England welcomes Sweden to Bramall Lane in Sheffield Tuesday for a Women’s Euro 2020 semifinal. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET (ESPN2/ESPN+). Below, we preview the Sweden vs. England odds and lines, and make our best women’s soccer picks and predictions.
This is theoretically a home match for England, which is coming off a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Spain Wednesday. England won all three group-stage matches by a combined score of 14-0.
England did have some trouble in the quarterfinal though, getting outshot 17-9 and allowing Spain to control 58% of the possession. Nonetheless, England, which is ranked No. 8 in FIFA, advanced with the 1-goal victory over 7th-ranked Spain.
Now, England will face No. 2 Sweden (USA is No. 1). The Swedish haven’t had as easy of a ride to the final four. Sweden tied Netherland 1-1 in its group-stage opener before winning the next 3 matches by a combined 8-2 score, including Friday’s 1-0 quarterfinal victory over Belgium.
Sweden tallied 34 shots and 8 on target in the quarterfinal compared to Belgium’s 3 and 0. Despite being higher ranked, Sweden will be a strong underdog in this semifinal battle.
World class soccer coverage all in one place: Get ESPN+
Sweden vs. England odds, lines, picks and predictions
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 9:31 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Sweden +300 (bet $100 to win $300) | England -111 (bet $111 to win $100) | Draw +240
- Over/Under: 2.5 (O: +120 | U: -160)
[tipico]
Check out Pro Soccer Wire: For the American soccer fan, USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s website provides a fresh look at the beautiful game.
Prediction
Sweden 2, England 1
Money line (ML)
SWEDEN WIN OR TIE (-127).
The talent is going to be there for both teams, but the battle will really be between superstar Swedish D Magdalena Eriksson and English F Fran Kirby.
Kirby is England’s starting attacking midfield and has been excellent so far this tournament. On the other side, Sweden has taken on 3 top-20 teams and allowed just 6 shots on target.
While Spain was a difficult test for England, the Swedish draw with the Netherlands and then dominance over Belgium should make one confident they’ll have success against a strong English attack.
The Swedes beat England 2-1 back in the 2019 World Cup third-place play-off match, so they’ve been able to handle England in the past.
The value here is taking the road side at +300, but I’d suggest playing a safer SWEDEN WIN OR TIE (-127).
Over/Under (O/U)
LEAN OVER 2.5 (+120).
The last time these two met, the teams went Over 2.5 goals in the first 31 minutes. Now, this will likely be much different, but Sweden is coming off a match in which it played a top-20 side and put up 34 shots.
Similarly, with Kirby leading the way, England shouldn’t be shy of opportunity. The Lionesses topped 2.5 goals this in 2 of 3 group-stage matches and against Spain, a top-10 team, in the 2-1 quarterfinal win.
Expect a high-level match, one that is played with pace and has opportunity to get a shot on frame. With that in mind, for the value play, I like OVER 2.5 (+120).
Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, Sportsbook Wire’s official sportsbook partner in CO, NJ and soon IA. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=42968]