Portugal vs. France Predictions: BTTS and Jota to hit the back of the net

Group F has been thoroughly enjoyable so we are hoping that the final round of games continues in that vein. Neil Monnery has three betting picks ahead of the Portugal vs. France game later this afternoon...

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Date: Wednesday, June 23

Kick Off Time: 3PM ET

TV: ESPN

France have already progressed to the Round of 16 but Portugal’s shellacking at the hands of Germany means that they are very much vulnerable. Defeat here and they could well be heading home early.

The attacking talent the French possess is undoubted and many a column inch has been dedicated to the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antione Griezmann and Karim Benzema. If you are searching for potential bets for this game then it is highly likely you know all about these three already.

After a comfortable win over Germany, the French were a bit stunned by projected group minnows Hungary on Saturday. The ‘home’ side took the lead and despite France leveling it up early in the second half, Didier Deschamps’ men weren’t able to finish the job off.

Seeing them fail to score two goals against Hungary with all their offensive weapons is a little bit concerning. They did only score once against Germany as well. Are France playing at a level lower than the sum of their parts?

As for Portugal, they were simply unable to cope with the German wing backs on Saturday. It is a potential blueprint for teams going forward for how to beat them. With England set to play whoever finishes third in this group - their coaching staff will surely have a keen eye on this game.

Cristiano Ronaldo is still Cristiano Ronaldo but last time out I backed Diogo Jota to score anytime. The Liverpool striker backed up my faith in him with a late goal in that 4-2 reversal and I see no reason not to double down with him scoring again. The odds are even better today at +400 with BetMGM, Borgata and Resorts Casino in NJ at the time of writing.

With the array of attacking quality potentially set to be unleashed, Resorts Casino offering +100 for Both Teams to Score grabs me. They rate it as a 50:50 shot and I think it is better than that.

As for a straight-up pick - I like a weak play on the tie at +225 with Unibet and SugarHouse. A tie would suit both parties going forward.

Picks: The tie at +225. Jota to score anytime at +400 and Both Teams to Score at +100.