Date/Time: June 15th, 3:00 p.m. ET

Television: ESPN3.com

Soccer Betting Odds from WagerWeb Sportsbook

Asian Handicap: Brazil -1.5 (-130)

Total: 3 (Over -115)

The Confederations Cup kicks off on Saturday afternoon, as the host nation of the event, Brazil takes on Japan in a battle of two teams that probably shouldn’t be sharing a pitch with one another. The soccer betting lines come off the board at 3:00 p.m. ET with this match that takes place at the Estadio Nacional Mane Garrincha in Brasilia, Brazil.

Obviously, the hosts are going to be under a heck of a lot of pressure to get the job done in the first match of this tournament. It doesn’t matter that this is a secondary tournament by any stretch of the imagination. The Brazilians want to see their team win and win at all costs. Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has put together a squad that looks absolutely nothing like the team that was at the Confederations Cup four years ago. Julio Cesar will once again be the team’s net minder, but aside from him and Dani Alves, there isn’t another man on the squad from 2009 that is going to be playing here in the homeland for the Confederations Cup. We haven’t seen much out of the Brazilians, knowing that they are already automatically qualified for the World Cup as the host nation, but with names like Oscar, Hulk, and of course the now famous Neymar, there is plenty of firepower to account for goals in this tournament.

Ironically, there is only one other team in the entire world that has assured that it will be playing in the World Cup this year, and that other team is none other than Japan. The Japanese already have 17 points and a +11 goal differential in the AFC World Cup Qualifying Group, and that ensures that they are going to be in the biggest tournament in the world. The Samurai Blue have an Italian tactician as a coach in Alberto Zaccheroni, and he figures to come up with a game plan that will take this team into the knockout stage of the Confederations Cup. Keisuke Honda has become a legendary name in Japanese soccer, and he is back in form after missing all of the opening qualifying matches in the first stage of the competition in Asia. Alas, the Japanese outscored Jordan and Oman by a combined score of 9-0, which got qualifying for the major tournament off on the right foot. The team runs a 4-2-3-1, which looks awfully similar to the form that the United States has been using in its quest to qualify for the World Cup. Shinji Kagawa is an internationally known name now that he is with Manchester United while Ryoichi Maeda is turning into a great goal scorer for the club as well as the man at the top of the formation.

We think that this is going to be a great match for the Samurai Blue. These two have played nine matches against each other in the past, and Brazil has never been beaten. It doesn’t have to be this time around, as even a one-goal win for the host nation gives us enough for the cover. Japan won’t back down, and it should end up with at least a respectable result.

Brazil vs. Japan Pick: Japan +1.5 (+100)

Everton travel to the Midlands having exploded out of the blocks in the Premier League and they look to be finally shedding their tag of slow starters. Their early season fixtures have seen them do more than ruffle the feathers of Manchester United at home and then outclass Aston Villa. Marouane Fellaini was instrumental in both fixtures as the Toffees took maximum points and manager David Moyes will be hoping the big Belgian can continue his intimidating form on Saturday.

Everton continue to make enquiries for additional recruits as Moyes looks to expand his squad in the final hours of the transfer window. The Scot currently has two unfamiliar luxuries at his disposal, firstly some financial assistance is finally available from the sale of Jack Rodwell . Secondly, Everton for once are fairly injury free. Bad luck in this respect has previously stunted them early in the season but if Tony Hibbert can shake off a knock then Moyes will have virtually a full complement of players available

West Brom meanwhile, have so far gained four points from games against Liverpool and Spurs which makes for an equally impressive start to the campaign. The 3-0 home win over Liverpool will have been especially sweet for new Baggies boss Steve Clarke.

West Brom looked full of goals in their last home game and full of fight away to Spurs but it could well be the goals that pose a problem for Clarke as much of his front line struggles for fitness ahead of the Everton clash. Both Peter Odemwingie and Romelu Lukaku are doubtful for the game and even if passed fit, the former continues to be linked with a deadline day move away from the club.

Clarke will be looking to Shane Long or possibly Markus Rosenberg to give his side a cutting edge should Odemwingie be unavailable. His only further injury concern is winger Jerome Thomas who has also yet to feature this season.

Given the excellent start made by both sides this season it should be a case of something needing to give at the Hawthorns but that doesn’t look likely. Everton will be far more solid away from home than their Merseyside counterparts and it will be difficult for West Brom to breach their defence, especially if short on attacking options. The battling Baggies though, are solid themselves and should be good for the draw.

Arsenal will have to endure the loss of captain and talisman Robin van Persie this term, as at the time of writing the PFA Player of the Year looks almost certain to join Manchester United. The Netherlands international scored 30 league goals for the Gunners last term, and as such the remaining attackers must raise their game to fill his shoes.

