Germany has historically been one of the most dominant teams at the UEFA European Championships, but it is in danger of going home early when it hosts Portugal on Friday in a group-stage match at Euro 2020. Germany has won the Euros three times, tied with Spain for most all-time, and it has been the runner-up three times. But now it faces reigning champion Portugal and likely needs a win to have a chance to move on to the Euro 2020 knockout stage. It lost 1-0 to tournament favorite and world No. 2 France in the opener while fifth-ranked Portugal rallied late to bury Hungary 3-0. Germany is ranked 12th and still had playmakers Thomas Muller and Toni Kroos from its 2016 world-champion team, but Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. are tough to beat.
Kickoff from Munich's Allianz Arena is scheduled for noon ET. William Hill Sportsbook lists Germany as the +130 (risk $100 to win $130) favorite in its latest Portugal vs. Germany odds from William Hill Sportsbook, and the over-under for total goals scored is set at 2.5. Before making any Germany vs. Portugal picks, check out the Euro 2020 predictions and best bets from SportsLine's Martin Green.
After working in the sports betting industry for several years, Green became a professional sports writer and handicapper. Since then, his European soccer picks have been spot-on. Green has generated almost $19,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season. He's having a great Euro 2020 as well, with his picks generating over $500 in profit for $100 bettors through Friday's action. Green has his finger on the pulse of the game all over the globe.
Now, Green has taken an in-depth look at Germany vs. Portugal at Euro 2020 and locked in his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the betting lines and trends for Portugal vs. Germany:
- Portugal vs. Germany spread: Germany -0.5 (+120)
- Portugal vs. Germany over-under: 2.5 goals
- Portugal vs. Germany money line: Portugal +225, Germany +130, Draw +225
- POR: Portugal is 9-4-1 in its 14 games since the start of 2020, outscoring opponents 32-7
- GER: GK Manuel Neuer has 202 clean sheets in 15 Bundesliga seasons (438 matches)
Why you should back Germany
The Germans have plenty of players who can cause problems for opposing defenders. Muller runs the show and is one of the most creative attackers in the world. He led the Bundesliga with 19 assists and scored 11 times for league champion Bayern Munich. Kroos, who had 10 assists for Real Madrid, holds down the middle along with Ilkay Gundogan. Kroos is a precise passer, especially on set pieces, and Gundogan led Premier League champion Manchester City with 13 goals. They have seven goals between them in 16 combined international games.
Germany is 10-5-3 all-time against Portugal, and outgoing manager Joachim Low is trying to find the right attackers from among Timo Werner and Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane. Gnabry has nine goals in 10 matches with the national team in 2021, while Werner and Havertz combined for 17 goals and 17 assists during Chelsea's Champions League-winning season. Antonio Rudiger also had a key role on that Chelsea team, and he teams with veteran Mats Hummels to provide solid defense in front of world-class goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Why you should back Portugal
To see how lethal the Portuguese attack can be, you need to look no further than Sunday's win against Hungary. The game was scoreless with about six minutes left before Portugal broke through for all three goals. Ronaldo had two of those, one on a penalty kick and the other on a tremendous run into the box where he deked past the goalkeeper and finished into the empty net. The goal made him the UEFA Euro tournament's all-time leading scorer with 11 goals and he is three shy of tying the all-time international record for goals, held by Ali Daei of Iran.
Portugal's only loss since the start of 2020 was a 1-0 setback to France in a November Nations League match. It might be an even better team than the one that won Euro 2016, with young players like Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota and Ruben Dias joining the nucleus of that team. Fernandes was third in the Premier League with 18 goals for Manchester United, and Jota has 25 goals over the past three seasons in the Premier League. Bernardo Silva and 21-year-old Joao Felix are also dangerous attacking options, and Portugal's defense has not allowed a goal in its past three matches.
How to make Portugal vs. Germany Euro 2020 picks
Green has analyzed Germany vs. Portugal from every possible angle. He's leaning over on the goal total (2.5), and he has locked in two best bets, including one that returns plus-money. He's only sharing those picks on SportsLine.
So who wins Portugal vs. Germany in Saturday's Euro 2020 matchup? And where does all the betting value lie? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets for Portugal vs. Germany, all from the European soccer expert who has generated nearly $19,000 for $100 bettors since the 2017-18 season.
