A clash between the Netherlands and France headlines Friday's Euro 2024 slate.
The pregame narrative: Kylian Mbappe's availability is in doubt after he broke his nose in France's opener. With or without the superstar, I expect fireworks. I'm backing both teams to score and Xavi Simons to record a shot on target.
Check out this Netherlands vs. France picks for the Group D match on June 21.
Netherlands vs. France picks
Click link to add selection to betslip. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.
| Best bet | Odds | Bet now ⬇️ |
| Both teams to score | -141 | Add to betslip |
| Simons over 0.5 SOT | -103 | Add to betslip |
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Netherlands vs. France best bet
Best Bet: Both teams to score (-141)
Mbappe's status casts a big shadow on this match but I still expect an entertaining affair.
France and the Netherlands both qualified for the European Championship out of Group B where they went 7-1-0 and 6-0-2, respectively. Les Bleus won both matches between the teams, 4-0 and 2-1.
The Dutch probably deserved to at least find the score sheet in the first meeting. They held 59% possession and generated five shots on target. Memphis Depay also missed a late penalty that would have cashed this wager.
That was also when the Netherlands was in horrid form.
The team lost three of four games following the 2022 World Cup but is 9-0-2 since with a +23 goal differential. The Dutch have scored 10 goals in their last three games and have found the net in 14 consecutive contests.
They dominated play in their 2-1 victory over Poland on Matchday 1 and still had more to give offensively.
France wasn't at its best against Austria and required an own goal to win the match. But Les Bleus did generate 2.13 expected goals, per TheAnalyst.com. That's an encouraging sign even though they couldn't convert those opportunities.
If Mbappe can't play, the French still have all-time leading scorer Olivier Giroud at the No. 9.
Key stat: Both teams have scored in the Netherlands' last four games against teams ranked inside FIFA's top 20.
Quick pick
Simons over 0.5 SOT (-103): Simons might only be 21 but he's quickly establishing himself as a reliable player in Ronald Koeman's side.
The RB Leipzig product has started in 12 of 14 games for the Netherlands since the 2022 World Cup playing as an attacking midfielder, as a forward, and on the wing.
He had three shot attempts against Poland on Sunday but none found the target. That type of volume is good to see, though, and I like his odds of breaking through against France.
Simons had the second-most shots on target (31) for Leipzig this season.
Pick made at 9:31 a.m. on 06/20/24.
