The
Germans are rocking and rolling in Poland once again, but need to figure out how to get past a tough
Greece side in the quarters. This one is the
most lopsided quarterfinals in terms of the soccer odds, especially since Greece's captain won't be playing.
The Germans are rocking and rolling but need to figure out
how to get past a tough Greece side in the quarters. Of all the quarterfinal
ties, this one is the most lopsided in terms of the soccer odds.
Bovada has Greece at a staggering +1000 to shock the masses
and book a spot in the semis with Germany the heavy favorites at a -350
pricetag. Goals could be hard to come by, especially for Greece, and a total of
2.5 hasn't swayed any public opinion. Both the OVER and UNDER are at -110.
As for each team's road to the knockout stages, they
couldn't have been more different.
For Germany, it was straightforward as expected. They had no
trouble with the “Group of Death,” beating Portugal, Netherlands and then
Denmark to grab all nine out of nine points.
As a matter of fact, the Germans were the only team in the
entire competition that won all three of their matches.
Gritty Greeks hope to keep surprising
Greece got to this point in much more dramatic fashion.
Things weren't looking so good after a 1-1 draw with Poland and then a 2-1 loss
to Czech Republic. The Greeks would have to beat Russia in their final group
stage match and then have luck turn their way in the match between the Poles
and Czechs.
It all happened.
In a stunning final day in Group A, the results all lined up
and Greece was able to advance on as the second seed.
Giorgios Karagounis was the man of the match for the Greeks.
He scored the game's only goal in the stunning 1-0 win over Russia and also had
a legitimate claim for a penalty in the second half after getting taken down
following a mazy run into the box.
Instead of getting rewarded, the referee saw things
differently and thought Karagounis had dived. He got a yellow card and will
miss the quarterfinals as a result. Talk about bad luck.
With their inspirational captain out, Greece is going to
need another 90 minutes of a lifetime to get past Germany.
The Germans are loaded all over the pitch, starting with
Manuel Neuer in goal and ending with Mario Gomez up top. In between we find
stars all over the pitch like Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Bastian
Schweinsteiger.
Cream rises to the top
Ozil has been the standout for a team full of
standouts. After a dazzling season for Real Madrid, he's carried that level of
play right over to the national team; few players in the world have as much
flair and creativity as the German midfielder.
This is a team that very much looks the part. They have
championship pedigree, know how to win these big games and are the most
balanced team from top to bottom.
Germany entered as one of the favorites to win the whole
thing, and their performances so far have only bolstered their status as a
contender.
As for Greece, they've been an underdog throughout the
entire tournament, but we feel everything is about to come to a crashing halt
for them. As disciplined and hard-working as they are, the Greeks just don't
have near enough talent to get past these experienced Germans, especially with
their captain unvailable.
The odds on a straight up win may not be enticing, but you
may want to consider a handicap play that has Germany winning by two or more
goals. That's much better priced at EVEN odds and certainly has a good shot at
hitting thinking back to what we've seen out of this strong team so far.
Don't over-think this one. Add the better team in Germany to
your soccer picks for the quarters.
FREE Pick: Germany -1.5 (EVEN)