Spain vs. Portugal UEFA Nations League Betting: Back Spain to edge close contest in Seville

In the most notable match of the opening round of matches of the UEFA Nations League campaign, Spain meet Portugal in Seville on Thursday.

It promises to be a busy evening for soccer fans as attentions turn to international football in the absence of club competitions like the English Premier League and Champions League. Both tournaments are now in their off-season until late summer, but there will be plenty of excitement in this match.

The winner of Spain vs Portugal on Thursday won’t claim the group at this early stage, but they will draw first blood against their main rival. This may be matchday one of the group, but there’s more than three points at stake when these giants collide.

Spain vs. Portugal Betting Odds and Match Information

• This is the opening match of the UEFA Nations League pool, which consists of Spain, Portugal, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.
• Spain are one of the early betting favourites to win the Nations League outright but will also see this as a warm-up for Qatar 2022.
• Portugal haven’t been at their best since winning the European Championships in 2016 but will view this as a chance to get off to a great start.
• Venue & Location: Estadio Benito Villamarin (Seville, Spain)
• Kick-Off Time: 2:45 p.m. Eastern Time (8:45 p.m. local time)

Spain v Portugal Betting Odds

Odds are from BetOnline.

Moneyline

• Spain to win +100
• Draw +210
• Portugal to win +250

Over/Under

• Over 2.5 goals (+110)
• Under 2.5 goals (-154)

Both teams to score

• Yes -112
• No -112

Spain’s pain at near miss

The World Cup winner’s medal is something Spain believe they are capable of achieving again this year, and the coaching staff will have one eye on their squad for Qatar 2022 when watching this match. They will be looking for the best of the best, players that are willing to give their all on the big stage and steal the spotlight.

A win and three points gained in this match won’t see Spain win any major silverware, but victory over the 2016 European champions would do wonders for confidence levels in the squad. This is a real chance to lay down a marker for the year ahead, showing the players are focused and ready.

Last five results for Spain

• Iceland (home): Won 5-0
• Albania (away): Won 2-1
• Sweden (home): Won 1-0
• Greece (away): Won 1-0
• France (neutral site): Lost 2-1

The recent stats posted above show Spain have a 100% record in their last five games, with three of those wins coming without conceding a goal. Followers of the stats may lean towards a home win to nil as the value play here, and we wouldn’t be in a rush to put anyone off that bet.

Portugal chasing third straight win

Portugal head into this match looking to complete a treble for the year after winning each of their first two games of 2022. In March, they defeated Turkey and North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying play-off action to book their spot in this year’s World Cup.

That was two matches they were expected to win and two teams Portugal really should be beating if they are serious about challenging for the major prizes once again. They beat the Turks by a 3-1 scoreline before breezing past North Macedonia with a 2-0 result in their last match.

Bruno Fernandes scored both goals in that comfortable win last time out, and the attacker is sure to be popular with bettors to find the net again. You can back Bruno Fernandes to score the first goal of the game or to find the net anytime.

Last five results for Portugal

• North Macedonia (home): Won 2-0
• Turkey (home): Won 3-1
• Serbia (home): Lost 2-1
• Ireland (away): Drew 0-0
• Luxembourg (home): Won 5-0

When looking through a team’s recent stats, we often come across a bet worth having, and Portugal’s results give us a few indications as to how they might perform in this game. A play on no in the both teams to score market would have been settled as a winner in three of their last five games.

We also notice a play on Portugal -1 goal on the handicap would have served us well in recent games, with the visitors winning by two goals or more in three of five.

They face a step up in class of opponent for this match, and we wouldn’t advise backing Portugal minus a goal against the might of Spain, although anything can happen.

Head-to-head stats and trends for Spain vs. Portugal

Portugal start this match as the betting underdogs, but there’s no reason why they can’t get off to a winning start and complete the treble. We are happy to sit on the fence when making our predictions and place our trust in the stats.

Looking through the head-to-head stats associated with this match, we see each of the last four games involving Spain and Portugal have ended level. That run of draws goes back to November 2010 and is made up of three goalless finishes and a stunning 3-3 draw in 2018.

Back Morata to score in a Spain win

A bet on Spain to win to nil would have landed you a profit in their last outing when smashing Iceland 5-0 in a friendly match played back in March. Morata scored a double in that match, and his efforts were equalled by Sarabia with the spare goal scored by Pino.

Those two players are sure to be popular in the pre-match betting, and both will feature in a share of the first goalscorer or anytime goalscorer predictions.

Morata has scored three goals in Spain’s last three games, and we suggest backing him to continue his scoring ways when it matters against a big-name opponent in Portugal. At BetOnline, Morata is +480 to score first and +190 to score at any time during the match.

Portugal will be confident that they can get a result in Seville, but Spain are formidable on home soil. Back the hosts to eke out the win and keep the visitors off of the scoresheet.

Spain vs. Portugal Betting Tip #1 – Spain to win (+100 at BetOnline)

Spain vs. Portugal Betting Tip #2 – NO for both teams to score (-112 at BetOnline)