro 2016: a one-hit wonder?

Audiences still remember Hungary’s unexpected performance at the European Championship two years ago. They won their group and gave Portugal (the eventual winners of the tournament) a run for their money. Even Cristiano Ronaldo admitted that the Portuguese “were always chasing the game” against them. To this day, those successes are what many fans have in mind when betting on Hungary.

However, something went awry since then. Maybe the players got demoralized by the fact that prestigious clubs seemed uninterested in signing them despite their triumphs at the Euro. At any rate, the team quickly started to fall apart.

The clearest sign of that decline was an embarrassing loss to Andorra, a team that had failed to win their previous 66 games. After that blunder, Bernd Storck, the coach whose tactics and direction had previously been described as the secret ingredient for Hungary’s Euro upset, had no choice but to resign. Unfortunately, Hungary’s tribulations have not ended. The most recent fiasco was their getting defeated by Kazakhstan.

Finland is the better pick

Both Finland and Hungary have recently played against Belarus. Comparing their performances against the same team is a good way to determine which of them is stronger.

While Finland won by 2-0, Hungary only got a draw (1-1). According to Hungarian commentators, Belarus were clearly dominating against Hungary, who were saved from another embarrassment only by goalkeeper Gulácsi. Judging from this, we can’t see Hungary winning against Finland.

Betting on Finland’s victory is awarded by an increase of 2.36. For those who are afraid that the match could end in a draw, a “draw no bet” on Finland is a very safe option for a reasonable 1.70. As gambling enthusiasts know, draw no bets win if the chosen team emerges victorious, while the full stake is refunded in case of a draw; as long as Finland do not lose (which is very unlikely), the player cannot lose.