Portugal vs. Czechia prediction, odds, betting tips and best bets for Cristiano Ronaldo Euro 2024 group match | Sporting News

Euro 2020’s Golden Boot winner Cristiano Ronaldo begins what is expected to be his final European Championship as Portugal take on Czechia in Group F play.

The 39-year-old legend holds the record for most international caps and goals in men’s football, which includes along with it the most Euro goals of any player in history. With 14 of his 130 international strikes coming in this competition, most of any player in history, he will need to add to that total for Portugal to make a run into the later stages of this competition.

They’ve been handed a relatively soft draw in Group F, the final group to begin Euro 2024 play, but it’s no cakewalk either. While Czechia, Turkey and Georgia don’t present any other top teams to face off against, there are no slouches.

FOLLOW LIVE: Updates, highlights, and commentary from Portugal vs. Czechia at Euro 2024

It begins against 36th-ranked Czechia (formerly Czech Republic), who finished second behind Albania in a soft Euro qualifying group. Portugal are by far the most difficult opponent the Czechia have played since a 4-0 loss to this very opponent in Nations League play in the fall of 2022.

Portugal vs. Czechia prediction, odds

• Moneyline lean: Portugal (-190)
• Pick: Portugal -1.5 goal handicap (+125)
• Score prediction: Portugal 3-0 Czechia

The Czech Republic have a very strong record over the past few years, but the quality of opposition has been extremely poor on the whole, and they are untested since four straight in Nations League play through the latter half of 2022 against Spain, Portugal, Spain again and Portugal again. They worked a 2-2 draw in the first game against Spain, but proceeded to suffer losses in the next three by a combined 8-0 score.

Portugal have dropped a few clunkers in recent months, including a 2-0 defeat to Slovenia and 2-1 loss to Croatia in friendlies, but on the whole they’ve remained strong over the current World Cup cycle, especially in competitive matches where they have won 10 straight since a loss to Morocco in the World Cup quarterfinals.

While Portugal’s credentials as a Euro 2024 title contender remain up in the air, this is a good matchup for them in a game where they’ll take advantage of Czechia’s mistakes and look to keep a lid on Patrik Schick.

Portugal vs. Czechia match facts

• Date: Tuesday, Jun. 18, 2024
• Kickoff Time: 9 p.m. local (3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT)
• Location: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig, Germany)
• Referee: Marco Guida (ITA)
• Last meeting: Czechia 0-4 Portugal (Sep. 24, 2022 | UEFA Nations League)

MORE: Can Cristiano Ronaldo win another Golden Boot award at a European Championship?

Portugal vs. Czechia best bet

• Pick: Portugal 17+ total shots
• Odds: -105 (FanDuel)
   
• Pick: Rafael Leao 1+ shots in each half
• Odds: +130 (FanDuel)

Portugal have a reputation for playing a smothering defensive style while snatching a narrow winner on the other end, but this is not how they’ve played in recent years. They are a far more attack-minded side, and while they still know how to put a blanket over an opponent when needed, they can also let it fly up front.

They outshot the Republic of Ireland 20-5 in their final pre-tournament friendly, a 3-0 win, and even let fly with 15 shots against a defensive-minded Croatia in a 2-1 defeat the match before that. Before that, they outshot Finland 24-2 in a friendly victory while unleashing 23 against Iceland in their last competitive match.

Central to that is Cristiano Ronaldo of course, but Rafael Leao is a high-volume player as well. At his worst, Leao is a solo playmaker who fails to link up with his teammates at both club and country. At his best, Leao’s brilliance can single-handedly win games so long as he prioritizes those around him above himself. Regardless of which Leao shows up, he is one of the first to have a go on goal and should manage to have a go — whether the chances are of true quality is anyone’s guess.

Portugal vs. Czechia prop bet

• Pick: Cristiano Ronaldo 1+ headed shot on target
• Odds: +330 (FanDuel)

One of the best headers of the ball in the history of the game at over 3/1 odds to get just one on frame? We don’t really need to explain this one, but we will anyway.

The Czechia defenders present physicality, as Robin Hranec and Ladislav Krejci both stand at 6-foot-3, but that hasn’t translated to proficiency in aerial duels — for example, analytics site SmarterScout rates Krejci at below 40 on a scale of 100 in about 1,000 minutes last season across the Champions League and Europa League with Sparta Prague.

That, plus their inexperience (Hranec and Krejci have a combined 13 international caps, while the third defender Tomas Holes stands at 28) means Portugal should be able to pick out Ronaldo in the air both from open play and on set pieces. Indeed, Czechia coughed up a headed goal in their most recent international friendly against North Macedonia (it was of the diving variety, but still counts), and Tomas Soucek’s goal for Poland against Czechia in their recent Euro qualifier came off a headed chance that wasn’t dealt with properly.

Portugal vs. Czechia live stream, TV channel

Cristiano Ronaldo’s first Euro 2024 matchup will be televised in the United States on FOX, which can be found streaming on Fubo, which is are offering a free trial for new users. The match will also be found on Fox’s in-house streaming platform Fox Sports GO, while a Spanish-language broadcast is available on streaming service ViX.

In Canada, this match will be televised on TSN1, TSN3 and TSN4, plus a French broadcast can be accessed on TVA Sports. Both networks offering live streaming options on their dedicated platforms.

In the UK, Euro 2024 matches are split between ITV and the BBC. This match will be televised by BBC, with streaming on their dedicated platform BBC iPlayer.