Apart from this it has been a positive summer for the north London outfit. France international striker Olivier Giroud has been signed from Montpellier as Van Persie’s natural replacement, whilst Lukas Podolski also made a much-delayed switch to the Emirates Stadium. Finally, Spanish winger Santi Cazorla has joined from Malaga and has the ability to delight the home crowd; all three are in line for a debut this Saturday.

Jack Wilshere will still be absent for the hosts as he continues his rehabilitation to fitness after missing the entirety of last season through injury. In the England international’s absence Alex Song has stepped up to the plate and impressed, and as such is now a reported target for Barcelona. It is critical that the Gunners hold onto their deep-lying playmaker, and the Cameroonian has insisted that he wants to stay with the club.

This will be Martin O’Neill’s first full season in charge of Sunderland, and the Northern Irish manager will hope to continue the progress he made in 2011-12. The Black Cats were relegation contenders when O’Neill took over, but in the end were safe in mid-table.

A new striker has been high on the Stadium of Light side’s priorities, after Nicklas Bendtner returned to Arsenal after a loan spell. An effort to sign Steven Fletcher has run ashore due to Wolves’ inflated valuation of the Scottish forward, whilst Louis Saha is also in O’Neill’s sights. If a deal for one of these attackers is not finalised before kick-off the responsibility of leading the line may fall to youngster Connor Wickham.

Sunderland have managed to hold onto exciting midfield duo Stephane Sessegnon and James McClean, and the pair will be critical in providing the creativity needed to forge chances away from home. The visitors will sit back and look to soak up pressure, but one feels that they must not concede early if they are to stand a chance of getting something from the game.

Arsenal are favourites for this one and will look to forget Robin van Persie with three points. My pick for this one is a 3-1 win to Arsenal.

Newcastle surpassed all expectations last term with their doggedness and refusal to give up a potential top four spot. In the end the Champions League eluded them, but Alan Pardew’s men will continue to prove a tough opponent for all-comers to Tyneside in 2012-13.

The Magpies’ main threat is Senegalese strike partnership Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse, who set the division alight last term with their exhilarating skill and eye for goal. Ba bagged 16 goals in an excellent first season at the club, whilst Cisse scored 13 times in 13 games after joining in January. Spurs must be wary of the danger posed by the African duo.

Newcastle have been relatively muted in the transfer market this summer, with French midfielder Romain Amalfitano the only name of note to be added to Alan Pardew’s contingent. However, Ajax midfielder Vernun Anita is set to switch to the Geordies if personal terms are agreed, and Newcastle fans will hope to get a glimpse of their new man in this fixture.

It is all change at Tottenham, as Andre Villas-Boas has replaced Harry Redknapp in the White Hart Lane hotseat. The Portuguese trainer has been backed with funds to spend, and has duly brought Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen and Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson to north London; both are expected to debut in this fixture.

The main news surrounding Spurs this summer has been the Luka Modric transfer saga, with the Croatia international linked with a move to Real Madrid. It is believed that a deal for the playmaker to switch to the Spanish giants is close, but Modric will not feature even if a transfer is not concluded in time.

In attack Spurs have been frustrated in the transfer market, with moves for Emmanuel Adebayor, Leandro Damiao and others failing to come to fruition. As such Jermain Defoe is the only out-and-out forward at the club, and fresh from scoring for England in midweek should lead the line for the visitors.

This should be an exciting and close game. The equivalent last season ended 2-2, and there is every chance that a draw could be on cards here. My pick in this game is a 1-1 draw.

Chelsea had a remarkable turnaround in fortunes during 2011-12, with Roberto Di Matteo taking the reigns in March to lead the west Londoners to FA Cup glory and heroic Champions League success. The Italian coach has since been appointed on a permanent basis, with Russian owner Roman Abramovich investing highly in the squad.

Experienced campaigners such as Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Jose Bosingwa have left Stamford Bridge after expired contracts, and the Blues have wasted little time in strengthening their squad. The most exciting of their summer transfer business must be the additions of the exceptionally-talented Eden Hazard and Brazilian playmaker Oscar; the former should feature but the South American will not due to Olympics participation. Chelsea have also added Marko Marin and Kevin De Bruyne to their squad this summer.

Di Matteo is still in the market for a new right-back and a striker, and one feels that the side that steps out at Wembley on Sunday will not be the finished article that assaults the Premier League in 2012-13. That said, the London club will use the fixture as a way to start to integrate new faces into the existing structure, and hope to start the campaign with silverware.

Manchester City’s splurging in the transfer market paid off last term, as Roberto Mancini led the Citizens to a momentous first top-flight title in 44 years. In a breathtaking finale, an injury-time Sergio Aguero goal against QPR on the last day of the season clinched a 3-2 victory and the division crown on goal difference from fierce rivals Manchester United.

