Scott Thornton’s International Props: One Way Traffic at Wembley

Scott Thornton brings you his best bets ahead of the weekend’s matches. The European World Cup qualifiers get underway and we also have the quarter-final second legs in the Nations League to look forward to.

Thomas Tuchel leads England against Albania on Friday night. Craig Bellamy is looking to continue his good start as Wales’ boss when his team host Kazakhstan on Saturday night. Sunday night sees Spain take on the Netherlands with the scores level after the first leg. 

In this article:

• England vs Albania: Under 29.5 Throws In The Match
• Wales vs Kazakhstan: Over 18.5 Shots For Wales
• Spain vs Netherlands: Under 26.5 Shots In The Match

Acca odds: 6.12

England vs Albania: Mismatch Means Fewer Throws

Europe, World Cup Qualifiers, Friday, 21st March, 19:45 (UK)

Thomas Tuchel has been brought in to win next year’s World Cup with England but first, they have to qualify. The Three Lions are the overwhelming favourites to win the group. The new manager will want to build momentum by securing a couple of emphatic wins over the next week. Can England end their long trophy drought with the German at the helm?

Albania are the third favourite to win qualifying group K. They have picked up three wins in their last 10 matches and will need to raise their game to avoid a hammering here. Serbia are their rivals for 2nd place.

England will dominate possession here and the throw count should be low as a result. The Three Lions’ last 10 matches have seen an average of 26.9 throws. Under 29.5 throws has won in five of their six games since the European Championships and a change of manager is unlikely to change that.

Albania’s last 10 games have seen an average of 31.5 throws but we should see fewer here. The visitors will struggle to get hold of the ball and will have to watch England string passes together. Their last game Wembley saw them have just 36% possession. There were 27 throws in that match. 

• Selection: Under 29.5 Throws In The Match (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Wales vs Kazakhstan: Bellamy Wants to Put on a Show

Europe, World Cup Qualifiers, Saturday, 22nd March, 19:45 (UK)

Craig Bellamy is yet to taste defeat as Wales’ boss. His team finished 1st in their Nations League group by winning three and drawing three. That triumph almost guarantees them a World Cup qualifier playoff but they will want to finish in the top two here. There is plenty of talent in the Welsh squad and they are the overwhelming favourites here.

Kazakhstan haven’t won a competitive fixture since November 2023. They have lost their last five matches, conceding 15 goals and scoring none. Ali Aliyev’s side aren’t expected to pull up any trees in this group but they will be aiming to finish above Liechtenstein. 

Wales adopt a far more positive approach under Bellamy so we are backing them to have over 18.5 shots in the match here. The Cardiff crowd will be right behind the team here so expect the home side to attack from the off. They have averaged 14.67 shots per home game under Bellamy but Kazakhstan will be by far the lowest-ranked side they have faced. 

Kazakhstan have conceded 19 shots or more in three of their last four away matches. Over that period, their opponents are averaging 23.25 shots per game, well above the line set by the bookmakers here. 

• Selection: Over 18.5 Shots For Wales (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 10/10

Spain vs Netherlands: Shot Counts Dwindle in Dutch Matches

Europe, Nations League, Sunday, 23rd March, 19:45 (UK)

Spain have been in fine form under Luis de la Fuente. They have lost just one of their last 26 matches thanks to Mikel Merino grabbing a last-gasp equaliser in the first leg against Netherlands. That impressive run of form has seen them win the European Championships and the Nations League. However, they face a stern test here.

The Dutch national team have struggled for consistency of late. Ronald Koeman’s second stint in charge started with seven wins in nine matches but they have now won just four of their last 11. They performed well in the first leg and it served as a reminder of how dangerous they can be. 

There were four goals evenly shared in Thursday’s meeting between the sides but just 25 shots. Therefore, under 26.5 looks a good bet here. There is no need for either side to come flying out of the blocks so we should see a tentative start. Spain’s last 10 matches have seen 26.5 shots on average but they are usually comfortable favourites and get the lion’s share of those attempts. The Dutch showed they are able to restrict the European Champions.

The Netherlands’ last 10 matches have seen an average of 24.5 shots per game. Our bet has won in all three of their away matches since last summer’s European Championships. Those matches have seen 19 shots on average. 

• Selection: Under 26.5 Shots In The Match (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.83
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 10/10

International Props Acca Tips Odds via bet365 as at 12:34, March 21st, 2025. Odds may now differ.

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