The Etihad Stadium side have not been their usual indulgent selves in the transfer market this summer however, and at the time of writing no new faces of note have been added to their star-studded squad. City have pursued Arsenal’s outgoing skipper Robin van Persie, but a deal for the Netherlands international looks to be languishing towards failure. Other targets include Daniel Agger, Scott Sinclair and a raft of European talent if the tabloids are to be believed.

However, Mancini has focussed on keeping his existing group together, and one of the biggest pluses for the team will be Vincent Kompany signing a new six-year contract extension this off-season. The core of the side will remain the same for this upcoming campaign, but expect a new face or two towards the end of the transfer window.

The English champions against the European champions, the battle of the two big spenders and two very serious candidates to top the pile come next May. City will look to continue where they carried off domestically last term, whilst Chelsea’s top priority now will be to get back into Premier League contention. Expect a stop-start game as these sides look to get back into the swing of things, and a lot of substitutions to give everyone a run out.

My Community Shield pick is a 2-1 win to Manchester City in this one, who will be the team to beat in the English domestic scene in 2012-13.

The Reds have replaced Kenny Dalglish with Brendan Rodgers, with the new coach bringing with him an optimism amongst the fans and an attacking outlook on the pitch. The Northern Irish manager has the bones of a solid squad to deal with, but will look to add a new face or two to his contingent before the Premier League gets underway on August 18.

The Merseysiders travelled to Belarus for the first leg of this tie, and escaped trying eastern European conditions with a 1-0 win over Gomel thanks to a Stewart Downing strike. The English outfit will look to make home advantage count this time round and put on a show for the Anfield faithful.

A number of team selection issues will be closely monitored by the footballing community. Experienced centre-back Daniel Agger was omitted from the Reds’ match-day squad for the first leg, sparking rumours that Rodgers may well be willing to cash-in on the Denmark international; Manchester City have been linked with a big-money move for the Scandinavian. England international striker Andy Carroll also missed the first game due to injury, amid reports that Rodgers did not want to cup-tie the forward ahead of a return to Newcastle.

Oleg Kubarev’s Gomel side are little known in the European game, and should provide a confidence booster for Liverpool. The Central Stadion side finished third in the Belarusian top flight last term, but on evidence of the first leg do not have sufficient quality to harm their illustrious opponents.

Rodgers and the Liverpool home faithful will be dreaming of a hefty victory in this one and may well get it should they score early. My Europa League free pick is a 3-0 win to Liverpool.

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Greece won Euro 2004 as one of the biggest underdogs in the history of this tournament. The Greeks were fortunate to get into the knockout stage of Euro 2012 this year, and they now have to contend with the mighty Germans on Friday. Still, if you think that lightning is going to strike twice and Greece can win Euro 2012, VietBet has the best price that you’ll find on the board all across the internet at +5850 on just that very thing to happen.

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Odds To Win Euro 2012 from VietBet Sportsbook
Germany +228
Spain +242
Portugal +718
England +870
Italy +890
France +1225
Czech Republic +5250
Greece +5850

Euro 2012 Quarterfinals Match Schedule
Thursday 2:45 ET: Portugal (-135) vs. Czech Republic
Friday 2:45 ET: Greece vs. Germany (-280)
Saturday 2:45 ET: France vs. Spain (-130)
Sunday 2:45 ET: Italy (+164) vs. England

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: England +175, Italy +175, Draw +200 & 2.5 Goals (Over +150, Under -222)

The final quarterfinal of EURO 2012 will be played on Sunday, as England takes on Italy. The English, surprisingly at top of their group, have found a way of grinding out results despite not playing their best. The Italians have been graced with the presence of in-form playmaker Andrea Pirlo, and have looked a side on the rise since their dreadful World Cup campaign only two years ago. Both sides have undergone a resurgence, with England receiving an influx of youthful talent as well as newly appointed manager Roy Hodgson, and Italy’s squad coming into complete harmony and playing well with a combination of youth and experience. While both of these sides may not be the most technically gifted, their direct passing game has found them success in recent times.

Much emphasis will once again lie upon the midfield. Both sides’ strengths include the central midfielders supplying the strikers. England plays a traditional 4-4-2 formation, which can prove to be static at times, while Italy utilizes the 3-5-2 or the 4-1-3-2. England captain Steven Gerrard has three assists to his name already, while Pirlo has two for Italy. An advantage the Italians may possess over their opponents is what they do off the ball. As shown in the Italy versus Croatia game, the Italians’ pressure off the ball is key to their success. England has shown to be indecisive about its system off the ball, as seen in the Ukraine game, in which the club was poor whilst pressuring the opposition. Both sides have some problems in defense, as recent news has revealed that Italian central defender Giorgio Chiellini will miss the quarterfinal, while England always seems to struggle to keep a clean sheet. Although health isn’t a question, uncertainty remains over the lack of pace in the English back line.

Both sides are capable of scoring goals, but the game will be decided on which midfield operates most efficiently. As it stands, Pirlo is set to dictate play once again, unless England closes down passing lanes and presses the opposition adequately. Steven Gerrard must find pockets of space in between the Italian defensive third in order to supply his teammates, something that may be a challenge. However, with the arrival of Wayne Rooney, the British have an extra dimension in their attack and can cause the Italians some problems.

Expect the game to be extremely close, as each side will play cautiously and try to retain possession. England will be a threat on set pieces, and Italy will use their energetic midfield to their advantage. Expect this game to end as a 1-1 DRAW after regulation, with both sides having plenty half-chances to score. The most logical pick here is the UNDER, with each team not boasting the most prolific scoring record. The English will end their horrific penalty shoot-out record, and succeed over the Italians.

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Spain -133, France +400, Draw +250 &
2.5 Goals (Over +130, Under -181)

The EURO 2012 quarterfinals continue on Saturday as current champions Spain take on France in what should be a close encounter between the two sides. Spain is certainly the favorite to win this match, but there are certain aspects about the Spanish that some people overlook and ignore. They have not been entirely convincing in the group stage, picking up a last ditch win against Croatia as well as tying with the Italians. The French may be a bit disappointed with themselves that they did not finish atop Group D, having lost to the Swedes 2-0 in their final group game. Nonetheless, while both sides did show a bit of imperfection in the group stages, they possess the quality and mindset to perform extremely well alongside Europe’s elite. A tactical and mental battle will surely undergo on Saturday, with both sides knowing exactly what is at stake.

It will be interesting to see how each side’s contrasting playing styles will pan out during the match. Spain traditionally runs a 4-3-3, with an emphasis on short passing and possession retention. On the other hand, France utilizes a 4-2-3-1 formation and has a lethal counter-attacking side due to the pace of Ribery, Nasri and others. The battle during the match will surely be in midfield. France knows that it will have minimal ball possession, and so will set up to catch Spain on the counter, as the side likes to get numbers forward. The Spanish on the other hand, will keep the ball until they deem necessary to strike. For Spain to succeed, David Silva and Cesc Fabregas must continue their excellent form in the tournament, with Silva contributing three assists as well as one goal, and the latter scoring two goals. Vicente Del Bosque will need to set up his side with the right balance and discipline, as Spain will certainly look to strike first, but at the same time, not concede. France will look to the services of tricky winger Franck Ribery to supply lone striker Karim Benzema. It will be important for France to have its striker make runs behind Spain’s back line, but this will be a tough task as Spain’s possession will certainly cause Benzema to drop deeper to be involved in the attack.

Spain will need to show its versatility, as the side is sometimes plagued by a natural instinct to pass in excess. Reminiscent of club team Arsenal, the Spanish have no plan B, and if passing their opponents to death does not work, they lack that X-factor to win the match. France will need to be disciplined at the back, especially since the side’s defensive line has not looked its best in recent years. The left-back in decline, Patrice Evra, as well as unconvincing center-back Philippe Mexes will both need to fight off Spain’s resilience and quality.

The Brits know that they are in a heck of a lot of trouble right now. They are going to be playing without a ton of players, most notably Wayne Rooney, who is serving a two-match suspension. That means that Manager Roy Hodgson has to go on with two of the three of Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, and Danny Welbeck. There are a heck of a lot of others in the midfield as well that are out of the fold, as well as in defense, and a big part of the problem that this team has had emotionally is that Rio Ferdinand wasn’t selected for the club. After the 2010 World Cup when the net minders really struggled for the Three Lions, David James was left off of the roster, while Robert Green has been relegated to backup duty. Now, it is up to Joe Hart, the keeper that led Manchester City to the Premier League title this year, that is going to be the man that has to get the job done to get England through Euro 2012.

There is a lot of confidence right now for a French team that could be a real contender in Euro 2012. Yes, names like Thierry Henry and Zinedine Zidane are no longer on the team, but a very young team has a lot of options to rely on. Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema are going to be the men that have to get the job done up front for Manager Laurent Blanc. However, the real talent on this French club is in the midfield. Florent Malouda, Samir Nasri, and Franck Ribery are all big time midfielders for big time clubs across Europe, and at the back, the combination of Gael Clichy, Laurent Koscielny, and Patrice Evra are going to likely be pillars. This is a French team that has struggled in many of the major tournaments since winning the World Cup in 1998 on their home turf. Now, they know that they are going to have to get back to the defensive brand of soccer that brought the team the most coveted trophy in the game.

The Final Word: In the end, we think that all of the injuries and suspensions really have the Brits in a heck of a lot of trouble. We think that they are vastly overrated, and we still think that, regardless of all of the problems that the team has had in the past in net, that Hart will have all of the same problems once again in this one. Taking three points in comfortable fashion definitely isn’t beyond the French.

England vs. France Prediction: England 0 – France 2